The Real Reasons Behind Bridget’s Patio Updates…


It’s officially the end of my summer because I’m heading back to work TODAY! Usually, I think to myself right about now, “where has the summer gone?!” but this summer has been so different. It did not flyย by like past summers and instead, itย felt like this summer passed at a nice and slow pace.

I was able to really get the most out of my time off and I feel extra grateful for the past three months off. This doesn’t mean I didn’t haveย a serious case of the Sunday scaries last night, but I’m definitely not complaining about going back to work because I had such an amazingย summer off.

It’s Been Too Long!Outdoor_Patio_Furniture_Plants-2

But I bring up the fact that I’m headingย back to work because I can’t believe I let the whole summer pass beforeย checkingย in with you guys about our patio “updates”. I think the reason why it’s taken me so long to check-in on the status of our backyard is that we haven’t really done too much out there.

But since Casey checked in last week with updates about her amazing patio, I figured I would bring you all up-to-speed on why I’m not too eager to change things up outside… even though I really want to.

Fighting the Urge to Change

It’s no secret that I’m not obsessed with our patio furniture. It’s gorgeous furniture and so comfy, but when I bought it I still didn’t know my personal style. Now that I have a better sense of what is more my style, I don’t think this furniture fits into that style as perfectly as it once did.

Outdoor_Patio_Furniture_Plants-4So for that reason alone, I’m not in LOVE with our patio like I should be. I feel bad even saying that since it’s amazing furniture, but you guys know we are all about filling our homes with intentional items that we LOVE and this furniture doesn’t do that for me.

But patio furniture is expensive and I’m not looking to ditch this set for a new set just because it’s not my ideal style anymore. I thought about selling it and using the money to invest in something more me, which still feels a bit wasteful, but then I face the next issue in changing up the patio.

House Hunting

We are still actively house hunting and I can’t bring myself to invest in changing up our patio furniture only to move and find out that the new furniture won’t fit in our new space. That seems even MORE wasteful.

So for now, I’m embracing what we have and trying to make the most of it while not investing a ton of money on anything new. I don’t regret the patio because it has taught me so much about finding my personal style, but I am super excited to start fresh on our next home’s patio. I’m going to be super intentional in that space (and the whole house) and really make sure I only fill it with items I love so that I don’t end up uninspired. Until then, allow me to check-in on the few updates I have made this summer.

Patio Updates

Outdoor_Patio_Furniture_Plants-6I did end up buying a new rug this year because our old one had seen better days. I don’t know about you guys, but it seems like these outdoor rugs only last one or two seasons so it was time to upgrade. I bought this one online over Memorial Day Weekend, which saved me quite a bit of money.

Outdoor_Patio_Furniture_Plants-5This was also my first experience with using indoor/outdoor Rugs outside and I’m really impressed with how this rug has held up over the summer. I would definitely invest in an indoor/outdoor rug again, especially since they offer a lot more neutral options than the outdoor only rugs.

I brought my DIY hairpin marble table outside and it’s holding up beautifully. This table was such a great deal to build and is really doing well braving the outdoor elements. Plus more surface area ย means I can display more flowers outside!

Flowers vs. Greeneryflower-boxes-plants

Matt & I decidedย to doย a little something different when it came time to plant this past spring. Usually, we plant a mixture of colorful flowers and greenery, but this year we decided to ditch the colorful flowers and focus on filling almost all of our flower boxes and potsย with different types of greenery and not many flowers.

We noticed through the years that the greenery typically withstands the heat better and looks much better further into the fall than the flowers do. We picked out lots of different textures and shades of greenery, and I can’t tell you how happy we are with the change!Outdoor_Patio_Furniture_Plants-7

All of the greenery is growing fabulously and we have almost no “dead-heading” to do this year. It’s amazing! Matt was a bit hesitant with this idea at the beginning of the summer, and now he insists on using this method every year from now on. Maybe someday we’ll miss the bright colors, but for now, we’re both pretty soldย onย the change!

Remember When?

That’s about all of the outdoor updates I have for you this year… lame, I know! But hopefully, as you follow along on my house hunting journey you’ll be able to come along with me as I decorate our future patio into a space that is far more me! But until then, why not take a stroll down memory lane.bridget-patio-before

Some of you who have been reading for a loonnnggggg time may remember when our “patio” looked like this. It’s still not perfect, but looking at it now does make me pretty proud of how far we’ve come…

Who knew that this weed filled corner would teach me so much about my style, design regret, and making the most of what you have?!

Bridget


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.