Our Patio Cabana

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Hey all, happy Friday, and welcome to anyone who caught my appearance on the Nate Berkus Show yesterday!   I”m still on vacation, but promised a peek at our new patio.  I’ve been working on the design for this space over the past few weeks, and I’m proud to announce this patio is one we now call our outdoor oasis!   How about a quick tour?

You may recall how our patio looked a month ago, pretty lousy and void of any appeal, except for the nice view of our vines.  We started this transformation by installing a new stone circular patio which leads to this concrete patio.  We then turned our attention to this 13′ x 16′ long space  to create a place to relax and entertain.   It required an open plan with two entrances, and we didn’t want to obstruct the view from the kitchen window.

The design plan was to create an outdoor “room” protected from the sun with the feeling of an enclosed space, but still one that feels open and breezy.   We shopped four retailers courtesy of the American Express Membership Rewards program:  Home Depot, West Elm, Crate + Barrel, and Pottery Barn.   I also threw in a few of my own finds so the space didn’t look completely ’out of a catalog’.

Here is the patio last month:

And today: 

Come take a closer peek of the inside!

I ordered some new deep seat cushions online from Home Depot, and I’m digging the fact that they’re the same color as our house, an unexpected bonus when they arrived on our doorstep.  Jute trim pillow covers from Pottery Barn. 

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Instead of the mosquito netting that comes with this 12′ x 12′ cabana from Home Depot,  I hung off-white curtains instead.  The “curtains” are cotton/linen flat sheets I found on clearance for $5 at a local outlet hemmed to the height of the cabana and hung with simple rings.  Both the curtains and the cover come down in autumn when it rains, then I imagine the metal structure will look fantastic all lit up with a ton of twinkle lights.

The side tables are halves of wine barrels simply turned upside down.  I found them at a local hardware store for $20, they make the perfect rustic end table and also fit the style of our yard.  Lantern from Pottery Barn, square planter from Crate + Barrel.

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Originally, I had this lantern hanging as a chandelier, but my tall husband is prone to wack his head on it on his way to the BBQ, so the two lanterns happily found a home on the side tables.

I’m loving this coffee table!  I found the wood trunk at a thrift store for $15, it was covered with stickers. I loved its shape and the fact that it was solid wood, so I brought it home, peeled the stickers off, sanded it and whitewashed it.  I’ll show the before and ‘how to’ soon, meanwhile, doesn’t it fit in nicely?

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Across from the loveseat are two chairs, those accent pillows were clearance placemats, but I turned them into pillows. 

Bench from West Elm.  Green lanterns (below) and outdoor rug from Crate + Barrel. 

I stayed pretty close to my design plan, but eventually added in a few of my personal finds, including the curtains, end tables, coffee table, bench and lanterns.

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I also aquired some new planters and lime trees which flank one entrance.  I love citrus trees for their evergreen leaves and fruit in winter, when all of the other trees have gone dormant. 

Here’s another view of our patio before all this fun began:

and today:

A great spot for both friends and family to hang out!

That’s the super quick tour, hope you’ve enjoyed it!  We find ourselves spending an hour or two outside these days (much more than we used to) thanks to this transformed space ~  it’s our little vacation spot in our our own backyard.  Many thanks to the folks who manage the American Express Membership Rewards Program, we were able to create this space thanks to a generous gift of 150,000 points.

Sources:

Cabana:  Harbor Gazebo from Home Depot

Deep Seat Cushions: Arden Twilight Tan Deep Seat

Outdoor Rug: Biscayne Sage 8′ x 10′

Green Lantern:  Martinique Hurricane by Crate + Barrel (sold out)

Bench: Wood Slat, West Elm

Wine Glasses:  Green Acrylic

Pillow Covers:  Jute Trim, Ivory, Pottery Barn

Accent Pillows:  made from clearance PB placemats, sold out

Lantern:  Park Hill, Medium, Pottery Barn

White Cachepot Planters:  Large, Square White by Crate + Barrel

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Hope you enjoyed the tour, and have a great weekend. 

Post from Centsational Girl
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