Patio Overhaul

Okay, overhaul might be a tad dramatic but hear me out. We bought our home almost 3 years ago... within 1 month of moving in, I had just about every room (minus 1 bedroom) decorated and furnished. Now, I have made some serious changes in the 3 years, learned SO much, made mistakes and then corrected said mistakes but I was committed to making this house a home... except the patio.

This tiny, little, square space remained "blah". And by blah I mean sad, empty and kinda dirty. 

 It's small. Very small. But that should never be an excuse. Small spaces are often the most charming! My Mom gave me a vision (because she loves doing yard work) and I loved her vision so much I made it a reality! Try and picture it in your mind before I do a reveal. Ready?

1. Power wash the heck outta the patio. 
2. Move the hose unit to the left and make a flower bed there.
3. Move the grill to the bottom right corner (if you're standing facing the sliding glass door head on) 
4. Area rug, centered
5. Fire pit somewhere lol
6. Chairs

I started by raking the dead grass. Our yard is filled with plush, green grass. (worked REALLY hard to get it that way!) So why, you ask, is this one small strip of grass yellow, dried and dead? Allow me to explain... one fine day, I was mixing a weed killing solution in my handy, dandy spray can. Said spray can BROKE, I freaked out and dragged the weed killer along this lovely strip as the can basically exploded all over. So cool! (insert my new favorite eye rolling emoji) After feverishly raking, I sprinkled some grass seed and water every night. 

Here is a close up of how filthy the patio had become... yuck! I power washed (that's a funny story I will share NEVER... seriously way too embarrassing!) 

Then it was time to make the flower bed. I bought Ashland Empire Concrete Edging Stone from Lowes. The color I chose is different than the link. I moved the hose unit further to the left and pulled out the weeds and grass. Placed the edging stones (5 pieces) and filled it with soil. Here is the before... 

Picture it... ready? 

I'm really happy with how it turned out! I also think it will be gorgeous once I add some green! In the fall, I am going to plant some dwarf boxwood. (yet another vision from my Mom!) 

Okay, here are some pictures of the completed patio... I also added a source list with links below. 

Here is a night time view- LOVING the fire pit and the white lights. :) 

Outdoor Pillow- Lowes

Patio Rug- Lowes

2 patio chairs- Resin Wicker from The Christmas Tree Shops (clearance $19.99) 

Garden stool- Homegoods 

Plant holder- Homegoods

Let's play the "dream patio" game....

Now, if I had NO BUDGET and were able to do anything to this space, I would expand the patio space (double it), allowing for bigger furniture. I frequently spend hours browsing online at Arhaus. I found some gorgeous pieces I would love to use on this dream patio of mine. Brian and I are going to most likely finish off the basement sometime in the next 6 months and the theme will be very neutral. Since the patio is right off the basement, I would love to just make it an extension of the basement. I love this Hamptons Outdoor Teak Chaise  SO much. Again, since I would ideally double the size of the patio, I would be able to fit 2 of these Teak Chaise lounges. My favorite fabric is the stunt pebble. Typically, I am a sucker for color but again, I would want this to be very neutral.  I would definitely upgrade our fire pit and stick to a neutral rug, like this one. I fell in LOVE with this accent table and would add lighting and coziness with these lanterns. I would finish everything off with industrial outdoor light bulbs like these from Target. 

Isn't it FUN to dream?!?!?! :) One day, maybe! 

As always, thanks for stopping by! 

Cyndi

(See previous posts on the dining/living room, the most recent family room pics, a full family room tour here, although not current, and kitchen although again, made some changes, like finally buying a valence for the window.) Wow, writing out my changes made me realize that I should probably take updated Home Tour pics!