Hello! I’m Corey from TinySidekick, and I’m excited to show you how I transformed our patio into an amazing outdoor living space that has become our favorite “room” in the house (or should I say “out” of the house.)
You may have seen a peek of this space in the latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens, but I want to take you on a complete tour and give you the inside scoop on exactly how I took this space from regular old patio to a true outdoor living area.
I wanted this outdoor space to be a true extension of our home. I thought a lot about the elements of an indoor room that make it feel cozy, complete, and finished and brought a few of those elements into this outdoor space to give it the same feel.
With budget in mind, we tackled this space one DIY project at a time. So come on in, and take a look around. Hopefully you will leave feeling inspired to take on your own patio.
Below is what our back patio looked like before our DIY makeover. As you can see, it was a mish-mash of toys, and beyond the dining table there was really no place to sit. It was in need of a clean-up for sure.
The other problem is that in the late afternoon, when we are most likely to use this space, the sun comes barreling onto the patio. This was a problem we had to fix to make it a place we would actually want to be in.
And this is what it looks like now! A true outdoor living space complete with an outdoor living room and dining room set up perfectly for just hanging out or entertaining.
Let’s take a closer look at the projects that went into making it feel inviting.
Creating an Outdoor Living Room
Because we spend so much time outside, we knew that a comfortable place to sit and relax was a must. So we invested in outdoor furniture to create our “living room.” We love it because it looks like wood but is actually metal, which makes it really easy to maintain and clean.
We also bought a few extra chairs to sit by the fire or move into the living room area when we have more guests.
But nobody was going to want to sit and chat if the sun was in their eyes. So we came up with an easy and budget-friendly solution with these DIY outdoor curtains that I made from drop cloths.
Not only can they be pulled to block the sun in the late afternoon (problem solved), but they also add a pop of color and define the living room space to make it feel cozy.
You are probably wondering how they are hung. Well, we needed them to function on at least one side, so we created an outdoor curtain rod using conduit.
Creating an Outdoor Dining Room
On warm evenings, you will find my family enjoying dinner outside. We live in a climate where this can happen year-round, so creating an outdoor dining room was a must.
We already had a dining table, but when I thought about what made my indoor dining room feel like a dining room, it was the chandelier. So to define this space, I pulled out an old chandelier I had been storing and created this candle chandelier in a really fun color.
And to give it that same cozy feeling of being in an outdoor room, I added curtains on the side closest to the neighbors as well. This pulls for a little extra privacy, which is great when we have friends and family over.
Speaking of entertaining, we needed a spot to serve drinks! My first thought was to build a small sideboard, but when I saw this changing table at a garage sale for only $5, I knew I had to reinvent it, and it became our outdoor drink station!
The final touch that I added to create our outdoor room was this really simple outdoor art. It was another one of those indoor elements that I brought outside to finish the space.
Here in Southern California, we are able to enjoy our outdoor space all year round, and this outdoor living room that we have created gets so much use. It really has added square footage to our home and is the perfect spot to hang with my kiddos, chat with the hubs after the kids are in bed, and enjoy time with family and friends.
I hope that this tour has inspired you to take a few elements that you love from inside your home and bring them outside to create your own vacation right in your own backyard.
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