Patio Reveal ~ Our DIY adventure

The time has finally come. Are you ready for a tour of our patio makoever? We are!! First, I want to give a huge shout-out to my hubby and kids. Without them this massive undertaking would not have happened. We’ve poured countless hours outside of our normal workload building and creating a family space we can now all enjoy. Second, I would to thank my sponsors, DFO Home and HomeRight. Their awesome products (see previous post for details) have made this makeover even better than imagined.

Let the tour begin! It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t take you back to where it all started…with the hand-me-down patio set my parents gave me. You can read more on the before here.

Here’s what we started with…

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…and the after…

Quite the difference eh? I can’t tell how much more we are using this space now that it’s inviting and family centered. I adore the richness of the Sikkens Oxford Brown stain we used on the pergola.

With our new 10 ft. table and benches, we can now seat all eight of us and guests for a lovely meal. It’s better than my kitchen table!

I found the table design plans at The Design Confidential (Restoration Hardware hack), and the bench at Ana White. I was so happy that the two different plans worked out to have similar lines and style. You can see more of my inspiration on my Pinterest board.

I used a Behr Chocolate Semi-Transparent stain for the table. It seriously looked like chocolate milk going on, and gave a rustic finish.

My 9-year-old daughter willingly baked her first banana bread for this special occasion. All my six of our kids love to cook and bake, and I love to watch them grow.

Since fall is upon us, we thought it would be fun to celebrate the season.

Fresh cider with homemade bread…mmmmm…can’t beat it. I want to point out that most everything you see in this entire space was thrifted or created from repurposed finds.

We built a faux fireplace from our scraps to add a little coziness to this space. (tutorial is HERE!) With a salvaged window, a thrifted wreath made of natural elements like beans, cinnamon sticks, dried apples – all was easily put together on a budget.

You can beat shopping nature for autumn touches, right?

Up above, we strung patio lights, and I made these two candle fixtures from four hanging flower baskets I scored at a garage sale for $1…for all four! Added a couple of flameless LED candles, and they’re perfect above our table.

This next space was what started it all. Funny how a project can grow into a ginormous undertaking with the start of something small, isn’t it? Much like the child’s story, “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”. ahem.

I decided to use the ottoman in another corner and built a repurposed coffee table instead. The frame is made from my pallet stash, the top from a trash bin we had on the side of our house, and the insides are two antique wash tubs found on Craigslist.

It even has extra storage inside for outdoor extras and drains when needed too. I’m all about function around here.

My wood planters were given to me from Freecycle, the table my mother gave me and got a makeover in this post, and the other planters were given my faux zinc finish.

Then I decided we needed another table in the corner. The base is made from a tree stump, and the top I created to look like it was put together from old shipping crates (tutorial here!).

Originally, I had plan to sew new covers for my pillows, but, honestly, ran out steam. (no surprise, right?) My stash of feedsacks easily fit the occasion.

I stuck the ottoman over in the corner by the door to give it some dimension. Doesn’t it look sweet with my mother’s antique crocks filled with chrysanthemums?

One of the favorite spots is the swing we received from my dad as a hand-me-down. You can read how we restored it with our HomeRight sprayer here. Nothing like a lovely evening on a swing, and a long chat.

Now how about those curtains? I’m tellin’ ya that DFO Home has got everything you need to make your outdoor space as comfortable as the interior of your home. Just look at those finials…love!

A year or so ago we were given this grill for free from a neighbor. He just wheeled it down the street and asked us if we wanted it. Absolutely! God is good.

At night this is really a wonderful dream come true for us to be able to share with our kids and guests. Now we need to plan a patio warming party, and celebrate the fruit of our hard labor.

I so hope you’ve enjoyed our efforts and are inspired to create an inviting space of your own. You can certainly add a little here and there by being creative, and making use of finds you come across.

If you have any questions about how we achieved our makeover, please feel free to ask. We’d love to help you make your outdoor dream space come true.

More of our home projects like our patio reveal: