What workarounds did people try for "How to decorate outdoor space under stairs without permanent changes"?

Question

Accepted Answer

Community members documented 66 workarounds:
1. storing bikes elsewhere because they are visible from the street
2. leaving the space empty
3. dumping a yard of rich soil and planting shade grass
4. putting down rocks, mulch, or pavers and spraying roundup for weeds
5. Choosing pavers instead of concrete to handle ice, thaw, and root intrusion.
6. Using AI to clean up photos to visualize the space
7. Planning a DIY project with a few friends
8. Hiring a landscaper to lay down a new sod installation
9. Making garden or flower boxes on the perimeter concrete and getting turf for the pool part
10. Outlining the space with boxwoods, leaving an entrance, and creating a seating area with a water feature
11. Putting down pebbles for a fire pit and seating area
12. Building a raised platform using deck blocks without digging
13. Filling the area in with mulch
14. Planting a fern garden with rhododendrons and azaleas
15. Leaving the area as-is to enjoy the trees
16. Asking online forums for design ideas
17. Considering basic options like grass, mulch, or rock areas
18. Taking the roof part off, mounting it on 4x4 posts, removing the tin roofing, and adding 2x2 purlins.
19. installing a privacy wall along the side of a deck
20. using outdoor rugs or wearing shoes on hot composite surfaces
21. hiring a landscape designer
22. doing a test garden first
23. Looking for alternative landscape design vendors and reading subreddit suggestions
24. Consulting online forums with CAD drawings and sketches for layout ideas
25. Covering the area with temporary outdoor turf or astro turf
26. Installing interlocking deck tiles that can be uninstalled and moved
27. Adding complementary trees or shrubs in groupings or rows
28. Asking online communities for specific plant and tree recommendations based on region
29. buying a prefab shed and hiring someone to do insulation and electricity
30. using prefab metal buildings after pouring a concrete slab
31. powering the outbuilding with an appropriately sized extension cord
32. installing a wood stove for winter heating instead of a mini-split
33. putting down patio stones
34. cleaning out junk and doing a dump run
35. using mulch so pets can use the area
36. building a small deck with storage below and using vertical gardening
37. building raised wooden beds
38. adding corner garden beds
39. washing stone and adding polymeric sand
40. using big painted pots and stock tanks
41. keeping the middle open for seating
42. using AI to redesign the space
43. Planting shade-tolerant perennials like ferns and hostas instead of trying to grow grass
44. Laying down a membrane and gravel with large pots for low maintenance
45. Installing a hammock, sun screen, or cold plunge setup
46. building a shed and steps into the gravel area
47. trying a rain garden to help absorb water
48. setting up rain barrels for rain water collection
49. Leaving the area as is
50. Adding native plants
51. Setting up simple seating or a fire pit
52. Letting the area return to forest
53. Planting seeds like grasses, flowers, or herbs
54. Covering the area with fabric and pinning it down until spring
55. Planting winter grass seed that dies off in the spring
56. Building a border or retaining wall to prevent erosion
57. Using ChatGPT to brainstorm layout ideas
58. Consulting a structural engineer
59. Asking for opinions and ideas from online communities like Reddit
60. filling gaps with gravel, river rock, or pebbles
61. planting low-growing ground cover like creeping thyme or clover
62. extending the planter box to fill the space
63. Looking for inspiration on YouTube or online
64. Mulching and planting perennials
65. Converting the space into a parking space
66. Using landscape design apps

How to decorate outdoor space under stairs without permanent changes

What the numbers show

What people tried

Found another way around this?

In their words

Where this came up

People with this problem also raised