I LOVE living in a place where there are seasons! However, there is still a learning curve. Last year I did not finish redoing my patio before fall and the cement got too cold to paint; then a painter informed me that “now it’s a spring project”. Spring project!? Wow, coming from Florida that was an eye opener!
So this year I could not wait to get at it. First, my neighbor kindly offered to add 2 feet to my existing patio…..what a difference it made! I redid the cement base coat, then applied the top coat and the sealer. I used my old patio furniture and was fortunate that the same line was still being sold and purchased a few more pieces. An outdoor rug, a fountain, a few accessories, and some new furniture cushions with throw pillows completed the job. Take a look at similar re-do from Country Living:
Talk about an amazing transformation!
There’s a couple of VERY important tips I want to leave you with when redoing an outdoor space:
1. Look at your spaces as a WHOLE. I have a screened porch that leads out to the patio and you want it to flow and coordinate! These spaces are too close together to make two separately decorated spaces out of them. So I purchased the same rug for my screened porch that was on the patio and matched the blue cushions there and placed the same main color outside. Just make sure you have a few differences, of course.
2. This is the perfect time to make use of garage sales, Craigslist or some nice neighbors curb side pickup! There are so many deals to be found out there that just need a little TLC. My son and daughter in law just redid their large outdoor space with second hand furniture and several cans of spray pain. It looks beautiful! But if you have some extra cash to spend, check out the new Tommy Bahama outdoor furniture!
3. Plants, plants, plants. I am an avid (amateur) gardener and I have an herb garden in my porch every year. They are easy to grow and you can cook with them all summer; then freeze what is left over. This offsets the cost of buying annual flowers and plants, but there are always some annual flowers that are so beautiful on the patio it is worth the investment.
4. Put something FUN outside you enjoy, whether it be some lanterns, a fire pit or a small fountain…used or new! Anything that will give you a little joy or put a smile on your face :).