Backyard Patio Revamp!

Hi Friends! My backyard patio is finally finished! … Until I decide to change something else. I love my color choice of black, white, and green,it’s such a classic look and hopefully I’ll never get bored of it.

A little bit of background before I get into the decorating. When we first moved in we copied the previous owners. They had a grill and a 6 person table. We loved the idea of finally being able to have backyard BBQs and envisioned cooking/grilling outside. Honestly, the thought of eating during the sunset just seemed so relaxing and picturesque … Then we remembered we lived in Dallas and it’s hot as Hell 75% of the time and the other 25% it’s freezing and we don’t handle the cold well. So the patio that we had set up just went to waste. Since we never used it, we also never cleaned it so after 2 years it’s disgusting and gross and I’m shocked the neighbors haven’t complained.

For the last 2 years we’ve been able to ignore the patio, as if it doesn’t exist, BUT we do have 3 large windows that look out onto the patio, from the living room, and it’s annoying having to look at this gross table. So we knew we needed a change.

The Timeline:

I know what you’re thinking: ‘Susan, 5 months is a long time to be working on a patio’. And, yes, I agree but I was trying not to break the bank and wanted to ease into updating the patio and only bought pieces I absolutely couldn’t live without. I didn’t want to be impulsive and solve a quick fix, I wanted to love it and I wanted it to last.

I will admit that I have an addiction to shopping on Amazon. I’m at the point where I receive a package everyday. Which is totally fine and acceptable, if that’s your life then I’m a little jealous. But I just bought a car and figured I could start being more responsible with my money and limiting my Amazon purchases is a good place to start.

For holidays/birthdays our family does Amazon Wish Lists that we share with each other. It makes online shopping so easy. So I started adding items to my list during the month, then on the 1st I’ll buy $200 worth of things that I still want. It didn’t have to be products specifically related to the patio, but obviously that took up a good percentage.

So far, it’s worked out really well and I found myself deleting items I didn’t actually want/need during the month. #savings. That’s why it’s taken me 5 months to finish the patio, I’m just making sure that I REALLY want everything before I purchase it. #responsibility

Here are some must-haves for your patio!

Before Step 1: Plan out your space. I find that everything works out so much better when you have a vision for your space, it helps with clutter. If you just go out and buy everything you like, then you have to try to fit everything in a space, and it will start to feel cramped.

Step 1: If necessary, find a way to add privacy or shade. In our little townhome, curtains were a must. We have 4 ft tall fences so the neighbors can see almost directly into our backyard/patio. This wouldn’t be a huge issue if we didn’t have large windows that lead directly into the living room and kitchen, allowing our neighbors to see directly into our home. Now, we’ve never caught our neighbors creeping, but just to be on the safe side, I’m putting up curtains.

It comes at no shock that there are a million and one colors and styles for patio curtains. This is where your vision board comes into play, it helps you stay on track even with all the option. Yes, options are great, but it can be overwhelming if you don’t have a plan. I created my vision board based on what I found on Pinterest and I love the black and white look for the outdoors. I think it’s so sophisticated, classic, and doesn’t seem to go out of style. So I went for it and bought black and white stripe curtains and a curtain rod.

Curtain Tips:

We live at the top of a hill so it can get pretty windy in the afternoon. I thought it would be enough to tie up the curtains so they don’t blow into the neighbors yard but then I was losing all the privacy. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I lost my battle with the wind and had to take down the curtains (checkout my ‘Patio’ stories if you haven’t seen them). Here are the multiple options I tried to keep the curtain at bay (before ultimately giving up):

1. Add weights. Curtain weighs are very common and work excellent for a nice afternoon breeze. However, there crazy wind we get during get the springtime was no match for these weights and they ended up flying off. So, if you have light wind problem these are perfect.
2. String. I tried tying string to the bottom of the curtains and attaching them to the ground. This worked like a parachute and the wind was just too strong. I have seen people loop another rod to the bottom of the curtains for additional weight. But I thought the string would provide a little more give.
3. Bricks. My final option was bricks. I tied to curtains to 2 bricks on each side and this worked for a little while, until the bricks were air-born. I’m shocked we didn’t break a window.

Drill TIP:

When we bought the house, the previous owners had put up a pergola that covers the deck area so we had the foundation set to install curtains. But I still had to drill holes and screws in the wood pergola. Throughout the years I’ve become pretty good at finding the stud in the my walls and using the drill bit to hang heavy items that don’t tear up the drywall. But I have no experience with drilling outside. I had an issue with the drill bit literally breaking off and it was super frustrating. Then my dad told me there are different drill bits thats you use outside for harder surfaces, like drilling into concrete or metal!! My mind was blown but it actually make sense. Luckily the drill is standard and you just have to purchase different drill bits.

Shop Curtains:

Step 2: Find furniture that fits your needs and budget. I was shocked to see how much variety of outdoor furniture I could find, and in a wide variety of price ranges. Originally I wanted a big sectional and I found a couple for around $250. But, I didn’t want to run into an issue where I spend all this money and in 6 months wanting to change it. So I wanted to set a limit and spend less than $150 and get 2 chairs and a couch. The furniture I ended up getting was black wicker with white pillows. I thought the black wicker would hold up well outside and the white cushion covers can zip off for easy washing. I will say they are a little smaller than I thought but overall I really like the look and if I do end up buying something new in 6 months, I didn’t spend an arm and a leg on the first look/version.

Shop Patio Furniture:

Step 3: Keep it simple with accent and storage furniture. Our neighbors have epic gardens in their backyards and they are always outside planting and doing yard work. The question I keep asking myself is ‘where do they put all their yard equipment?’  I never see storage sheds so I assume it’s in the garage. We are trying to be good about not using the garage as a storage area because we don’t want to add clutter around the cars. So, I wanted a little storage outside because we have small equipment for planting flowers (yes it happens and they die in a week, but I can dream). So, I found little plastic tables that can be used for storage when the time comes and we start to having outdoor equipment 🙂

Shop Accent and Storage Tables:

Step 4: Keep the patio clean by adding a rug. For me, the rug was the biggest struggle, I had a vision and was really happy with my choice to do a plain, natural fiber rug. Since my curtains are very bold, I wanted a more subdue rug. I could have carried over the black and white stripe into the rug, but I thought it would be too much. So I opted for a solid natural fiber rug. But when it arrived, it just didn’t look right, I needed something more. It really helped me narrow my search when I confirmed I wanted a natural fiber rug, but maybe adding some white designs.

That was when Target provided me with a rug I didn’t even know I wanted. I bought the triangle rug in ‘tan’, the other color option was ‘charcoal’. However, Target consistently messed up my order and sent me the charcoal run instead of the tan rug (this happened 3 times before I finally gave up). I had the charcoal rug sitting in my living room, unopened, for about a month when I decided I’d give it a try and see how it looked on the patio. I’m ashamed to say I LOVED IT! It was perfect, I never thought of adding a grey rug but it tied everything together so perfectly. And it was reversible.

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Step 5: Bring in your own personal style by adding accessories and plants. If you follow me on Instagram you know that I do not do real plants. I kill them within a couple weeks and think they’re such a waste of money. So fake plants are my soul mate and I’ll keep them around till the day I die. I added two trees (one tall, one short) and two sets of flowers (one on the ground and one hanging). I love the pops of green with the black and white, it adds the perfect amount of color, without committing to a color.

As for accessories, this is where I get carried away.  I can totally see myself decorating for every holiday/ season. But I did want to buy the basics and that’s pillows. Since they are small, I thought it would be good to tie in the black and white curtains to the pillows and I even got  a natural fiber pillow to die into the rug. I see these staying up all year but everything else I want to be interchangeable. Since we’re starting spring, I’m going for bunnies 🙂

Shop Accessories and Plants:

Before and After