SUBURBAN * POP

Hey there!! I shared the pretty-much-all-finished-and-so-colorful-backyard a few months ago (with an additional post all about plants and another on that crazy painted wall), but the patio was shielded from your eyes for your own protection. It has been serving time as a dusty alfresco storage unit, making it an eyesore of wasted space.

I’ve cleaned it all up in time for spring – and by clean up I mean I got rid of a bunch of crap. A long but narrow patio can only hold so many patio sets/tables/plants/bar carts. I drag my feet sometimes on letting go of stuff, but am ALWAYS so happy after I clear out. The biggest change is our new patio table, a vintage set I found on Craigslist after a surprisingly long and discouraging search. While I really, really loved our old setup (a vintage tulip coffee table with wood Ikea chairs and bench) my husband strongly disliked eating dinner, which we try to do outside nightly in warmer months, over a low coffee table. Our family room was more than happy to gain the tulip and this new-to-us dining set is so cute, so I can’t argue.I gave it a coat of paint to freshen it up and then searched high and low for vintage style round, outdoor, thin, yellow cushions…an almost impossible feat. I worried I would have to stoop to dreaded sewing. Having no luck, I decided to give these very poofy ones (mine are in yellow) a shot first. Aside from their thickness, which I’m hoping will mellow with the weight of butts, I love them! They are nearly perfect and are totally giving off that mid-century/desert/resort vibe I was hoping for (Pinterest patio vibes here!) Sidenote: the cushions come in sets of 2 and in TWO size: 15″ or 18″….I almost purchased the 15″, which would have been way too small for my chairs.I went overboard last summer on Acapulco chair purchases when I found them on clearance at TJ Maxx. Six chairs later and no regrets! Two white ones ended up out here, another white pair are in the front yard, the turquoise one floats around the backyard, and a black chair ended up in a kid room. The side tables (one is a piece of wood on a vintage stool frame, the other an accent table from target) got some bright coats of paint. We are certainly lacking in mosaics out here, so one day soon I hope to make colorful tile tops for these tables, but paint works for now. I semi-DIYed this driftwood starburst in order to cover up an unsightly hole in our stucco left when former owners removed an intercom unit, that we really need to patch up but we’ve got some out of sight out of mind going on. There’s that sweet, unnecessary backyard doorbell from Rejuvenation to match our front door. Why does one need a backyard doorbell? Who the heck knows.

SOURCES

Patio set – vintage | Chair cushions | Acapulco chairs – TJ Maxx | Tables – vintage and Target | Doorbell | Planters – vintage and Homegoods | Wall Hanging DIY

PATIO TO DO:

• Repaint table set 
• Replace mismatched patio lights
• Replace doorbell
• Organize patio/toys/furniture
• Repair sliding screen door that the dog turned into a dog door
• Find new patio dining set
• Paint patio set
• Chair cushions
• Paint side tables
• Cover hole in the wall
• Patch the hole in the wall
• Mosaic tops for side tables
• Dining light for table
• Better looking hose storage

And there we go! The rest of that to-do list is feeling like NOOOO BIG DEAL, for once in my life. Thanks for reading everybody! Hope your weather is warming and your outside spaces are being put to use! xoxo