So did you think we spent the long weekend lounging and eating burgers? We did plenty of grilling, but we also used the time to transform our back patio into a welcoming outdoor room. We’d mentioned wanting a cozy, functional space to grill, relax with a book or magazine, and roast melty s’mores — and we couldn’t wait any longer to make it summer-ready. Here’s the patio before Memorial Day weekend: a lonely little area with an old Target table and chair set we bought a couple of years ago.
And here’s what it looked like Saturday morning after a bit of assembling, potting, and a quick fire-pit project. We finished the bulk of the work in a few hours and enjoyed the rest of the long weekend in our new room. Here’s how it came together.
A few months ago we ordered two Walmart lounge chairs with birthday money from our families. They were backordered for what felt like forever, but the matching loungers were worth the wait — about $277 for the pair. We were so excited to get them that John assembled them Friday night at dusk because neither of us could bear to wait another minute to try them out.
I’m not exaggerating — here I am testing one out that evening, in the dark. Nerdy? Maybe. Worth it? Absolutely.
We also built a simple fire pit by stacking heat-resistant pavers in a spot clear of the house and low branches. It’s perfect for cozy nights and s’mores.
To add greenery, we brought in two black planters from Ikea and planted inexpensive boxwoods to give the space a little life and color. You’ll also spot a green lumbar pillow we’d used on the front porch — we liked the pop of color so much we’re thinking of getting two more for the loungers and returning the original pillow to its former spot on the porch.
We already owned a fairly large stainless steel grill — in fact it was bought for our backyard wedding where our dads grilled for guests — but we rarely used it because the patio wasn’t inviting. Since the makeover we’ve grilled at least four meals in three days. It feels great to finally use that grill instead of letting it gather dust under a cover.
Here’s another view of the refreshed layout. We love that the area now supports multiple activities — grilling, lounging, and socializing — even though it isn’t huge. Creating multifunctional spaces is one of our favorite ways to make sure we actually use them often.
Of course Burger loves the new setup and has already claimed both lounge chairs as his own, rotating between them every twenty minutes or so.
Every now and then John and I manage to sneak the chairs back and enjoy the backyard with a book and a cold drink. Our “new” side table is actually an old Ikea stool painted with black exterior paint and sealed with outdoor polyurethane — the perfect spot for a drink, a book, or a snack.
If you’re Burger, life is good no matter where you sit, but those lounge chairs are definitely a favorite. You can see it in his expression.
We also enjoyed our fire pit the first night we used it, making s’mores after a delicious meal off the grill. Is there anything better than a toasted marshmallow pressed into chocolate and a honey graham? I don’t think so.
John was completely into his s’more while Burger hovered nearby, hoping for a crumb or two.
Here’s a straightforward budget breakdown so you can see how it all added up. Since our patio is larger than our front porch, we expected to spend more than $500, but we managed to keep costs low — especially because the lounge chairs were birthday gifts from both our families.
- Lounge chair set: $277
- Two black Ikea planters: $30
- Two boxwoods for the planters: $12
- Side table: repurposed Ikea stool (free for this project; originally $19)
- Grand Total: $319.00
How did you spend your long weekend? Did you tackle any home projects, get away to relax, or enjoy a s’more or two? We’d love to hear what you did.