We've lived in our current apartment for going on three years now, and one of the big selling points for us moving here was the unexpected outdoor space! So it feels so silly that we are only now getting around to making it more hang-out friendly, but such is life!
Last year I added a few touches, which were mostly plants that died almost instantly, some fake plants (getting on the right track there at least!), and the bulb lights for overhead. But the space still lacked that quality that makes you actually want to hang out out there, and that comes with making a space more comfortable and pulled together decor wise.
Really, we only added a few key things to transform this space and make it one that we like to relax in daily reading a book or sipping on a glass of wine.
The "before" shots, Christmas wreath in June and all!
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Photoshop Mockup of my ideas for the patio |
The main additions that we added to the space came down to textiles — spaces need to be softened up to become a little more inviting and take on that "lounge" mentality. So I sanded and repainted our director's chairs, and gave the canvases a wash to refresh those, and then I went hunting on the inter webs for squishy homey elements.
The rug was what we like to call in the biz the 'hero piece' of the space. It has the loudest pattern, the biggest personality, and really makes or breaks the vibe of the space by bringing in all the key colors and visual 'style' that I was going for. So (and please understand all of this is very lighthearted and I am in no way actually miffed about this as I understand we are literally living through a global pandemic and I take it very seriously and respect and value all of the essential workers throughout the world right now) it was a bit of a rollercoaster when not one but two rugs I was planning on purchasing got sold out before I could actually buy them due to shortages in goods everywhere right now. And as previously mentioned, this item is the most defining of the whole space and gave off a very specific vibe I was looking for: boho meets Target Opal House meets a light orange/pink/blue pattern, but not too dark and not TOO patterned. Basically I was extremely picky, not to mention looking in a very narrow budget range and size and wouldn't settle for anything less than exactly what I had drawn up in my mind... sometimes being a selective perfectionist has it's drawbacks!!! So each time I lost the rug I spent HOURS trying to find a new one that fit the bill. And then I found that perfect one from Home Depot!! An all around excellent place to find outdoor rugs, by the way!
Then we added a couple pillows that had texture and congruent print to match the rug from Target and World Market. Finally, I had my heart set on a beige jute pouf that could triple as a table, footrest and extra seat, and that was another ordering nightmare — I had ordered one from World Market after again, hours and days of scouring the internet, only to have them not ship it and not tell us that they actually didn't have any in stock even though we were able to order it. Eventually we found this one miraculously on CB2 — it's so funny because you see loads of them in styled images for lots of brands but they are elusively difficult to find for purchase... But I will say that we LOVE IT, and I'm so glad that I didn't give up the hunt to find it.
Lastly, we added some more faux plants and some real flower arrangements to our patio, and actually since these photos were taken have added a couple real herb plants that we're going to attempt to keep alive. "Bae" the basil plant and "Rosie" the rosemary plant are currently soaking up that sun on the ladder shelving unit and we have a little plant app to keep us accountable — we'll see how they faire!
Until Next Time,
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