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Our patio makeover
You guys, I am so excited about this post. We have been waiting to give our patio (and really our whole yard) a makeover since we moved into this house a year ago, and it feels so good to finally have it done.
We have been talking about, and working on, this for months. So to finally sit outside on our new sofa (on our level, clean patio) and have a glass of wine with my favorite guy last night, felt amazing. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.
If you’ve been following along with me on Instagram you may have seen all my stories lately about the work we’ve been doing outside our home. Over the past few months we’ve been ripping out ALL of our old landscaping (it was in REALLY bad shape), replacing most of it with sod, and then adding in all new landscaping. We’ve been doing most of it on our own, and for the most part, have done a pretty ok job (I’m not sure anyone would hire me….but we have plants in the ground).
We also had some major work to do on our bluestone patio. It had to be releveled (we had it done professionally, that wasn’t a job we wanted to take on), power washed (a few times), and are now just finishing a few last steps. I attempted to “grout” the stones with polymeric sand myself a few days ago and let’s just say, again, no one is going to hire me. But we’ll worry about that next week. For now – on the fun stuff. All our new goodies!
When I first approached JP with the idea of getting new patio furniture. I told him it was going to be an “outdoor oasis”. Our first real “grown-up” patio. But I promised him I wouldn’t spend a fortune, so I tried to be conscious of our budget. Here was the original inspiration for our little “outdoor oasis”
Just like everyone else, we’re spending A LOT of time at home these days, so it was important to me that this summer we had a space we could ENJOY. And that made us happy. I wanted it to feel like an extension of our home, and I finally feel like it truly is.
It took us a while to find a patio set we loved AND was comfortable, AND affordable, AND in stock. Man that proved to be harder than I thought. This actually ended up being the third set of furniture we ordered, but thankfully this last set we found from Target, is my favorite and I couldn’t be happier with it.
The Montpelier sofa is big (81″ long) and sturdy and super comfy (and I can lay all the way down on it). I’m obsessed with the arms. I didn’t think I would be that into the bigger arms, but it makes it great to set down drinks or a small side plate. Which is great for the kids too.
Plus, it was easy to assemble. JP put it together (with the help of the kids of course) in less than an hour. I love how sturdy it feels. Sometimes with patio furniture you assemble yourself if never feels like great quality. I have been so impressed with how substantial and sturdy this set feels. It feels more $$ than it was.
We also got the matching Montpelier chairs and table, which are equally as great. I like that again the arms are great for setting stuff down and the table is big and wide. Just a great, practical set for entertaining and really living outside.
To cozy up the space we added a few accessories. I am obsessed with this umbrella. I found one similar at Seren and Lily that was three times the price. This white scalloped umbrella just adds a little flair and provides us with just a touch more privacy and coziness. Probably one of my favorite things we purchased.
We also added this basketweave rug which I am really happy with. It rained the first night we laid it down, and it was dry by the morning. I find that with some outdoor rugs, they hold water. I was presently surprised with how quickly this one dried out and how clean it’s stayed. Super easy to just sweet dirt and leaves right off.
Then to layer in some soft coziness we added a few other accessories, these oversized black outdoor lanterns that are big and beautiful and can live outside all summer long. This big outdoor “poof” for the kids to pull up and sit on. A few black and white pillows and blankets, and of course this great rattan basket to keep it all in (we take this basket inside at night and then bring it back out – just makes it easier to transfer everything).
The last thing, and probably our hardest decisions, was on the fire pit. We went back and forth on this a few times. I love the sound and smell of a wood fire – but the practicality of gas. So….it true Katy fashion. We did a small one of each. I love this compact round fire pit that we have at the end of our sofa. It’s great for when it’s just JP and I sitting outside for a little bit. And then we got this larger wood fire pit for when the kids are out and we want to roast marshmallows or are just spending a longer evening outside. It gives off great heat, is easy to move around and not $$. We’re really happy with it.
Overall I’m so happy with how this space turned out and can’t wait to spend hours outside with my crew here this summer. It may not be the summer any of us pictured, but if we have to be “home”, I certainly feel lucky that this is what I get to call “home”.
I hope this helped inspire some of you to make your outdoor spaces a little cozier and happier this summer too.
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