5 affordable, quick ways to upgrade your patio on a budget
Disclosure: Daniel’s Lawn and Tree, LLC. is sponsoring this blog post. However, all opinions stated here are my own. This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
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After 3 years in our home, and countless different purposes for our deck, we have finally decided to invest in improving our outdoor space. One of the main attractions to purchasing our home was the variety of outdoor entertaining space. We have a fenced in backyard, perfect for the pups and Aria, with a deck and screened in porch. It wasn’t until the beginning of quarantine that we decided how important it was to make this outdoor entertaining area more desirable and cozy.
So I compiled 5 easy, affordable ways to refresh your outdoor space!
1. Maximize your space
Whether you already have furniture or are currently looking, consider how to maximize your space. Do you use your outdoor space for eating or entertaining? If you don’t find yourself eating outside, don’t waste space on a large table and chair set. Perhaps a conversation set or just a few chairs would be best. Our first summer in our home, we started with a small table and chairs that someone in our neighborhood set out for the trash. It served its purpose and got us through year 1; which was great because we didn’t have the extra funds for anything that year. The following summer we upgraded to a larger, nicer, table and chair set. While we thought this was great initially, there were a few reasons this didn’t work for us.
- I realized we never actually sat outside to eat
- It completely dominated our entire deck
- We have a toddler who loves being outside so the lack of space on the deck was not optimal
- It was made of iron and got VERY hot, this was the main reason for switching sets. I read and article about a little girl who got 2nd degree burns from touching her patio furniture and I listed my table and chairs on the Facebook marketplace the same day.
Helpful tip: Utilize Facebook marketplace!! I bought and sold all 3 sets on the marketplace and literally almost anything I want, I look there first. It makes the investment less painful if you can sell what you have and put towards something new.
2. Make it cozy
Adding an outdoor rug and throw pillows will make your space feel more comfortable. I chose a rug that would brighten up the space; but since it is currently out of stock, I brought our rug from our porch up for time being. It is a little big for this space (the one I am ordering is smaller) but it certainly completes the look! Here are a variety of styles I found from Target and Overstock (just click the photos) , but search “outdoor patio rug” and you will find countless options.
Once you have decided on a rug snag a few pillow inserts and covers from Amazon to complete the look. I prefer to use inserts and covers so you can inexpensively change them out if you want to change design or they get damaged. Here are the few I chose for our new refresh.
This set of 4 pillow inserts is $21.99 from Amazon. One lesson I learned post purchase is to size up on your pillow insert for a fuller look!
These pillow covers come in a set of 2 for under $11 and come in 22 color options.
And topped it off with this fun pillow for some summer fun!
Lastly, adding a little planter like this will complete the look!
3. Create some shade
Is a pergola an option or will an umbrella do the trick? While I would absolutely love a pergola over our deck (like the image below), for the time being we have settled on an over sized umbrella.
We got this umbrella for $80.00 on Amazon and it comes in 13 color options. It shades most of our deck and has these cute solar powered LED lights for the evening. Which brings me to my next point.
4. Update your lighting
Adding string lights is a great way to enclose your outdoor seating and warm up your space. This is absolutely on our plan to do before the end of summer, but in the meantime our umbrella lighting does the trick.
If installing your own outdoor lighting overwhelms you, reach out to a local landscaper for assistance! If you are looking for tree removal in New Castle County, Delaware be sure to call Daniel’s Lawn and Tree, LLC . They also offer landscape installation and maintenance, and outdoor lighting. They are full service landscaping and lighting experts in the area so they’re sure to help bring your vision to life!
Another great option is tabletop lanterns or candles. These LED tabletop lanterns are perfect for providing light and great aesthetic without worrying about keeping candles lit.
5. Utilize storage
With a toddler, comes a lot of stuff. While I’d like to picture my deck as those I see on Pinterest, it just isn’t our reality. However, one element that has helped this is finding adequate storage for all of the items we don’t want sitting out. , like this storage box.
We found one like this on Facebook marketplace and it holds all of Aria’s toys, our throw pillows, as well as some of our grilling items and tools we need but don’t want sitting out or to have to go to the shed every time we need it. Some boxes even allow for additional seating on top.
Here are 2 awesome options, the left is more affordable while the right is more aesthetically pleasing.
Your Turn
I hope these tips sparked some creative, affordable inspiration for your patio refresh. While you may not need to use all 5 options, perhaps 1 or 2 will give you the refresh you have been craving!
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Xo, Emily
Drop a comment if you like what you read or have any questions for me! I can always be reached at gettingchicdoneblog@gmail.com.
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