See How Jamie Chung Transformed Her Termite-Infested Deck into a Cozy Backyard Oasis

Michael Simon/startraksphoto.com

Jamie Chung is embracing cabin life with her new backyard makeover!

The Lovecraft Country actor, 39, has completely transformed the exterior space of her mid-century Los Angeles home, where she lives with her husband Bryan Greenberg, 44, and their 10-month-old twin sons.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Chung revealed that the house was originally Bryan's when she first moved in nine years ago. "It was a typical bachelor pad. Everything was brown leather, beige, oversized and not cute," she jokes. "It's been a slow process of me taking over."

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Michael Simon/startraksphoto.com

Michael Simon/startraksphoto.com

Chung explains how her husband always wanted to have a mountain house, so she was aiming to recreate a cozy cabin aesthetic with her recent backyard renovation.

"The exterior project of the house is kind of the last thing that was on our list since I moved in with Bryan. We renovated the kitchens and the bathrooms, the interior, and now the exterior – and we want to stay true to the original design of the home," she says in reference to the home's rustic-style facade.

In order to tackle her backyard renovation project with ease, the Hangover II star teamed up with Thumbtack — a home care app designed to connect homeowners with local service professionals.

After linking up with Thumbtack pro Ravid Meir, Chung anticipated simply sanding and refinishing her old deck, which is pictured below. Little did she know, she would soon encounter every homeowner's worst fear.

"When we slowly started to peel back the layers, we realized that the deck was in really bad shape. The support of the deck was made with untreated wood, which is kind of crazy, and it was totally termite infested," she reveals to PEOPLE.

BEFORE:

Jamie Chung

The solution was to rebuild the deck out of redwood — a variety of wood that termites particularly hate. Stainless steel wire cables were added to the hand railings to elevate the final design.

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Along with the railing, Meir also installed planters to match the rest of the deck. Chung insisted that she is not a big plant person, so Meir and his team chose an olive tree to bring more life into her backyard.

"I do not have a green thumb, and with this looming drought, we wanted plants that were native to California and can withstand this intense, direct sunlight and little water," she says. The tree was planted in an interior pot built into the deck, which Meir topped off with beautiful lights to complete the look.

With the deck complete, Chung is already looking ahead to more outdoor upgrades.

"The next project is going to be repainting the house and the cinder blocks, and then adding new doors and a splash pool for the kids," she explains. Eventually, she also wants to recreate a treehouse feel by extending the balcony into a "Tulum-style" reading net.

RELATED: Jamie Chung on Decision to Welcome Sons via Surrogate: 'I Was Terrified of Putting My Life on Hold'

Michael Simon/startraksphoto.com

Michael Simon/startraksphoto.com

In addition to tackling her upcoming renovation projects, Chung is relieved that the finished deck is now a safer space for her kids to hang out on.

"Our kids are just starting to crawl and explore. Now that it is totally renovated and safe, we feel super comfortable letting them play," she tells PEOPLE.

Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

Chung, who welcomed her twins via surrogate last fall, says despite its challenges, motherhood has been the most rewarding experience. "It's a blessing," she says.

Chung is also working on several new acting projects. She revealed to PEOPLE that one of her new movies, Reunion, will be released early next year and features a "star-studded" cast, including Jillian Bell, Michael Hitchcock, Billy Magnussen, Nina Dobrev and more.