I recently worked with one of my best friends to update her outdoor patio. This friend is one of the BEST hosts, she always is the first to open her doors to have friends and herds of kids over. Not only does she welcome everyone in she is also the most relaxed when hosting, I want to be like her. I was thrilled to help her expand her living space outdoors. This outdoor space will be used and loved more than any outdoor space I know. And lucky me I get to enjoy it too when I come in town.
First this is what the outdoor space looked like BEFORE…
They have a really nice deck and backyard. But this space wasn’t being maximized to it’s full potential. They had a patio table that took up too much room, not leaving much space for comfortable seating.
This is what their outdoor space looks like AFTER…
I measured out the deck and drew in the furniture to scale on drafting paper to make sure we could fit everything on the deck. We opted for small garden stools to maximize the seating and make best use of the space. Backless stools make it easier to walk around on a tight patio and are easy to move around to different areas of the deck. (I link to everything in this patio at the end of this post).
This hanging chair is probably everyones favorite part. I like that it separates the patio table and the seating area to create separate living spaces and yet it can turn and be apart of both spaces.
This black tea cart used to be their daughters changing table. And it wasn’t black it was yellow. I love this idea of looking at your furniture you currently own in a new light. My friend Rachel came over and spray painted it black and added the wheels to the base. It really is the most functional piece for outdoors now.
I found the wood lattice piece and spray painted it white to pop off of the green siding. We hung the hanging planters and the battery operated light with simple brackets we found at Home Depot.
We added the black and white umbrella to the table last minute to offer some much needed shade when the sun is in the back of the house. It also ties in the color scheme.
Also a big tip if you are wanting to save the most money is to purchase outdoor furniture first part of July, that is when outdoor furniture and outdoor decor goes on sale! You can shop everything I used for this outdoor living space below, keep in mind it goes quick and might already be sold out.
Sources (contain affiliate links)-
Yay! It looks terrific! I’m all for the outdoor rug, aren’t you? And the print fabric with the birds is pretty stellar, too! Thanks for sharing — we JUST finished the railings on our front porch, + I can’t wait to set up a mini “living room” out there!
Hahaha. Best job I’ve ever had. Looks awesome!
It looks adorable! I didn’t grow up without outdoor living spaces and I’m wondering how to take care of an outdoor rug and cushions? I have an outdoor rug in our family room thinking that it would wear better than a traditional rug, but it has been terrible. It pilled and stained and I think it would have done worse outside with the leaves and pollen. Do you leave them down all the time? I’d love to turn our deck into a space like this but I worry about how long it would stay nice and wonder if there are some tricks to help outdoor stuff last longer.
I agree that most people think “outdoor” means indestructible, but it is not always the case. I have noticed that they do clean up easier with water. I vacuum the rugs just like an indoor rug. I think you have to care for them like you do your indoor pieces- regular rotate and vacuum. Hope that helps!
Looks so good! May favorite part is the tea cart! Everyone needs a little extra space to help host…like the $5 find you gave me!
that has more than paid for itself:)
Beautiful!!! Love this outdoor space! You do such great work! Can I ask where the large white pots are from?!?
Thank you! I found those at Home Depot actually!
Where is the patio umbrella from? Nicely done!
thank you! I found it at Target!