A look at our covered patio
May 29, 2018
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I thought it was time I shared our favorite spot "in" the house lately.
This one is actually outside, but it's a space we're spending a TON of time in. It's funny, because our backyard at the old house was just amazing.
We added and added to it over the years to make it a beautiful oasis:
I love how the big windows look in this space -- they're so pretty inside but make a big impact out here too:
When our backyard grass grows in more we'll have him go in the back instead. Then I plan to move the chairs and install a wood swing. I cannot freaking wait! How cool will that be?
It occurred to me the other day that we've probably spent more time outside on this covered patio in eight months than we did the past two years at our old house on the deck or patio -- and we used those a lot! The shade is BLISS. Bliss I tell you!! We get a lovely breeze through here too so it makes it so comfortable even on a hot day.
It's not quite as pretty as the old backyard, but it's super functional (and we think pretty cool looking). We are enjoying this space so much and are so thankful for it:
Here's a list of the items on our porch if you're interested! Affiliate links included for your convenience:
Cushions: Lowe's but these are very similar and a better price
Rug: Target
Firepit and chairs: Menards (probably five or six years ago)
Butane heater: Amazon (no longer available but this one is similar)
Pillows: At Home and Home Depot
Thermometer: Target
Planters: Goodwill (see how I spray painted them here)
Door rug: IKEA
White side tables: World Market
If you'd like to see everything we did in the old backyard, be sure to check out these posts! We worked on it for years!
I mentioned before that there's very little we miss about the old house, and that has surprised us. Our backyard was just so pretty and magical, and we do miss it a bit -- but we know our future yard will be just as beautiful someday.
What we don't miss is the upkeep. I didn't realize till we moved how much work it was to keep all of those outdoor spaces up. When we would entertain in the warm months we'd spend a good hour or more sweeping the deck, cleaning up cushions and pulling weeds from the paved patio. Obviously we'd do that plenty all year, but those are the times I really remember.
I told my husband from the start in our new house -- no more decks and no more paver patios in this backyard. I don't want the upkeep of wood anymore and no more weeds that sprout in the patio (ours was worse than some I'm sure because it was surrounded by trees). I want basic concrete! That's it! ;)
Anyway, I cannot even TELL YOU how much we are enjoying our new outdoor space. It's nothing super fancy, but we love it. We have a large covered porch and we had no idea how much we'd like this area:
It's around 200 square feet, which we've realized is a perfectly lovely size for what we need right now. (The trampoline looks like it's in the house but that's the reflection. 😂)
You know how I love symmetry! It won out here too, does that surprise you? :) I put our firepit in the middle and the four chairs on either side. It makes for an easy conversation area. There are two more chairs at the end of the patio that we can pull around the side as well.
We sold our outdoor table that we had out here. We learned pretty quickly that we prefer to lounge in comfy chairs. :)
We've had those chairs and the firepit for years -- both were from Menards. I need to spray paint the metal on the chairs sometime this year. I'll share all the sources at the end of the post if you're interested in anything!
I mentioned a few weeks ago how much we love having a sliding glass door. Actually, not so much the sliding door as the screen door. I've never had a screen door and it's been wonderful when the weather is nice. The cats are stationed there every minute it's open:
Annnnd I just realized you can see Colby sitting there. Ha!!
The only item I don't have a source for is the ceiling fan, but I'll do some checking. I love the little detail with the trim on the ceiling -- and that it's crisp white. I was going to paint it blue but so far we haven't had any bugs nesting up there! By the way, the fan helps tremendously with bugs when we sit out there. I had no idea it would help that much:
We had speakers added so we can play music. We just haven't figured out how to do it yet. 😂 We also had cable and an outlet run for a future TV one day. That will be awhile I'm sure.
We'll put the heater away soon since it's hot as Hades most of the time, but we do still use it at night occasionally. By mid-June it will be stored away I'm sure:
We also have a couple more chairs we keep at the end of the porch that we sit in when we take the dog out:
When our backyard grass grows in more we'll have him go in the back instead. Then I plan to move the chairs and install a wood swing. I cannot freaking wait! How cool will that be?
It occurred to me the other day that we've probably spent more time outside on this covered patio in eight months than we did the past two years at our old house on the deck or patio -- and we used those a lot! The shade is BLISS. Bliss I tell you!! We get a lovely breeze through here too so it makes it so comfortable even on a hot day.
It's not quite as pretty as the old backyard, but it's super functional (and we think pretty cool looking). We are enjoying this space so much and are so thankful for it:
Our backyard is much bigger than our old one and much flatter as well. We have big plans for it that I hope to share with you soon -- it will be awhile before we get started on any of that though. The biggest part will be the patio and we don't have details nailed down just yet. It's fun to dream about how it will look someday!
Do you have an outdoor area at your house -- covered or not? I always thought a screened porch would be lovely too. Do you prefer something out in the open like our old patio or something like this? Eventually we hope to have both but I really have fallen in love with the shade. ;)
Here's a list of the items on our porch if you're interested! Affiliate links included for your convenience:
Cushions: Lowe's but these are very similar and a better price
Rug: Target
Firepit and chairs: Menards (probably five or six years ago)
Butane heater: Amazon (no longer available but this one is similar)
Pillows: At Home and Home Depot
Thermometer: Target
Planters: Goodwill (see how I spray painted them here)
Door rug: IKEA
White side tables: World Market
I wish, wish, wish I lived somewhere where I could have an outdoor space! It looks so relaxing, just in time for summer too! ❤️❤️
ReplyDeleteCharmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Gorgeous, although I was in love with your outdoor space at your old house....but I completely understand the maintenance! If I was building a house from scratch I would absolutely have a big list of what I must have and what I cannot have - and wood decking would be on it for sure! Trex...maybe. But not wood. And yes, patio pavers are a magnet for weeds....sigh. I'd love a screened porch actually a four seasons room....ahhhh some day!!
ReplyDeleteyour outdoor spaces are always so pretty and look like the perfect place to hunker down and relax. happy summer!
ReplyDeleteMy dad built a screened porch off their kitchen, and they LIVE in it nine months of the year - in Illinois. They have blankets for when it's chilly and a ceiling fan for when it's hot. It's gorgeous, and I'm trying to convince him to come out to Colorado and build one for us when he retires. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're right about the maintenance on a wood deck. I always feel bad when my husband does all the work and I just enjoy. I really like your outdoor space!
ReplyDeleteI love your outdoor spaces - and this looks beautiful. I’m a sucker for comfy chairs on the patio. What’s your take on outdoor rugs? I’ve had trouble with them soaking up water (even on the covered porch). Just grabbed another similar to yours to try.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I’m so with you on being over decks. They are so muck work.
DeleteYou know, we’ve never had a problem! I know some are thicker than others and seem to hold more water. Ours have always been more lightweight so maybe that helps? This one is by far the lightest we’ve had.
DeleteThat is a really nice space! We had a deck at our old house (walkout basement) and an exposed aggregate patio at our new one (no walkout). I like the patio more for the sake of not having to walk down a flight of stairs to the yard. I'm also in the midwest (Missouri). Did you enjoy that ONE week of spring? It's so hot now, I wish we had some sort of covering to block the sun and to be able to add a fan. I always wondered about outdoor rugs. How often do you have to clear them off for cleaning?
ReplyDeleteAt the old house we should have cleaned them more — especially under the trees. But you can usually use a power sprayer and it comes clean easily. This one I’m thinking just once a year since it’s covered. :)
DeleteI love your outdoor patio. We have a large screened porch which we live in spring through fall, as well as an outside wooden deck (where we have our grill and more potted plants). We live in central Virginia with the Blue Ridge Mtns as our view. Since we live so close to the mountains (and on the eastern side), the wind during the winter comes blowing like crazy off the mountains and thus, we can't have a ceiling fan on our vaulted ceiling.
ReplyDeleteOur floor is wood decking and we don't think maintenance is bad. Once a year we power wash the wood. Every two to three years we restain (not paint) the wood. We would always get wood because we love the look. The railings and the trim actually take longer to clean than the wood (all the trim is white MiraTec and our railings are metal). Our rugs (and furniture) do get wet, but they dry quickly and have never been an issue. Our last rug was 6 years old and still in good shape, but I just got tired of it and replaced it with another rug that still looks brand new after being a year old.
We have another patio that is concrete and that takes as much work as the wood. Every year we also power wash the concrete and every other year we reseal the concrete. It has to be swept all the time so I actually like the wood better than the concrete.
ps I LOVE the heat and humidity so I am happy with this weather. I really do wish we had had some spring weather, though!
So pretty! I absolutely loved your previous yard, too. This looks like a perfect spot! We are just down the road from you, basically. We have a cement patio with table, chairs and some potted plants just off the kitchen and in-law suite. We have a small wood deck off the master which I never use. I still feel the need to decorate... What we live in all spring and fall (and summer when we can stand the humidity) is a screen porch off the other end of the kitchen. Last year for hubby's birthday we turned it into an outdoor living room by adding a ceiling fan, lattice up 5 feet for privacy, and an outdoor TV/stereo system. There is comfy furniture and a table, so we're set, mostly- this summer I am making plastic window covers to prolong the season and protect the furniture, and we will add a heater. Love it. Thank you for all the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteI have weeds between my patio bricks...on the other hand, may I just say how nice it is to have your comment clicker at the END of your blog post? So many other posts have moved it to the top of the post and so I have to backtrack to the beginning when I want to read the comments.
ReplyDeleteYour patio area looks beautiful!
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