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Today is the day I’ve been waiting all summer for– the patio and landscaping reveal.
It’s been a few MONTHS of work to get to this point, but the long days of slowly knocking out the remaining items on our to-do list have been well worth it. On Friday, I plan to share a FULL list of everything we did to transform this space as well as links to every single item on the patio.
Patio & Landscaping Reveal
Sharing all of that today, plus the patio tour, plus all of the before and afters, seemed a little overwhelming. Instead, I’m sharing the before and after photos along with a more detailed tour of our new patio furniture! Then Friday I will have a one-stop-shopping guide to all things patio/landscaping for you guys to reference in the future. Sound like a plan?!
Now let’s get to any DIY-ers favorite part…. the before and afters… where I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves!
The Patio Reveal – Before & After
Can you even believe that the new and improved patio is no longer hidden behind those trees and shrubs?! I am so in love with the opened up patio space, I can’t wait to show you around!
Patio Details
I loved our patio at our last house but after living with it for a few years, I vowed the next time around I was going to design a patio that had room for both a sitting area and a dining area. Fast forward a few years and that’s exactly what we did in this new house and I’m so, so glad we did.
Having a table to sit, eat, drink coffee, play games, do blog work, or entertain has been so amazing… already! We’ve already gotten so much use out of the table + chairs and especially love that the umbrella offers some much-needed shade all day long. Thank you guys for insta-messaging me the link to this affordable black and white striped umbrella. I couldn’t find a striped option anywhere but I am so glad I was able to snag this one for under $50 after sharing my dilemma on Instagram!
When we aren’t sitting at the table out here, we’re most likely kicking back and relaxing in the other “area” of the patio — the sitting area.
We bought this sectional but didn’t love the look of the “L” shape after trying it ALL over the patio (literally, we put it everywhere and just couldn’t make it work). That’s when Matt and I both agreed to ditch the sectional component and make this a regular outdoor sofa, which we’ve been loving ever since.
Sitting on our outdoor couch and watching this fire burn, all while looking out at the neighbors passing by our corner, has been one of our favorite parts of the summer. We didn’t have much time to kick back and relax before the patio was done, but now we’ve been forcing ourselves to slow down and enjoy the last few weeks of summer. And with a cozy spot like this, it hasn’t been that hard!
These two other chairs are also some of our favorites. I picked them out because they’re stackable, a priority that will make storing all of this furniture indoors a tad bit easier. I also love that these chairs are just as stylish as interior chairs, yet can stay outside in the rain! And did I mention they’re comfortable too?!
Overall, we love everything about this new space. We still can’t believe how different the patio looks (and feels). Plus, we’ve spent more time out there in the last few weeks than we have in the first 10 months of living here.
Do you guys love it as much as we do?! I wish you could all come over and enjoy a drink out here with us, especially after following along and being so invested in our landscaping overhaul this summer. You deserve to sit out here and relax just as much as we do! I promise I’ll share all the details and links to EVERYTHING on the blog Friday.
Now let’s chat about the landscaping reveal. I’ll let the before and after photos do all the talking.
The Landscaping Reveal – Before & After
What. A. Difference!! This makeover was definitely an investment, especially since we hired out the landscaping project, but we couldn’t be more excited that our house doesn’t look nearly as outdated as it used to. The color, plants, and general “clean-up” breathed some much-needed new life into our house. The grass still needs some TLC but we know it’s going to take time for that (and the plants) to grow. But in the meantime, we’re looking forward to being here for the process.
Other A-door-able Makeovers
And as you guys know, this makeover wasn’t just about landscaping and the patio. We were able to squeeze quite a few DIY projects into the mix that really helped update our curb appeal.
I’ll link to everything on Friday so you have one post that references everything for the future. But before then, let’s take one last look at my original landscaping to-do list…
Original Landscaping To-Do List (90% Done)
Clean windows and screensRip all of the old bushes outRemove rocks/brickFind and hire a landscaper for projectGet a permit from the city for a new patioInstall new patioHide window wellsPower wash shutters and repaintUpdate address platePower wash mailbox and repaintPower wash step up to the mudroom door and repaintFix the pavers by the mudroom doorPick a color for the front doorPaint the front doorBuy and set up furnitureAdd some type of shade on the patioPaint garage door and mudroom doorAdd string lights on a timerChange the handrail up to the front doorAdd more shuttersIncrease overall curb appeal- Upgrade lighting (I still have the light above the garage to get fixed. I tried to DIY it, but because the fixture has never worked while we lived here, we are calling in the pros to do that one)
- Give the grass some extra TLC (this will take time, but something we’ve already been working on. Slowly but surely we know that it will make progress by this time next year!)
- Hide garbage cans from the street (Phase 2 project)
- Power wash the home’s brick (Sadly, we didn’t get to this one and now don’t want to make a huge mess around the patio where the brick needs cleaning. We put this on top of our to-do list for next spring!)
- Add window flower boxes (Now that we see how many plants we have, we may skip the window boxes. Or at least wait and live with this look for a while and then decide what to do)
We actually have A LOT of work that needs to be done on the back of our house, which is a side of the house I haven’t even shown you guys yet (for good reason… yikes!). But we’ll save that until next summer and instead, focus on what we were able to accomplish this summer. Home doesn’t happen overnight, right?! At least that’s what I keep telling myself. #babysteps
Bridget
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