We are so very happy the warm weather is back to stay, our family would live outside if we could and in order to enjoy the outdoors and make good use of your property, it's important to create a space that makes you feel comfortable and inviting.
Creating spaces don't happen overnight, unless you have endless time and money. We've spent the past two summers perfecting our space and are quite excited with how it's turned out. But with any project, there is always room for improvement, updates, upkeep and also enjoyment.
Don't forget to enjoy your projects and hard work!
The first summer we were in our home, we rarely used our back patio because it was so hot and we sold our smaller glass top table and sun umbrella before our move. Our family of 6 had outgrown the 4 top we purchased when we lived in Germany, several years ago, before children.
The Mr. & I looked online, made countless trips to the Restoration Hardware Outlet and multiple other stores, only to return home empty handed. The large price tags for the size and sturdiness of a table we wanted just didn't fit into our budget. So, my handy hubby decided to build one instead and we are both so happy he did! He drew up plans from the visions in my crazy head and went to town with solid cedar.
We found the chairs at Pier One, driving to multiple locations to pick up six white ones since the blue and orange we were originally going to get were just not bright enough for our color scheme. They stack so are easy to store in the garage during the winter months.
A bench was added later and stained a different color than the top to add a bit of dimension. No screws were used in the making of the bench, just glue and lots of clamps. Both have held up through our crazy snow storm this past winter.
You can see how close we are to our neighbors and with the garages in the backs of the houses, it's kind of impossible to add a privacy fence. I'm thinking about planting red tips along one side of the wall, since they are pretty hardy and grow quickly (but I need to see if they fare as well in Virginia as they do in Texas).
The two lounge chairs were purchased from SAM's Club,
the perfect spot for soaking in a bit of Vitamin D.
The grand outdoor hutch was a labor of love from the both of us. We wanted it big enough to store firewood on the bottom and higher than typical counter height for serving food. No one likes little fingers in all of the dishes during a BBQ. The extra shelves are great for cups, an outdoor speaker & wine bottles. We added hooks on the side, from IKEA, perfect for towels, grilling tools or a bag for trash. The metal buckets were screwed directly into the back wall of the hutch to add a bit of green which doesn't have to get watered since the plants are fake.
A nice touch without the worry of killing them!
We added the orange sail last summer, purchased on Amazon, it was more cost efficient than a large sun umbrella and we don't have to worry about tripping on a large base since it is anchored directly to the garage wall and two metal black poles that have been cemented into the ground on the other side of the stone wall. Something that provides shade and slight rain coverage but can be easily removed if need be. We took it down for the winter and during wild wind or rain storms, will take off the front two tethers and stuff it behind the hutch.
The lights are repurposed from Christmas. They go on the front of our home in December and in the back for the summer months. It creates a nice warm glow and brings a bit of Italy to our space.
The hutch is made of pine and was stained a very light color. We wanted it to blend with the different colors outdoors and not be an eyesore.
The blue doors were repurposed from one of our kiddos DIY closet renovations. We removed all of the sliding doors as they only allow you to see one half of the closet at a time and just aren't smart to have with little ones in the house. They fall off track easily and can pinch fingers.
They got a coat of blue spray paint last summer and this year we mounted them to the back of the hutch with door hinges, so they wouldn't fall over if the wind picked up. The white metal grates used to be black and received a touch of white spray paint to brighten them up this year. 4 screws are holding them to the doors and add a nice backdrop without having to worry about messing up the siding of the house.
The patio slants a bit, so you can see in this photo that we propped up one side of the hutch to level it, it's VERY heavy and almost impossible to move with just two people and with the extra weight of the wood inside, we aren't too worried about it toppling over anytime soon.
With all of the furniture, you'd think the patio would feel smaller but in fact it has made the space double in size. We've had several get togethers and enjoy having the space to seat so many at one time. What's your favorite part of the space? Mine is a combination of everything together but I just adore how the top of the hutch turned out with the simple touches from IKEA.
I hope you enjoyed our space and have been inspired to create one of your own.
