My house isn’t big, so I like to capitalize on every little space I have. I find that I love my home more when I have several cozy corners to choose from. Especially now as a stay at home mom – MOST of my time is spent here so variety of scenery is really more of a necessity. My home, porch, and patio might be on the small side, but they are still blank canvas’s on which I can sprinkle my favorite paint! In fact, I come to you today from the tranquil comfort of my back patio table while I listen to the rain around me and gaze proudly over my new Spanish inspired space (takes deep breath and lets it out with a smile). Today I’m going to share with you my 4 steps on how to transform your small patio for summer! And if you have more to work with – space and/or budget – even better!

Truth is, I wasn’t always proud of our patio. I once loved it (when we first put the effort in to extend it), but had since grown to resent the fact that it wasn’t larger or more formal. This was actually the topic of my most recent Virtual Coffee “episode” (you can read that little email all about avoiding the comparison trap here) so I won’t dive too deep in to my motivation behind this patio makeover. But, I’m happy to report that the space that had begun to embarrass me is now my favorite spot in our home and where I have spent several enjoyable hours with friends and loved ones since!

So whether you’re looking to inspire a project of your own or you find yourself oddly curious of my patio and thoughts, here are my 4 “steps” to styling your outdoor space for summer (and beyond)! I did my best to both explain what WE did but also to provide practical and general applications to anyone looking to take on their own project! Let’s start with step one:

4 Steps To Transform and Style your Patio

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Step 1:

Designate and Create your Space

When we bought our house as a new build it was COMPLETELY void of all character. The definition of a “blank canvas”. At 24 years old I would have loved to throw some real money into it, pour a big old slab of concrete or lay down some fancy rock and build a deck, but that’s wasn’t the best option for us at the time. So, we got creative! our backyard had a tiny covered patio (just big enough for a grill and a small table) and I REALLY wanted to extend (more like double) it. We could talk about it for years until we were ready to make a significant investment, or we could do a little DIY in the meantime! So that’s what we did – we doubled our patio with a Pea Gravel extension that makes us feel like we are sunbathing in the Mediterranean! This little DIY cost about $250 total and was the subject of my first ever blog post – I called it “Backyard Oasis on a Budget” if you want the details on our DIY patio extension!

So if we’re talking “how to” here, that’s your first step: designate your space. And if you don’t have one – or want a bigger one – create it! Either with money or creativity and a bit of elbow grease!

Step 2:

Plan Your “Sections” Within the Space

This is where you need to brainstorm a bit. Begin by considering what you would like to use the space for and what will prompt you to get a lot of use out of it. We knew we wanted to eat, converse, grill and enjoy a bonfire… and I wanted a spot to layout. So we took a look at our patio and, while small, we were able to allocate enough area to each idea so that we could make them all happen without appearing too crammed! We decided we would put the fire pit in the corner farthest from the house and allow enough room to surround with at least 4 seats – enough for 2 couples because that’s usually how we arrange ourselves with friends. We really didn’t need more than one “layout” lounge chair for the time being since – without a pool – I was never hosting friends for that purpose. We also knew we wanted the table to reside fully covered with plenty of gathering space and room for movement around it. So, these factors were all considered and configured into our “blueprint” vision of furnishing the finished product!

While Planning your “sections, here are some things to consider:

• Movement between all “sections” is critical and should be simple, natural, and free from obstacles.
• If your space looks too “crammed” on paper, it will look even more crammed in real life. Less is more so use your available space wisely!
• You will loose space to storage and functional pieces such as trash cans, pots for plants, baskets of fire wood, coolers, etc so keep those in mind.
• Your open flames should always be away from any cover of sorts (hopefully this isn’t news to you… and if it is, sorry for making you feel dumb…)
• Consider the sun – in fact, BUILD your design around it. My “Layout” chair is angled towards the mid-day sun because that’s when I use it for such purpose. Our stationary umbrella was placed with the evening sun in mind so that it would shade our seating.
• Consider the rain – we have an open wall that gets a lot of the western angled rain and douses this spot on the concrete, so nothing of importance is going here.

Step 3:

Furnish your Space

The second most fun part (the most fun is next…)! This obviously depends on your budget, and since ours was small, I turned some objects we already owned into patio furniture and only purchased the necessities. For example, I knew I would have to spend money on a fire pit and lounge chair, so I tried to cut back on the rest. I put together several similar iron chairs for around the fire pit and needed two more seats, so I snagged a black iron bench from Target for just under $50! We have a friend who works in construction and asked him if he could snag us a wooden spool from the job site… this is and has been our dining table on the patio for years and with a little care has held up beautifully (it also adds a nice natural element that is beautifully coherent with the iron chairs). I had a natural Jute rug in our bedroom and I didn’t LOVE it there, so I moved it out here and it perfectly compliments the table! I found an iron lattice tall storage bucket at Kroger for $18 and turned it upside down to make a function side table. This just goes to show you that if you shop your house and think outside the box before hopping online to buy furniture you may find the perfect pieces for cheap or free!

My favorite new “Furnishing”

I am in LOVE with our Abba Offset Umbrella. Let me give you a little info about this game changer. Our “pea gravel” patio extension was not covered at all for 2 years and we soon realized that it was very unpleasant to enjoy in the blazing Texas sun. I really wanted to cover part of it but had to leave some open for the fire pit… so it had to be an umbrella. But, I didn’t want to sacrifice valuable space in the center to plant a giant umbrella base. Enter the Abba Offset Umbrella – the umbrella that hovers over the area you wish with an offset base to save space and keep a pole out of the center of your covered area! This umbrella is incredible. They have 9-foot and 11-foot options in multiple shapes and it can be easily configured at various angles or set completely parallel to the ground. This one piece has completely altered the ambiance of our outdoor space and has made it so much more functional and desirable for everyday use. We have the 9 foot circular offset umbrella in the color “beige” – this can be purchased for under $200 either on the Abba Patio site (for which I have an additional 15% off coupon for you if you use the code “Kelsie15“) OR you can find it on Amazon here ($159 for the 9 ft)! If you do order the umbrella and don’t plan on screwing it into the ground, you can order the weighted base off their site (again with my discount code) OR you can find it on amazon as well!

Step 4:

Add Personality with Details

Now THIS is the fun part! I know we are all naturally inclined to continue our interior home style in our outdoor spaces (which makes sense… because it’s what we like…) BUT let me challenge you on this. I like clean and natural – whites, woods, and plants – inside my home. But my back patio? A moody, bold, Spanish inspired appeal. I walk outside and I feel like I’m somewhere new… isn’t that what we all want when we walk in to a new space? I love my interior palate.. but I also love the eclectic vibrancy of my patio and the refreshing change of scenery. This is not to say you should decorate your outdoor space in a way you don’t love, I simply want to challenge you to explore a new “style” that you can equally love but that will enchant your senses in a new way!

So HOW do I find a new “style” out of my norm that I equally love?

My advice? Don’t search for the style.. search for ONE piece. Whether that’s a lounge chair cushion or a planter, find something that stops you in your tracks and use that as your inspiration. I was actually looking for a simple charcoal colored lounge chair cushion when I happened upon a multi-colored pattern and loved it so much – even though it was FAR from my typical design style. So, I took the plunge and used it as my “palate” for the remainder of my space. I searched for colors embedded in the pattern for my pillows, cushions, planters, etc. I now have a space I also love but that I would have never dreamt up on my own! Sometimes all it takes to inspire a room is one piece. Find that one and run with it!

Most important, once you’ve finished your new space, LIVE IN IT. When I get an hour to chat with a friend, read my bible, or work on my computer, I take it outside. When it’s not blazing hot, we bring our dinner plates out there. When we have friends over, we plug in the string lights, light a few candles, and gather out back instead of the convenient comfort of our living room. And every time, we’re glad we did.

I hope you will consider refreshing your under-utilized spaces in your home. Not to show it off, not to have a new weekend activity, but to improve your quality of life – your everyday life. That is the real fruit. A happier Tuesday morning spent with coffee overlooking the dewy grass before you get ready for work. A more tranquil and conversation-provoking evening meal with your spouse while the sunset reflects off your wine glass. A peaceful afternoon listening to the birds in the sun instead of watching TV from the couch. Each hour – each task – is an opportunity to enjoy life. I challenge you to join me in making the most of them.

 

Love,

Kelsie