Room of the Day

Today's 'Room of the day' isn't exactly a room, it's an outside living space as you can see. I'm in love with this cozy outdoor dining area that has all the comforts of inside. So stylish! I'm still 'living' in my outdoor living room, dining outside and enjoying the last little bit of summer. Are you?!

Happy Friday! Have a wonderful weekend!!

Feeling Inspired

I mentioned here that our outdoor living area is increasing in square footage this year. We have a gazebo that is enclosed on two sides that was primarily being used as storage for the first three years we lived in our house. (Lawn mowers, old work out equipment, golf clubs, etc. You know, all that ugly stuff that men seem to acquire that takes up a lot of space!) After a little reorganizing and getting rid of stuff we don't use anymore, we finally have a wide open space for me to work my decorating magic on! The covered structure is 14' wide by 19' deep and is located just off our patio (aka the 'outdoor living room' as we like to call it.) I've been going back and forth trying to decide what I should do with this newly acquired space. Outdoor dining area? Hang some hammocks? Built in banquet seating? After flipping through the latest Crate & Barrel catalog I had an 'ah-ha!' moment. Take a peak at my inspiration for the gazebo;

Our space is going to feature 'his & hers' hammocks, a low table with floor pillows to sit on as well as a built in banquet-style bench for extra seating and lounging. I'm also on the hunt for some lanterns to hang for ambient lighting as well as some other tropical accent pieces. It's going to be the ultimate chill zone that feels like you're on vacation rather than just hanging out in the backyard! At least that's my plan. . .Take a look at my inspiration for the bench;

via BHG

This budget friendly, do-it-youself bench made from cinder blocks is the perfect solution! I can't wait to get started (next week - fingers crossed!) on my new project of transforming our gazebo into an easy, breezy chill spot. I'll make sure to take some pictures along the way!

Moving Outside

As the weather is slowly starting to warm up I am beginning to spend more and more time outdoors on our patio and in the backyard. . . Last summer I transformed the unused patio into an actual outdoor living room. It was seriously the biggest improvement I feel like I made to our home to date. It was like adding a room onto the house, without the construction costs of course! I added a seating area complete with coffee table and end tables, loads of potted plants and colorful outdoor throw pillows. On hot days and warm evenings you can find my husband and I sitting on our back patio, sipping wine, eating dinner, reading magazines, or just chit chatting about how our days went. (So much nicer than sitting in front of the TV!)

This year we decided to tackle the back yard landscaping, add a vegetable garden as well as clean up and re purpose our huge unused gazebo area. Our outdoor living space will be increasing in size and I can't be more excited! I've been pinning away on Pinterest all sorts of ideas and images that inspire me and thought I would share some with you today!

To see all image sources, go here

As for my personal taste, I think that I lean towards bohemian and eclectic inspired outdoor spaces. It's all about no-fuss when it comes to outdoor living. I love finding thrift store furniture that works great outside. Outdoor rugs, pillows and fabrics will soften any outside area. Oh, and of course the more plants the better! Anything that is tropical looking or has pops of color is definitely my style! What is your outdoor living style?!

Adirondack Chair Makeover

Earlier this summer I started transforming my patio into an outdoor living area. (You might remember this post or this post.) I can't believe it took me two years of living in this house to realize how awesome it would be to have a little living room outside! Lately, I think I spend more time out there than I do sitting in my actual living room. I'm still tweaking things here and there, and have a couple small project to complete before I can show you the entire space. But I thought I would share one project I recently completed on the patio.

My mom gave me a adirondack chair that had been sitting outside, unfinished for a couple years. It was worn and weather and splintering beyond belief. I decided a bright cherry red coat of paint was just what this chair needed to bring it back to life!

Here's what the chair looked like after sanding it down to the bare wood:

(Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the crappy condition it was in before sanding. It was pretty bad, you couldn't actually sit in the chair for fear of splinters!)

I used an indoor/outdoor oil based primer (that was tinted gray) and a disposable paint brush to apply the first coat. (Oil based primers are pretty yucky and ruin your painting tools!) I let the first coat dry for about two hours and then came back and did a second coat.

Here's what the chair looked like after two coats of primer. I let the second coat of primer dry over night and came back the next day, ready to paint!

Ooh-la-la, I love this color red! It's actually called just that - Benjamin Moore 'Red'.

Isn't she pretty?! I applied the first coat of paint, let it dry for about two hours and then came back and applied the second coat. I am still trying to decide how I should finish/seal it. I've never painted outdoor furniture myself before, so I need to do a little research and find the best way to ensure that this baby stays glossy and pretty for the long haul.

Of course I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures this morning of my new chair in it's place, next to the mosaic table I made a while back and my surfboard!

Have you completed any DIY projects lately? Painted any outdoor furniture? Please share!

Pots, Pots & More Pots

I ventured South last weekend to Garden Essentials located in Turlock, which is the mecca for affordable ceramic pottery in the Central Valley. I was on the hunt for some pots for my patio makeover, and boy did I go to the right place!

The place stretches for what seems like miles (in actuality it's probably a couple of acres. . . ) and is filled to the brim with pots, pots, and more pots! These affordable gems are imported from China and Vietnam and come with easy-on-the-wallet price tags. In fact, a large majority of their pots are priced between $5 - $100!

Have you purchased any pots at a hardware or gardening store lately? I have, and they're not cheap! I paid half of what I would have paid at Lowes and came home with some really unique items!

All of the ceramic pots above were under $29!

Here's a peak at a corner of the patio where the new foo dog statues resides next to a potted Japanese maple tree. (We got the foo dogs from Garden Essentials as well!) Notice the surf board?! I'm still deciding if I should hang it on the wall, or just leave it propped up. 

We have a large variety of succulents. . . 

 I love me some birds of paradise! Lets just keep our fingers crossed these decide to bloom sometime!

This adorable little pot was only $4.99!

More succulents. . . 

The back patio wasn't the only spot to get a little face-lift by means of new pottery and plants. . .

The front of the house got a little love too! We potted a bougainvillea in a cobalt blue pot and I think it looks gorgeous. It adds just the right amount of color and curb appeal that we needed. 

Garden Essentials is located at 

6242 Taylor Court in Turlock, California

(209) 656-9528

If you live in the area and are looking for affordable ceramic pottery, this is your place!

Patio Progress

I mentioned here that I am slowly but surely making an outdoor living space at mi casa. It's coming along at a turtles pace but I am getting excited about how it's turning out so far! Last week my honey came home with two end tables he picked up at a thrift store for only $10 bucks each. (I've taught him well ;)

They will be squashed together and used as a coffee table in the seating area. I love their beachy-distressed look!

We've hung cafe lights and I can not tell you how adorable they look at night. Sort of like this;

via Apartment Therapy

I purchased these Imperial Trellis knock off indoor-outdoor pillows from Target online recently, but am still waiting for them to arrive;

available here

I finally figured out what I am going to do with my old surfboard that is collecting dust in the garage. . . I'm going to hang it on the wall, on the patio!

We have purchased and potted several plants for the space, including some Japanase maples and my favorite, succulents!

via Flickr

I found an outdoor rug at Big Lots yesterday that was only $39.99. It looks a lot like this more expensive version;

available here

My mom recently gave me an old Adirondack chair that I plan on sanding and painting. I'm thinking a fun turquoise. . . or maybe red?!

Here's what my honey got for Father's Day. . .

. . . A pair of stone foo dog statues. I think they will be happy living on the patio perched next to a Japanese maple tree!

When it's not a million degrees outside I have been enjoying our newly habitable patio. It was formally just an ugly slab of bare concrete that we never used, but now I spend more time out there than in the actual living room!  I'll be back soon to show you some photos of the actual, finished space.

What about you. .  .Have you been doing any outdoor living lately?!

Outdoor Living

I just love treating outdoor spaces as an extension of the home! My patio is in the process of getting a face lift as we speak. Last summer I swore I would get around to it, but like many projects, it fell by the wayside. This year I am determined to transform the space! I recently hung up some cafe lights, potted a few new plants and am on the hunt for a table and some chairs to use for dining al fresco this summer! I'll share more with you later as I make progress that is photo worthy. Here are some spaces that are sure to make you want to do a little more outdoor living this season;

images via Decorpad, House Beautiful, Coastal Living, Pottery Barn, Lonny, Domino & Unknown