Our Fixer Upper: Patio
With so much work to be done on the interior of our house, the outside has been completely neglected, filled with spider webs, and overgrown. I finally decided to take a little break from the inside work and focus some time on the patio, so we could actually enjoy it before summer was over! One week and one bad case of poison ivy later (I hate gardening!), our side porch is finally looking a little more homey. We have so many wonderful outdoor areas to enjoy at this house which I love: a large front porch, this side patio, a back deck, and a concrete patio under the deck. Our patio furniture was still packed up in the shed until about a week ago when I started slowly unpacking it, washing everything down, and putting this little side porch together. I already had most of the furniture but picked up a couple of additions after realizing we had much more space on this porch than our old one!
Here's a breakdown of the staples of my porch:
1. My chairs and settee: were given to us by a friend who wasn't using them anymore, a little spray paint and they were as good as new!
2. My patio cushions: I always get at At Home- they have the most inexpensive cushions and the best variety of colors and sizes!
3. All my side tables are thrifted/vintage. They aren't necessarily outdoor tables but they look fine when they get a little weathered. The coffee table is my favorite, which is made from an old chicken coop we got at a garage sale and I just added furniture legs to it (get all the details on that later in this post).
4. Outdoor rug: Target is my go-to for outdoor rugs, they have great patterns and they are super durable.
5. Makeshift bar: Every patio needs a little serving space! I used an old metal table (bought at a garage sale for $10) as a sideboard for serving snacks/drinks. All the accessories on it are vintage or from Homegoods.
6. Wall art: Having something on your patio walls makes the space feel more like a cozy living space. This old tobacco basket (bought at a garage sale) is a perfect option because it can hold up to the outdoor elements while adding interest to the blank walls.
7. Planters: I love having an eclectic mix of planters. I have tons of vintage brass planters (mostly found at garage sales) but also like mixing in new planters like these gold-dipped ones from Target. I also love the texture that these vintage hanging macrame planters from Street Scene Vintage add to the space. I get most of my plants from Lowe's or local greenhouse, Pemberton's. For me, plants are a must for a porch and I would choose this to splurge on above anything else. These are really going to make your porch feel perfectly styled, bright, and like a space straight out of a magazine.
8. Pillows: I must confess, not all my pillows are outdoor, but this space is covered so they really never get wet. I'm so pillow-obsessed that I keep a stockpile of "extra" pillows in one of our closets that I'm constantly pulling from to switch pillows out all around the house; so I can afford to use a few on the patio too for some extra pattern and color. My favorite places to get outdoor pillows are Pier 1 and Target.
Those are the basic items that I build my patio off of every year. Finding a majority of my furniture from thrift stores and garage sales allows me to save money for newer items like my rug, pillows, and plants. I've added more details of where I purchase all my accessories and porch decor throughout the post below.
Brass tray: vintage (thrifted) | Rewined candle: Miss Molly Vintage | Planter: vintage (thrifted) | Plants: Lowe's | All dishes + silverware: thrifted
I'm always looking for trays of all sizes while thrifting because you can use them anywhere to stack on, making any arrangement look a little more pulled together. This giant brass tray was a $10 yard sale find and I love the pop of gold it adds to this coffee table.
Outdoor ceiling fan: Lowe's | Outdoor rug: Target | Patio Cushions: At Home | Coffee table: vintage (thrifted) | Tobacco basket: vintage (thrifted)
My coffee table was made out of an old chicken coop (also found at a yard sale). It sat in my garage for a few months before I could figure out what to do with it! Lowe's sells furniture legs and super-easy screw on brackets that you can attach to anything! I turned this old coop into a coffee table in about 10 minutes and it is one of my favorite pieces on the porch!
Gold faceted lanterns: Home Goods | Metal table: vintage (thrifted) | all glassware + icebucket: thrifted | Brass bin: Home Goods | Tobacco basket: vintage (thrifted | Pineapple shaker: Miss Molly Vintage
I love the collected look that all these different styles of lanterns adds to the patio. I found all my lanterns at Home Goods and Hobby Lobby (and one is from a yard sale). They also add the most beautiful soft light to your space when all the candles are lit! If you like to entertain, having a little space to serve drinks or food on your porch is a must! You can really use any kind of table and instantly transform it into a bar by the way you style it! Just add some glasses, your favorite drinks, an icebucket, some straws, and any other barware you might have. Just setting out a small bowl of lemons, limes, or fruit adds the perfect pop of color too!
Wicker chair: Craiglist find | Festival blanket: Miss Molly Vintage | Dip-dye pillow: Pier 1 (old) | Wicker table: vintage (thrifted) | Wicker lantern: Home Goods | Denim outdoor pillow: Target | Printed pillow: Home Goods
This cute little white wicker chair is a Craigslist find I just picked up this week for $15! I think it fits in perfectly with the eclectic, bohemian feel of the patio and also breaks up all the other plain, metal chairs I have. I got the little wicker side table recently at the Lexington Peddler Mall and it also fits in perfectly! I have learned to never pass up a good side table while thrifting, especially if it's a good small size that you can use in a variety of rooms. Side tables are one of the items that are SO hard to find in stores today, and I just can't stand to pay $80+ for a tiny little table! I'll stick with my $5 and $10 any day!
I'm excited to spend some of my weekend relaxing in this new space with the dogs! I've shared more sources and details about each area below. If you would like help styling or reworking your own porch or patio space, I would be happy to help (just send me an e-mail at missmollyvintage@gmail.com to set up a consultation)! Have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo
Emily
