Progress and new project plans for our patio space
Almost a year ago we started planning updates for our patio space. We accomplished a few things, but then I was pregnant and had lots of morning sickness to manage, so progress was stalled. It turned out to be a good thing that we didn't get very far on this project, because now we envision something completely different! We're ready to get back to work on our outdoor entertaining space, so today I want to share what progress we made last summer and what our new plans include.
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Patio progress so far
By far the biggest change we made last year was coating the old deck boards with DeckOver.The old floating deck is in desperate need of replacing (it's probably about 20-25 years old based on when the addition to the house was done). However, we have some higher priority expensive projects before we replace it, so for phase one, we decided to use DeckOver to try to squeeze several more years out of those boards.
We used "cordovan brown" color solid DeckOver stain. Less than a year later, it's already chipping in some places, so I think our boards are probably too old for this product to work magic, but I do think it will buy us some time.
Last summer we also painted our exterior doors and changed our outdoor lights.
A small update was painting this old outdoor bistro set with spray paint and changing the cushions. I'm not sure if it will stay in this space long term, but it will definitely go somewhere in our yard. I'm always amazed at how paint can give something new life!
Our new patio design plans
So why did our plans change? Two reasons.One, although I had already realized my shift in style to a combination of modern and traditional, I had just barely figured out what that looked like to me.
As the year has gone by, I've been able to really hone in on what I like and don't like. My vision of "modern traditional" has evolved a lot, and our new plans for furnishings and accessories reflect that. You can find my previous mood board in this post. Here's my current inspiration board.
Very different from the original plans, right?
I've learned that I love the look of formal gardens, but I want our space to feel more relaxed and casual. We'll use some traditional accessories and plantings and balance them with clean lines and casual seating.
And here are some of the products I'm envisioning in this space.
Last year, I purchased the rug and chairs, and a few months ago I ordered the pretty patio set!
We really enjoy spending time outside with family and friends, so we've envisioned a long outdoor dining table for this space. I assumed it would be hard to find one and we would end up having to build one ourselves, so last year I bought a cheap antique table as a temporary solution.
But I finally found the perfect outdoor table with plenty of room for guests! This Modway Northlake table from Riverbend Home is 85 inches long and made out of teak. It will be durable outdoors and paired with the more traditional outdoor chairs we have, it will be the perfect combo of modern and traditional.
The other reason our plans changed is because I took a garden design course offered by Pith and Vigor.
I'm no professional interior designer, but I know what I like, and have gotten better at putting spaces together. But when it comes to the exterior, I often feel lost. I like everything I see and I'm pulled in so many different directions and have no idea where to start.
Rochelle's garden design course helped me define my vision for our patio space and lay it out on paper. It helped me figure out what I love and put it all together. I will be tackling the design for the rest of our one acre property when the course runs again this fall.
I previously felt stuck with the existing curved shape of the gravel patio, but taking this course helped me look past that and come up with a plan that fits us.
I prefer clean lines, so we plan to square off the gravel area to balance the curvy deck until we can replace it. This will also provide a pathway to connect the patio to the driveway. We'll use a larger gravel size to make it easier to clean up debris from the trees and easier to pull weeds. We'll define the gravel area with stones.
We still have some more specific plans to make regarding this space (like selecting plants and stones), but I like the direction it's heading so much better now!
With a new baby combined with current events and shopping restrictions, I'm not sure how quickly we will actually accomplish this, but it's giving us something fun to chip away at a little at a time, and it's our top priority project this summer. We spend a lot of time outside, so completing this space will mean a lot for our family. I'm excited to create a space we can relax in and entertain in that will hopefully be a lot less maintenance than it currently is!
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