We started our patio conversion last year when we decided to replace our outdoor furniture with a set that was more functional for our needs in our new house. Good quality, weather-resistant pieces do not come cheap – so we were a little leery of selling off our still relatively-new set for a fraction of what we paid, and having to shell out for something new. I had a very specific vision of what I wanted for the space, and I absolutely refuse to pay full price for anything – but with some patience and deal-finding diligence, we were able to get a whole new look at a bargain.
First, for the before….
Our old set had been perfect for the limited space we had outdoors at our previous house, but we found the 4-person table too small, and our seating area going unused in our new house (those cushions are dust collectors!). Our solution: go with a longer rectangular table that would replace the sofa set under the covered porch.
Our local Frontgate outlet was our go-to when it came to finding our new furniture. With the help of additional sales and a little schmoozing, I was able to get the $3,500 teak table for about $1,200, and found one of these chairs at the outlet for a steal at $120. With a little investigating, I found out they were from Grandin Road (a Frontgate affiliate) and even at full price, were a very doable $299 each. I was able to snag them at 30% off, which sealed the deal.
Notice our old stained concrete patio got a little facelift? The home across the street was recently flipped, and the builder who renovated it did this patterned tile outside. He shared the details, and we were able to find the same tile for only 74 cents a square foot at Floor & Decor. It’s been one of our favorite upgrades to the house. It requires us being diligent with keeping it clean, but it’s so worth it. (Note, it is suuuuper slippery when wet but we’re hoping to remedy that with some sort of a brush on sealant.)
We finished everything just as we entered our best season, so this patio really has gotten a ton of use and become an extension of the inside as of late. Which is why we even stuck a TV out here 🙂
On the other end of the patio, we added this part of a sectional (on clearance for $450) and this coffee table (a steal at around 100 bucks with discounts). The white sofa has me running to bring the cushions in every time it rains (and pushing James off every time he gets up there on his throne), but the material seems to be really durable so far.
Had to take a pic of my potted trees. We’ve been growing two of these inside at our bay window, where we previously could not keep anything alive or bug-free. These trees are AMAZING. Lowe’s labels them as hard as nails for good reason: you can’t kill them. (Official name: Aralia Balfour.) They require so little water yet their leaves are always shiny and they grow like crazy. The ones inside have grown about a foot since we got them last summer.
Once again, another before….
And after. These rockers were an end-of the-season clearance find at Tuesday Morning (or Tuesday’s Junk as Jake refers to it.) Kudos to my favorite granny store though – these were something like $150 each and are hands down our most-used pieces outdoors.
Not a bad makeover if I do say so myself 🙂