Awhile back I found a teak teacart at a local flea market. It served perfectly as a backyard ice cream and drink station for a party, and I loved that it could double as a plant stand—so it was a very useful find.
A few weeks ago I decided to move the teacart up to the deck to use with plants. Of course, before I could do that I felt the deck needed a bit of sprucing up. Does that happen to you? You want to move one piece and suddenly you’re committed to a whole project. We’re guilty of that.
Over the years the deck’s finish had worn away to bare wood and it looked worn and tired. I’d been dreading the work, but the timing finally felt right: Better Homes & Gardens was scheduled to photograph our kitchen, and the back deck is visible from the sliding door. With that deadline—and my desire to get the teacart onto the deck—we tackled the project.
For now we don’t have the budget or time for a full deck rebuild, so the goal was simply to improve what we already had. My husband picked a product called “Deck Over” by Behr. There was no sanding required—just a good cleanup to remove dirt—then he rolled the coating on like paint. We treated the deck surface (not the railings), and it refreshed the look more than I expected.
Before I could arrange everything and shoot after photos, life happened:
One of our dogs, Lily, was left alone for a few minutes and tipped over a plant. She had a blast digging through the soil, spreading dirt across the freshly finished deck and the new rug—and then tracked it into the house. Such is life with dogs.
Still, it’s hard to stay annoyed when they’re so cute. My sister even says Lily looks like Fozzie Bear from the Muppets.
Despite the canine chaos, I’m happy with the refreshed deck finish. It already has a lived-in feel—and since the dogs will probably leave it dirty again soon, a full pristine redo didn’t make sense—but it’s undeniably better than before.
While we worked on the deck we moved furniture down to the backyard. The pieces will work well as conversation areas there, and eventually I’d like to add a gravel patio below. On the deck itself, I prefer a lighter touch; it’s a small space, so I’m considering just a small café table and chairs for morning coffee. We bought the rug from Overstock, which adds a nice pop of color.
Back to the teacart: I brought it up to the deck and styled it with plants. It looks charming right off the kitchen, and I love having a portable, decorative spot for greenery.
The succulents on the bottom shelf are still in their original tray—sometimes called a succulent carpet—so I didn’t even have to pot them. Eventually I’ll plant them in the yard, but for now most plants stay in pots so I can rearrange them easily. I enjoy how the teacart groups everything together and makes the display feel intentional.
One other update: our wisteria in the corner is taking off. Right now the vines are attached to privacy screens and seem stable, but they’re growing vigorously. I expect we’ll move them to a lower area near the fence in the fall or next year so they can have stronger support; I’d hate for them to pull the trellises off the deck. For now they add a lovely sense of privacy to the space.
Teacarts are wonderfully versatile.
Do you use a teacart for anything besides serving tea?