Early summer backyard patio tour!
June 16, 2020
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It's finally patio season! We've had really lovely weather here lately and have been enjoying our outdoor spaces SO much. We had a backyard patio installed last summer that we've been loving this year.
We pulled everything out of the garage and set back up earlier this spring. I got the flowers planted in the pots recently and they've had time to start filling in. We also picked up a couple new items for the patio recently and now it's such a sweet and soothing retreat.
I just shared this space last summer, but I'm so pleased at how it's coming together this year I thought I'd do an early summer tour.
I finally got a garden planted for the first time in forever and I'm so excited about that! It's way in the back of the yard though, so I also planted some herbs in pots on the table so I can run out the back door and grab them for meals:
I refinished that wood table earlier this spring and it looks brand new! The table isn't huge but we've had a ton of people around it and it's worked out fine.
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It's not crazy heavy, but it's held up to strong winds just fine. The sound is SO lovely.
Our covered patio is perfect for really hot days -- I love having so many seating options out here!:
Quick note on our exterior paint color -- it's called Knight's Armor and like so many gray paint colors, it looks more gray in lower light/shade and leans more blue in the sun. You may notice how different it looks in photos of our exterior! I love both versions. :)
The fire pit is so much fun -- we've hard large groups out here and it's such a great space. We absolutely love it!:
I got a bunch of plastic Adirondack chairs on clearance late last summer and only four have survived:
These are so light and go flying even in the lightest wind. The also break very easily. We're hoping to replace them with wood chairs this summer, but those are not cheap!
I like that we can fit so many around the fire:
My husband misses the outdoor fireplace we had at our old house, but I prefer the fire pit. The fireplace is more of a statement piece, but you have to sit close to get the warmth of the fire.
Like a lot of us this year, the finances aren't going to allow for a ton of updates back here. The budget is tight. :) But I do have one large project I hope to tackle next week, and we are planning on adding a few trees around the patio.
I haven't planted much (the rose bushes are sloooow going this year) but I hope to get more plants in the ground as well:
When we add the trees, we'll probably extend the mulch out in a few spots to soften things up a bit.
I'm excited to get the trees so I can start some shade gardens again. I've missed my hostas! :) Gardening is one of my passions and I haven't done too much of it yet in this house:
I can't wait to see how our pretty patio looks in a few months! We absolutely LOVE our backyard retreat!:
Do you have a patio or deck in your backyard? Have you been enjoying it lately? We've been especially grateful for it this year.
As promised, here's a list of the items and projects you can find on the patio:
- Two-tiered fountain
- Wood dining table
- Hammered metal storage table between chairs
- Bird bath with planter on bottom
- Tall tiki torches
- Outdoor rug under table
- Large cantilever umbrella with base (this is ours but the newer version has solar lights!)
- Large plastic deck box
- Round metal fire wood holder
- Fire pit how-to and materials
- DIY potting bench tutorial
- Landscape lighting tutorial
See more of our home here. To shop items in our home, click here! Never miss a post by signing up to get posts via email.
Hey, I was at Home Depot (in Canada) and they had unfinished wooden adirondack chairs for $65 (Canadian) dollars. I think they come flat packed. Maybe that would be an option for you!
ReplyDeleteBought 4 polywood Adirondack chairs at Costco last yr and they have them again. They are pricier at $130 ea but you never have to paint and are heavy weight. Have seen cheaper at other stores but they aren't made as well. Highly recommend. Have two friends who went and bought them after I raved about them amd they love them, too.
ReplyDeleteAGREE! Came here to recommend Polywood also.
DeleteYes! We have those Costco Adirondack chairs and LOVE them! We have them on our rooftop deck in an area that gets high winds. They hold up better than wood chairs. We are so so impressed with them!
ReplyDeleteWe have the same plastic chairs around our fire pit. We stack them 8 high after we are done using them and then they don’t blow away in the wind, and we have crazy wind here, maybe try that!
ReplyDeleteWe usually do but sometimes they still get blown away!
DeleteI wish I had a patio like yours! It looks so good – perfect for hanging out at! ❤️✨
ReplyDeleteCharmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Beautiful patio area!
ReplyDeleteDo you know if your dining chairs are still available somewhere?
Thank you! Yes, I believe they are still sold at Target. There's a link to them in the photos at the end of the post -- you can arrow through and click on that photo.
DeleteCurious about the umbrella. Do you have a link for that?
ReplyDeleteYes, good question. I added a link to it above. (And now it comes with solar lights!)
DeleteUp North (Eastern Canada) where I grew up, they're Muskoka chairs. We built our own, and although the pattern we used doesn't seem to be available online, this one is darn close - I'd round off each back slat at the top, but that's a style thing.
ReplyDeletehttps://cottagelife.com/design-diy/how-to-build-a-muskoka-chair-of-any-size/
What a beautiful space! Living in New Zealand it's winter now, but I can just imagine how relaxing it would be to spend so much time there.
ReplyDeleteLove your ideas, and your backyard is very inviting! Like a lot of people now, my husband has been working from home, so he's working and then working on our home, no longer avoiding the dreaded honey-do list! We're spending a lot of time working on our backyard since we were planning on graduation parties that will now be put off til the fall, likely. Since our kids are grown (sad face) we pulled out their old wooden swing set, and turned that area into a sweet little shady spot with a wooden swing we already had and moved our fire pit back there. I added in some garden gate-type trellises and decorative fencing to "frame" it in, planted several hydrangeas. While those hopefully get bigger, I've got big pots back there with perennials to transplant later. I managed to find some outdoor lights, battery operated and on a timer to light up the space at night. My husband stained the wooden swing and frame an ocean blue - I just sigh with peace looking at that area from my kitchen window! Now he's moving on to our deck, staining it, moving a pergola on to it and building a table for dining. We've been doing a lot of repurposing/upcycling, shopping our home first before buying new whenever possible. Always enjoy your posts!
ReplyDeleteDo you have a source for your dining chairs? Also the cute bunny stake.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember where I got that stake. :( I believe the chairs are still sold at Target. There's a link to them in the photos at the end of the post -- you can arrow through and click on that photo.
DeleteAlso here to recommend the Costco adirondack chairs. They are made from recycled plastic, so they help to reduce waste and they are nice and heavy and have been low maintenance for us. Please consider more eco-friendly suggestions, especially considering the positive influence you can make on such a large audience. Thank you for your great blog
ReplyDeleteWe purchased Adirondack chairs a few years ago from a company called By The Yard (based in Minnesota). They make outdoor furniture from recycled plastic milk jugs. We absolutely love them! They are heavy and sturdy and can stay outside all year round in all types of weather - even the extreme winters we have here in Minnesota.
ReplyDeleteWhat are the dimensions of your firepit area?
ReplyDeleteIt is about 14 feet across.
DeleteWhat are the dimensions of the uncovered rectangular part of your patio? I saw you mentioned the fireplace is about 14 feet across.
ReplyDeleteThat area is about 15x30.
Delete