Our Updated Outdoor Room

I can't believe that this is the first post I've written in 2012....ah well, been busy with the fam and just haven't had much time! I promise to do better and by that I mean I'll try to post at least once a month or whenever I'm feeling inspired!!

As the weather heats up, we've been spending much more time outdoors gearing up for the warmer months ahead. One of our biggest priorities was turning our ho-hum patio into the perfect retreat for my hubby & I. 

Here are a few BEFORE pics...

This is what we started with-Spring 2010

My wonderful hubby & a friend laid a paver patio

We threw a couple of spray painted Adirondack chairs & a firepit on the patio to make the space more useable-Summer 2011

And here's our newly updated Outdoor patio room...

A bit about the space.

Furniture: As tempting as it is to just go out and buy new stuff, it's always good to be thrifty and find ways to use and/or improve the furniture you already have. The teak chairs and a bench were purchased on Craigslist four years ago. Last summer I updated them with a fresh coat of Minwax wood protectant stain. The only other furniture we needed was a coffee table since we wanted to make this area more of a conversation area. We purchased this adorable Target Home Smithwick Metal Patio coffee table for $69.

Accessories: Our biggest addition (and splurge) for this space is the Allen + Roth Stone and Bronze Outdoor wood fireplace that we purchased at Lowes. Absolutely love it!! We wanted something a bit more dramatic than our old firepit and this was the perfect addition! At $249, we feel like it was a great deal. We certainly couldn't have built one for less than that.

We added new cushions and throw pillows to change up the look and make our seating more comfortable. The brown seat cushions are Smith & Hawken from Target ($16 each) and the striped throw pillows were purchased at Kohls (on sale and with coupons-of course)!

The animal print outdoor rug was purchased at Walmart a few years ago. It's been inside, but I decided it'd be fun to use it outside to anchor and add some extra flavor to the patio. I picked up the cute outdoor lanterns at TJ Maxx-$25 for the two.

So there you have it! We couldn't be happier with the additions we've made to our patio-it feels much more like an extension of the inside of our home and it's the perfect place to unwind with a magazine or a glass of wine!

Thanks for popping by! I'd love to hear your thoughts!!

I'm linking up to...

DIY Outdoor Decor: Simple Container Garden tips

I'm such a beginner when it comes to planting & gardening, but it's such a fun & simple way to add some pop, color & pizzaz to your outside spaces.

I figured, it'd be fun to share what I've learned. So, here are my simple steps to planting flowers in pots (aka: container gardening)!!

Step 1) Supplies, Supplies, Supplies: Grab planters in whatever shape, size, color & texture you want. I started with this lime green planter that I've had for ages. Other than your planter/container, you'll need a bag of soil, gardening gloves (I use my hands) and your flowers and plants.

Step 2) Prepping the Planter:

Place a few large rocks in the bottom of the planter to cover the small holes. This will allow the water to drain out, but will help keep the dirt in and your porch, patio or deck nice and clean! Fill the pot with soil.

Step 3): Arranging your plants: Grab the flowers you've selected and arrange them in your container if space allows. This will give you a good idea of how they will look once planted together.

When deciding what to plant, you should consider where they will be planted and how much sunlight they will get daily. Other things to consider when picking your plantings are your color scheme, surrounding plantings and how much care you're willing to devote to them.   

Arrange plants in your container before planting to make sure you like the layout!

 This planter is on our front porch so it gets full sun & partial shade.

A Better Homes & Garden tip is "If you have a combination of sun and shade on your patio, any area that receives fewer than 6 hours of sunlight each day calls for shade-loving plants.

I visited BHG.com for container gardening inspiration before heading to the store to buy anything. Using one of their plans, I selected: Coleus 'Florida City Yalaha', Sweet Potato Vine and Impatiens.

Ta-da....the finished product!

Close up of Deck planter

Adding some color to the deck area. I'd like to fill the space with tons of colored planters!

We planted planter boxes on the porch railing! Love it!

As you can see, it's easy to get carried away once you start planting your container gardens! I've enjoyed learning about different types of plants & flowers and experimenting with colors, textures and varieties!

June 21st-I've added a few pics from the past week just to show their growth!

My deck planters are doing oh so well!

Added a sweet potato vine & geranium mix to the patio area!

This is the view of our patio area-the pergola & firepit make for some fun nights!!

My porch planters are thriving with all of this good old Indiana rain!!

Here's a close up of my porch planter! Love how much they're growing!!

I'd love to hear your planting tips, stories & advice! Thanks for popping by!

I'm linking up to: