Our Summertime Retreat

We made it to the final round of the American Crafters Competition! It's been so much fun! I decided for the final round to GO BIG! I've been wanting to do a backyard patio makeover, and I figured with summer right around the corner, this is the perfect time to enjoy LOTS of time outside! There are so many little details that went into transforming this space!

First, I will show you the before and after shots, so you can see the huge difference. Then, I will break it down for you to see everything!

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Here's the

BEFORE

We didn't have a ton going on back here except toys, trash, and storage.

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Here's the

AFTER

Now we have a place to eat, visit, relax, and enjoy!!  It feels like an extension of the inside of our home.
This is what we did...
swingset BEFORE
spray painted the entire thing black, got new chain to hang the swings from, and added name plaques to each swing so there won't be any mix up!
swingset AFTER

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kitchen window BEFORE

We added a new cafe awning over the window, spray painted old chairs, bought new foam and covered them for cushions, spray painted the trash can and even added vinyl lettering to it!
 kitchen window AFTER

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patio table BEFORE

We spray painted the chairs and table black, recovered the chairs, hung a chandelier, brought an old door that I had outside and added a few little decorative things to it.
patio table AFTER

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patio  posts BEFORE

We hung wire on eyehooks over the entire patio entrance to hang our burlap curtains on. Now, when it starts to heat up during the days, we can just close the curtains and still enjoy sitting outside. We used left over fabric strips to tie them back for now.
patio posts AFTER

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full view BEFORE

 full view AFTER

(note to self: move the hose next time!)
This has been SO much fun transforming our patio! I couldn't have done it without the help to hang, sew, drill, level, paint, and move things! Thank You! Thank You!! I promise to have MANY girl nights out here soon!
Please, go to Naptime Crafters and VOTE!!

XOXO!!