New Outdoor Space

It’s been a few weeks since the patio construction was officially complete, but I kept forgetting to take photos of it to share here. It hasn’t helped that it’s rained a ton over the past few weeks.

I’m so thrilled with our new outdoor space! It turned exactly how I envisioned it – a cool modern space to hang out and enjoy the fresh air.

The construction process took just over a week. It was a slow process, and every step of the way I was thankful that we hadn’t tried to do it ourselves. First they dug out the shape, and spread and tamped gravel. The first step took only a day, since they were able to use heavy equipment to help them out.

Next, they poured a concrete base for our steps. After that dried, they cut out pavers to line the steps, and began installing a retaining wall to line one side of the patio where the grade is a bit steep. Sand went down on top of the gravel, and they began the long and tedious process of laying pavers in a random pattern, and cutting pavers around the edges to form a curve.

If it took them over a week of solid work, I can’t imagine how long it would have taken us to make something even a fraction of this size. I’m so glad we decided to shell out the money for professional help this time.

The finished product is fantastic looking – I love the curved shape and cool gray pavers. Our Minnesota winter will of course be the real test of craftsmanship, but it looks very even and well-made at the moment.

I don’t have any shots of the completed patio without furniture, so I’ll just go ahead and give the big reveal here.

The size is perfect for a dining area, a sitting/firepit area, and our grill, with plenty of room to spare.

I’ve spent some time acquiring the perfect furniture and accessories to complement the patio. The first purchase was this set of chairs from Crate & Barrel (link). They are made from aluminum and faux-wood, which means they will require no maintenance. Even after several of the worst downpours of rain I’ve ever seen, they look as good as new.

The pillows are made of a durable outdoor Sunbrella fabric and just came in from Overstock.com (link).

The fire pit that they are placed around was a purchase from Menards (link). I’m not in love with the oil-rubbed bronze color, but the geometric cut-outs give it a unique style that makes it a bit more interesting than a standard bowl-shaped firepit. I may end up painting it black eventually.

The outdoor dining space is also completed with some modern, durable furniture. The table is made from faux-wood and white powder-coated aluminum, coming from Crate & Barrel’s sister store CB2 (link). The reviews on this table seem to indicate that the quality is sub-par, but after eating on it a few times and watching it survive several intense rainstorms, my experience has been nothing but positive.

The chairs are powder-coated steel mesh from my absolute favorite store, Room & Board (link). They are surprisingly affordable, probably one of the cheapest items that Room & Board even sells.

A few other plants and accessories give the space a little color.

The tall grey pots are from Crate & Barrel (link). I would definitely recommend these, as they come with a small insert inside that means very little dirt is needed (the rest of the space is hollow, weighted down with a bit of gravel).

I also picked up a few blue pots and my local Home Goods, and a wine barrel planter at Menards.

A few pots full of herbs serve a functional purpose on the other side of the patio. Our cilantro is absolutely loving the morning sun it gets here.

We’ve only sat and/or eaten out here a few times so far due to busy schedules and inclement weather, but I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. The  house provides cool evening shade, and the fresh air is quite relaxing.

That’s a wrap for our outdoor renovation this year. We have big landscaping plans for next summer, but right now it’s time to take a break and enjoy our new space. I hope you are all getting some time to relax and enjoy your summer outside as well.