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At long last, after months (in fact, a year plus?) of promising to share the backyard patio makeover reveal as part 2 of our backyard renovation makeover, I am finally getting a chance to do it now! The endless obstacles that have delayed hitting publish on this post are too enumerable to even begin recounting, which is why it’s taken me this long to post this… Anyway, the day has finally come! But first, a little background for context.
My husband and I purchased this little weary house almost 5 years ago. The backyard was an area that was far from inviting, let alone this patio area which is highlighted in this post. Much like many areas of this house, it was dated and felt quite dejected. However, we looked past its unsightliness and saw incredible potential for us to transform it into the perfect little sanctuary for our needs. The first thing we noticed were elements such as the covered patio/loggia-like feature that spans almost the whole length of the house – offering shaded protection from the harsh summer sun along with the capacity to create different seating areas, such as living and dining spaces that would be an extension of and as comfortable as the interior living space.
Nevertheless, transforming this outdoor space as we envisioned took a long-awaited back seat, as our primary focus was on the interior renovations first. The only major thing we did in the yard after moving in besides getting it cleaned out and having the exterior of the house painted, was that I took to stenciling the patio floors which you’ll see as you scroll through this post.
At the tail of 2020, when indoor-outdoor living officially became not a trend but a way of life, we turned our attention to completing the backyard renovations, including the patio. We, therefore, embarked on quite the journey to make the most of it and see our vision through, and that was no small feat! We were beyond thrilled to finally get to see this patio space finished, at last. Let’s take a look at how this space has been transformed. I couldn’t find good shots of the full before photos of the patio (probably due to angst about getting it done – taking pictures oftentimes is the last thing on my mind in such cases), but here are some photos of the space in its previous state when we first moved in.
Absolutely dreadful, I know! In fact, these photos were actually taken after we cleaned out all the junk that was left behind and prior to having the exterior of the house painted. Remember what it looked like before, and now, let’s take a look at the after.
Stenciling this concrete was no small task for this is an extraordinarily long patio. So, it was a project that I spent a little bit of time each day doing and took close to three months to complete. Many years ago, projects like this would have taken me no time to finish, but this one took me this long because now I suffer from chronic pain. There were moments after several hours of stenciling these floors, I could barely move. The design didn’t turn out perfectly but that’s what we like about it, for it gives us that well-worn feeling that we love so much. Even though stenciling the floors was a tedious and back-breaking process, the end result is so satisfying. A unique touch that not only elevates the tired concrete floors but one that adds great character to the overall look of the patio.
There was a lot of labor of love that went into this area of the backyard which makes it even more special to us. Besides, the stenciled concrete floors, I tackled a great number of DIY projects, from the dining table, the coffee table, and the bar cart, along with the mirror above it, to antiquing all the planters. Fairly a good deal of DIY projects I have yet to share the process of, which weren’t really planned, but sort of naturally happened, because you know… things can always look better.
When it came to choosing the finishing pieces such as furniture, lighting, and accessories to bring it all together, my approach was to layer textiles, textures, and natural elements that feel equal parts stylishly curated and comfortably lived in for a happy, and homey resort-like space.
The majority of the furniture and decor accessories are items that we have had either a long time from our previous homes or found over time from Facebook Marketplace and our favorite consignment shops. But I have curated a shoppable list of some of the newest things we did buy for the space or similar items for creating your own outdoor oasis.
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