We are in full Spring, some days feel like Summer, mode down here in the Deep South and like any proper southern lady, I prefer to spend my evenings sipping Sweet Tea and Lemonade on my patio (said in my best Steel Magnolia accent of course). One problem though, since Christmas, this patio of ours has been quite neglected. Not that we haven't been out there, because we have with the kid's new play house Santa brought and the sporting equipment resurfacing recently, it was looking a little neglected!
Despite being a bit under the weather this past weekend, I was determined to make this Patio Refresh happen and enlisted my ever-so-handy husband to assist! So, today I am going to share with you a few things to jump start Spring outdoors!
Step 1: Give your space a good once over with a broom, some window cleaner, and a little spray paint
It is spring, so there is pollen everywhere! A good wipe down will probably do the trick, but every year or two our iron furniture needs a fresh coat of paint! It's super simple and dries so fast. In just a couple of hours you can have that metal furniture looking brand new. We use a Hammered effect spray paint to give it a little texture and it shows less flaws.
Step 2: Wash and replace textiles
The coral cushion and pillow you see here, I made a few years ago for our swing when it was on our front porch at our old house! The fabric has held up nicely for the most part, but I did have to get rid of some pillows that had become moldy from just being outdoors all the time. I was SO surprised and happy to find these two new pillows at Big Lots that coordinated with my existing cushions so well! That could not be more perfect! It gives the swing a whole new look without having to replace everything.
Step 3: Bring in some color with flowers and pottery!
Another surprising Big Lots find, was the new planters I was able to mix in with some I already had around the house from previous years!
Step 4: Lighting
With warm evenings approaching, it feels great to eat dinner outdoors and a little ambiance never hurt anybody, so twinkle lighting it is! We just used one strand and three command hooks to make this happen. I love it! These photos just don't really do it justice, but we are definitely enjoying it!and lastly....
Step 5: Repurpose, Repurpose!
I mentioned this before, but in my efforts to keep costs down and give the patio a new, fresh feel, I searched around the house for items I wanted to use outside. We wound up moving the rug from under our kitchen table out to the put under the play house. I kind of want a little pop of color for the kitchen anyway and now is the time! I pulled a tray that was being stored in the garage to serve my lemonade and snacks and we actually moved everything around a bit! On another re-purposing note, how great do those pillows also look in our Adirondack chairs?!
It may not seem like a lot but this little refresh made such a difference. I am little new at photographing big spaces, so I don't feel like I captured it's true charm, but I hope you can get the feel!
That looks amazing!! I think I need to make a trip to big lots.
ReplyDeleteThat looks amazing!! I think I need to make a trip to big lots.
ReplyDelete