From the moment we purchased our house I didn't think it was possible to love the back patio without gutting everything and starting from dirt. This is officially the one time in my life that I'm proud to admit I was wrong! And if you want to be friends, you will never repeat that to my husband...
I admit it. I was wrong {and it feels so right} because I made this makeover happen for less than $1k! Which means I'm also slightly anxious to share this with you because I hope it inspires you to get outside and create your own oasis.
First, I started with a Mood Board because I was struggling with area rugs. That is one purchase I'm always unsure about and teeter on for days before pulling the trigger. Especially when I'm shopping online. I initally found this rug from Amazon and was dead set on it, but then I found the blue rug you see in my mood board from Rugs USA and kept going back and forth. Both are great prices, BUT... I was still so unsure which is why I created the mood board. I needed to get off the fence (see why these are so important here). Before making the purchase I wanted to check one more place, At Home, to see what their selection held. When I walked through the door I almost sprinted to the bin of outdoor area rugs placed strategically in the front that held the black and white one I wanted from Amazon - and for only $20! Even better than that, I was so fixated on the rug itself that I missed the ginormous sign stating this was their weekly special marked down to $10. GASP! Talk about being in the right place at the right time.
P.S. If you like the pillows in this mood board then you need to check out my favorite pillow gal, Boho Pillow.
{This post contains affiliate links at no additional cost to you, but allows us to receive a small percentage of the
sale to continue to share budget friendly ideas with you. Thank you for your help in supporting our small business!}
Now that I had my rug, I could move forward...
When I posted this space on Instagram, the most asked about items were the drapes and rods. Let me tell you, I've researched the heck out of affordable outdoor drapes and finally had some saved in my cart on Amazon. If you do enough research then you'll find that several retailers offer the same product with a slight name and cost variation. I love Amazon prime because it's the next best thing to purchasing from a physical store, so I always double check to see if they carry what another online retailer takes a week to ship. I found these for $39.99/panel and I was going to install them with tension rods between the pillars.
While sourcing some products for a client, I decided to check out IKEA because I know they have long drapes and I needed the length to be at least 93". They don't have outdoor drapes; however, I wasn't looking for anything fancy and I wanted a light color so it doesn't matter if the scorching Arizona sun bleaches them. They carried indoor drapes in the right size which came in a pack of 2 for $24.99. No brainer!! They also had easy to install {and crazy inexpensive} curtain rods in the width I needed. Again, they're going outside so I want something that will get the job done and not be a total eye sore, but also ward off any buyer's remorse when the weather gets to them. I'm pretty certain I found that solution... the rods were only $6.99/each and the hardware was $1.29/each. Score!
To add coziness, I grabbed some unused pillow covers and inserts I had on hand that I purchased from Amazon a while back. You can find inexpensive linen covers on Amazon that should withstand the weather and not make you regret exposing them to the elements. The same goes for rugs. If you follow me on Instagram then you know I'm a HUGE fan of layered rugs, so rather than going with one large area rug for this space I purchased two 5x8 rugs to create layers.
Lastly - plants... and lots of them! They make any space feel more cozy, alive and balanced. I love the selection at Lowe's so that's where I purchased all of mine, while all of the planters are from At Home because their selection is the most diverse and the prices are on point.
So are you ready to start shopping?! Here is a list of linked products I purchased to create this space:
- Beachcrest Home 4-piece Patio Set w/ Cushions
- Outdoor Poufs
- Side Table
- Aztec Outdoor Rug
- Jassa Fringe Rug (the description on their website makes me laugh - go read it)
- Lenda Curtains
- Curtain Rod
- Wall Fitting for Curtain Rod
Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope this inspired you to create a fun Spring/Summer retreat to enjoy this year. Do you have any outdoor projects lined up for the Summer?? Leave a comment below and let me know. I love to be inspired too!
XO,
Christina
