BEFORE & AFTER: A Pretty Patio Makeover
I rarely entertain. I’ve never been much of a hostess. I suck at it, actually. It requires a certain amount of “pretty spaces” so you’re not embarrassed about your house when people come over. And you also need to be organized and prepared.
Well, I can’t do anything about the “organized” part, but I definitely can do something about the “pretty” part!
We have a big backyard with a patio, but would you invite someone over if your patio looked like this? Hardly!
BEFORE
Dirty, dark, and dingy.
But after this week, here’s what it looks like now!
AFTER: A Pretty Patio Makeover!
Doesn’t even look like the same patio, does it?! It looks great!
(Minus my neighbor’s NO TRESPASSING sign, that is…).
This table used to be so pretty (I hand-painted pretty flowers on it after finding it next to a dumpster).
But the dark shaded tree that we just cut down caused mold and moisture that would never dry. And the whole table was ruined. *sob sob*
I wanted it to be pretty again, along with the whole patio and be a place where we could entertain and just relax outside as a family.
So I planned some outdoor improvements. But I also wanted some yummy-smelling candles to light up in the new space.
I bought two of the Pumpkin Apple Harvest, which is a blend of cinnamon and nutmeg, with a pinch of brown sugar. I love scents that remind me of the fall season, don’t you?! It’s one of my favorite seasons!
(Just be sure not to put them in kids’ rooms, and to always follow instructions on using the candles very carefully!).
I wanted to repaint my table in a soothing teal color, so I chose Quiet Teal exterior paint for the table and the door.
I wanted to create a small little insert in the middle of the table with the candles.
I tried to get the kids to help, but you can see how enthusiastic they were about candle crafts…. HA!
Anyhow, I wrapped them in jute around the neck (securing with hot glue).
Then I pulled the jute through the middle a few times.
I wanted to add some fall leaves around the candles, so I used this old wreath I had gotten last year from the thrift store and pulled out some of the leaves and stuffed them down in the middle of the table’s hole.
Hard to believe this is the same table! And look at that rug! ICK!!! Thank God for pressure washers……
BEFORE
AFTER!
It turned out great! I love the little “fall feel” the candle centerpiece gives!
I think I may do a stencil on the table later, but for now, I just love the simple, fresh color of the turquoise. Ahhhh….soothing…
I think the door turned out nice, too! It matches the table. I plan to stencil some fun wording on the bottom!
BEFORE
AFTER!
The lighting will be getting upgraded, too.
(See the painted Welcome mat HERE).
This is what the patio looked like as we were getting that intrusive tree cut down, which caused this space to be moist, molding, and always gross.
I can’t wait to sit back here and have friends over!!! I still have more work to do (surprise, surprise), but this patio is clean now, with great scented candles to set the ambiance!
AFTER!
My family came up over the weekend and we grilled out.
(P.S. I couldn’t wait to show off my new FRED SANFORD “junk” tee shirt for them! They’re an exclusive of this blog and you can only buy them HERE).
It was nice to finally have a place to chill, guys!!!
So is your outdoors space pretty and ready for entertaining?
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I love your fresh approach to updating your surroundings, I am currently going through renovations and your blog has inspired me to try new things. I have been very hands on in the installation of our new kitchen and I am going to tackle painting my large Kitchen dresser and table once reno’s are done. Thanks for sharing your great idea’s in an easy fun way I really enjoy your blog 🙂
Awww…you’re totally welcome, Narelle! This blog is a great place to find inspiration for me, too. Because if it weren’t for my readers, I probably would do NOTHING in my house! 🙂 That’s awesome you’re hands-on in the kitchen remodel! What kind of work are you helping to do?
My husband and I installed the cupboards and benchtops in kitchen and bathroom, and I put all the door handles on, something I was nervous about as I am a perfectionist, they all look lovely and we start painting in two weeks once electrician and plasterer have finished! I have waited 12yrs for this reno so feeling very excited. We are also installing the pressed tin splash back ourselves, so hope it all goes well.
Oh wow, that backsplash sounds amazing! I’ve not done a backsplash yet. I wish you the best of luck! Send me pics when you’re all done! I’d love to see it.
To heck with entertaining, its so beautiful for you and your family to enjoy. It inspires me to create a pretty place for our patio furniture. Hard to do when your putting in grass. I plan to take up the challenge.
Go for it, Letia! My family came up this weekend and it felt amazing to entertain out there with my new grill and just laughing with them, watching the kids run around the yard. In all the nearly 5 years here, we hadn’t once used our patio like this! I’m excited for the next outside get-together! Poor hubby got TORE UP from mosquitoes and vowed he was never “doing that” (entertaining outdoors) again. HAHA!
Well done! Nice job. Keep it up…………………………………….Thanks!
Thanks so much, Mamun!
I really like your patio chairs. Were they a thrift shop find? I noticed the Adirondack chair in one of your before pics. I think you should paint that chair a really bold color to add some drama out there. I’d go with something completely NOT matchy-matchy. Orange or red or royal blue! Then add in small pops of that color to your table centerpiece. I recently painted a darling little chair that I bought long ago at a thrift store a bright bold yellow. (Pretty far out of my comfort zone.) It’s sitting in my living room with a basket of plants on it. It matches nothing in the room but makes me smile every time I look at it! Not only does the color scream happy…but it makes me feel brave for choosing it! Lol…
Brave is the right word, Lyn! I”m usually a wimp when it comes to color! Turquoise is my favorite and I use it for EVEERRRYTHING. Can’t go wrong with that! Oh, and that Adirondack chair?? As I was moving it, I realized that it was totally rotten and it just fell apart on me! 🙁 It was a thrift find, along with those patio chairs. It was in pristine condition when I got it! I should have put some sort of protectant on it….SIGH…..
Absolutely lovely! Watching you transform these things is an enjoyment!
Thank you, Vickie! It’s fun doing it, too! The best job ever!!
You are such a talented genius. Great job.
Ooh, that’s so sweet, Barbara! I don’t feel like a genius. Just someone that loves doing this stuff! I just wish I had more hours in the day to get it all in! Between projects, taking care of kids, and trying to manage a blog, I need 48 hours in 1 day. LOL.
Thanks for commenting, and of course, for reading my blog! 🙂
Isn’t amazing what a bit of paint and pressure washing will do? You made this so fresh relaxing.
Thanks, Joan! OMG, you should have SEEN the pressure washing! In fact, I’m going to post about it next week because it was that impressive. Of course I filmed a lot of it, and to see it in action is truly amazing. You don’t realize how dirty your outdoor surfaces get until you pressure wash away the nastiness!
Talk about transformations! Your patio is now so peaceful and inviting. The trick with the cord on the candles just made them ten times more interesting. What about the rug? I’ve often thought how nice one would be, but are they a lot of upkeep? Would you buy one again?
Hey there, Judy Ann! The rug is actually not hard to keep up at all. The problem is that there was no sun getting back there so green gunk would grow evvvvverrry where, including on the rug. I’m going to do a post about my new pressure washer next week and you’ll see what I mean. It’s an indoor/outdoor rug that I picked up with a gift certificate that I won at a blogging conference. I think I got it from Ballards! I’d definitely buy this rug again!
Wow! What a difference. It’s amazing what removing a tree can do, not that I’m anti trees, but sometime they have to go.
I use to have an old lady neighbor who would wander around her yard and pick up small bits of trash that the wind had blown in, and put them on my side of the fence, or the people on the other side of her.
Love the transformation of your patio!
LOL about your neighbor! 🙂 I’d like to think they’re really sweet people deep down inside–it’s just that LIFE got the best of them. HA!
Glad you like the patio transformation! It was amazing hanging out with family there this past weekend! After nearly 5 years here, that’s the first REAL time we’d entertained there!