This post is sponsored by Lowe’s. All opinions expressed are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that keep The Crafted Life making!
Guys! I am so beyond excited to share my patio makeover with you today! I really didn’t think it was possible to make my concrete apartment space into something beautiful, but now it’s possibly my favorite space that I’ve ever decorated. And y’all, everything I did is completely renter friendly, so you can recreate the look for yourself without worrying about upsetting your landlord. If you want to send me wine as a thank you, just email me for my address, k?
Now, on to the makeover!
Okay, so let’s talk about the before. There were a few issues with my previous space. First, the astroturf and table just didn’t weather well through the winter. Not only that, but they made the space feel super small since it was only a table for two in the corner. So much of my patio was left unused and I rarely found myself using the space because of it.
And while I had high hopes for the chalk wall, only part of it remained after a few months. It took so long to do in the first place, that re-chalking time and time again just wasn’t going to happen. Who has time for that, ya know? I needed a solution to cover the ugly brick without damaging or painting since I’m a renter and I finally found one!
It turns out there’s such a thing has decorative fencing. The whole thing weighs about 5 lbs and I was able to tack it into the concrete with two nails (after drilling two tiny holes in the corners). Such a dream!
Once the wall was taken care of, I needed to furnish the space. Since I basically needed everything from furniture, to plants and spray paint, etc, I just made one giant trip to Lowe’s. PS you can hover the images in this post for product links!
I really love having people over, so I wanted to make the space open and inviting. I added more seating with a bench, then painted a few chairs that could move around or be stacked depending on how many guests were over.
I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to keep them alive, but I also picked up a few plants (one is a peony bush!) and some pansies for my flower boxes to bring a bit more color into the space. With a few comfy pillows and citronella candles, the space is more than ready for some long hangout sessions.
And that’s it! I’ve already been outside more in the past week than I ever did with my previous space which is a great sign. I’d love to hear what you think though! Have you given or plan to give your patio a spring makeover this year?
It’s awesome!
Thank you so much!
Wow! Looks amazing!!!
Lidy, thank you so much! Come visit!
That wall is genius!! How does it look in person? I generally try to shy away from faux leaves.
Girllllll, thank you so much! And I will always opt for real verses faux, but this one is pretty great. Plus there’s no chance of me killing it haha
AH!!! This makes me miss my Red Hook apartment. I had a back deck I loved.
This is beautiful!
Awww thank you so much Daria! Maybe you can recreate the space in your new place?
Sadly the new apartment comes sans outdoor space, BUT I might share some tips with my parents! They’d love the idea of a planter-laden privacy screen!
What an awesome transformation, Rachel! It’s such a game changer to have outdoor space that you actually want to be in. Enjoy it!
Joy, you sweet woman you! Thank you! If you’re ever in the area, you’ll have to stop by for some wine!
Ahh! What a transformation! This makeover is absolutely stunning. I am currently on my way from Ohio to come touch and lay on every aspect of this magical outdoor nook you have created! 😍
OMG Abra! Thank you so much for the kind words! And this patio and open and ready for you, for whenever you want to come!
SUCH a gorgeous space!!! I love how it turned out!
Eeeee thank you so much Carrie! That means so much coming from you!
I absolutely love this! That “ivy” wall is fantastic! Hopefully I won’t be a renter for too much longer, but this has given me some super fun ideas for while I’m here. Thanks for sharing! :)
OMG that’s so exciting! Im so jealous you’re moving toward home ownership! And thank you for your kind words on the space :)
this is gorgeous! so creative!
Julia, that’s so sweet! Thank you!
Woah it looks amazing! I love how you dressed up the cinderblock wall.
I just couldn’t look at it anymore, ya know?! Thanks Tan <3
This looks great! I like the large “coffee” table you have, but I don’t see a link to purchase. Was it also from Lowes?
OMG thank you so much Shannon! And the table is actually from Target! https://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=617462290&pid=uid2609-25118353-98
I also suffer from the Philadelphia affliction of cinder-block walled patio. It is SO HARD to find patio decoration inspiration for this specific situation! I’m relatively new to Philadelphia, but it’s super weird to me that more people/renters aren’t tackling how to make a small cement yard nicer… a ~lot~ of us have them. Thank you for sharing!
Adrienne! So sorry for the insane delay here (somehow I missed a bunch of comments), but YES! Almost everyone I know has one and they just aren’t cute. I tried chalk at on point, but the faux ivy was just so much nicer and weathered well!
Love all the colors!! So pretty!
Thank you so much Chelsea! And sorry for the longest response in the world.
Totally off topic but how did you add those little tags to your image? Absolutely clever as heck!
Sorry I missed this comment, but it’s a service called Curalate! I was able to use it through the brand, but you may be able to sign up on your own!
Where is the ivy fromi love it xx
Sorry I missed this comment, but I found it on Amazon!
Where did you get the wallcover?
Oddly enough, I found it on amazon!
Ficou muito legal! Uma gracinha :)
kisses from brasil :*
Love this renovation! Finally something realistic that can actually be done to a rental property!
Thank you so much Shelah!
Where did you get that gorgeous napkin/dish towel on the table? Love it!
It’s from Anthropologie!