Design blogger Mandy Pellegrin describes her patio makeover as “loud and laid-back”. We weren’t quite sure what that meant until we saw the photos of her newly styled deck. It’s an exhilarating explosion of pink, yellow and blue in big, vibrant patterns. And there’s plenty of space to put your feet up–a hallmark of any good patio.
She also came up with some terrific DIY ideas for this contribution to our Patio Style Challenge series. She shows us the clever and colorful DIY ways she added seating, serves the cold drinks and rolls away the cooler. Her blog Fabric Paper Glue is full of great DIY and craft ideas, so that shouldn’t be a surprise.
Read on to see how her brash patio makeover came together.
Last September, my husband and I moved from a DC-area condo to our very own little house in Nashville–complete with the most delightful backyard. We both love to entertain, so as we embark on our first spring with our very own outdoor space, we wanted to transform our patio into a relaxing–but decidedly fun–entertaining area.
The centerpiece for this awesomely laid-back space is a
set of patio chairs from The Brown Jordan Collection that
literally lay back. Not kidding, these suckers really recline. Then, I made the space
all mine with the brightest, boldest outdoor fabrics that I could get my hands on, beautiful potted flowers, enough seating options to make you dizzy, and a healthy dose of DIY.
THE BLANK SLATE
We began with about the blankest slate one could imagine–a simple platform deck that just needed a little lovin’. We replaced the lattice with
pressure treated 2″ x2″ slats, built a much-needed step, and delineated spaces for cooking, dining, and sitting.
DIY OUTDOOR BENCH
For some additional seating, I created a super simple DIY outdoor bench.
I used my electric drill and a
3″ hole saw bit to drill two holes in each end for a few little potted plants.
For comfort, I added a removable cushion by upholstering a piece of foam from the craft store. A few oversized pillows covered in more lovely fabrics provide even more seating options for larger crowds.
