Saturday, June 23, 2012

{patio face-lift}

Summer is really upon us...it has been in the 90's all week...but I'm really not complaining. Really. ;)

And our patio needs some love. Seriously.

We have a really great back yard, with lots of trees and nature all around. But we also have quite the concrete castle when you walk out our back door.

See?


Concrete patio + concrete block wall = blah.

We did add this cute little patio set from IKEA a few months ago. It was a steal for $99 and also has a bench that isn't in the picture. LOTS of seating.

But right now that's all we have...some lonely, plain IKEA furniture. So I've been on the look-out for some great cushions and pillows to liven it up, but also ones that wouldn't break our already tiny bank.

Thanks to a great sale on kohls.com and my trusty 30% off coupon, I scored some really great pillows and cushions.

And I was so excited about them that I created a little mood board...


In about a week I'll be the really happy owner of these lovey pillows...two each of the square ones and one of the pretty striped ones. And also two chair cushions in that great shade of green. All for $50. Woot! You can also see all of them with links on my Pinterest board.

I added a few more things to my mood board to round it out...some in the budget and one a bit outside but not totally unimaginable. The planter on the table is from IKEA...

We already own one, so I just need to buy some soil and a fun plant to go with. Perhaps a succulent...because I have a really, really brown thumb, and succulents are all the rage these days.

Sidenote...since when did everyone start calling them succulents instead of cactuses...or is it cacti? Kind of like how long skirts are now called maxi skirts. Both were around 10 years ago but weren't nearly as fashionable. ;)

Anyway...back to my dream patio. The hanging planter is also from IKEA and another steal at $4.99.  


Gotta make a trip to IKEA, stat. 

The rug is from Overstock.com and is $55.99 for a 5'x4'7" size.


Very affordable, but it will definitely have to wait a bit. I really love how it pairs with the charcoal gray in the pillows. So dreamy. Or maybe I'll find a cheapo sisal rug and stencil it!

And in the future, I would also love to paint the concrete block wall, which would soften up the space quite a bit. But for now, the pillows that are on their way will go a long way in livening up the space. I'll be sure to post an update when they arrive!

What are your favorite colors/items for outdoor spaces? Do you have a Pinterest board? Comment below with links...I'd love some more inspiration!


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3 comments:

DianeTaylor said...

What a great budget friendly makeover! Ikea is like 5 minutes from my house and I hardly go .... because I always spend too much money.

April @ illistyle said...

I love the colors you chose! and the fact that everything is SOOO budget friendly makes me love it even more. My grandmother and father both grow cacti and succulents. So at the risk or sounding like a snobby know-it-all I will try to answer your question: all cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. The determining factor that makes a succulent a cacti? spines. That's it. But I think everyone says succulent because it sounds way more sophisticated. like foyer instead of entry. or amuse bouche instead of appetizer. (I totally say foyer, BTW I am real fancy like that.) BTW love your blog. Been following for a while. xoxo A

Anonymous said...

i love those colors!!! definitely like the fun bright colors- perfect for summer for sure! glad you found some good deals at kohl's and ikea!! we heart ikea!

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