Turning Our Small Patio Space Into Our Own Backyard Getaway
We took our small screened in patio and turned it into an outdoor oasis, making us feel like we're on vacation in our own home.
See how we quickly turned this space into our favorite room in the house.
True story: I hated this patio space when we moved in. I thought it was too small to be useable, and we actually considered ripping it out. It's a basic concrete slab, measuring 12x10ft, although about 3 feet needs to stay clear as it is our only walkway from the house to our backyard. I just couldn't envision us really using this space for much other than storage for the girls outdoor toys and maybe the grill. But Charleston is all about outdoor living, so we thought we'd give it a try.
Outdoor furniture set from GDFStudio
We knew that picking the right furniture would really set the stage for this space. We wanted something stylish, but also comfortable and large enough for outdoor movie nights as a family of five. After doing a ton of research online, we selected the Emma Outdoor 8 Seater Acadia Wood Sofa and Club Chair Set from GDFStudio, and it was exactly what we were looking for.
Style: This set matches the black, white, and wood aesthetic throughout our house perfectly, and it comes in a ton of other color combinations too. We also had our eye on the same set in beige/teak, but it was out of stock at the time (it's back in stock now as I'm writing this!) making our decision easier for us to go with white and dark wood.
Material: We were a little hesitant about the white fabric at first, but it's proven to be extremely resilient, even against the insane amount of pollen flying around in the springtime in Charleston! The cushion covers can also be easily removed for a deep clean. We were also pleased to find that the water resistant cushions dry incredibly quickly, even after a harsh rainfall.
Design: This set is modular, making it easy to arrange the furniture in a variety of ways. I love that we have the option to set it up in an L shape as we did here, but in the future, we may decide to set this up on our outdoor patio as 2 separate couches around a fire pit. The built in latches make make repositioning the layout super easy. Right now, we have the second chair and one additional couch piece on our outdoor patio for extra seating as we work to design that space next.
Other layout option from the GDFStudio website
Assembly: Shipping for this set is no joke - it came in a ton of boxes! But the good news about GDFStudio is that shipping is always FREE! It was a really quick and easy set up; Sam did most of the assembly on his own while I entertained the girls. In total it took under a hour to put together this 8 seater set.
Function: The set also comes with a large coffee table that's been great for family dinners outside, drinks and snacks, and the girls even like to bring their coloring books outside to draw on it. The table itself is pretty low to the ground which is perfect when you're sprawled out on the couch. The way the set is designed so low almost feels beachy, and so comfortable.
Accessorizing the space
Once the furniture from GDFStudio was in place, it was time to pick a few pieces to finish the vibe. Adding plants instantly made the room feel more inviting, and I'm looking forward to growing our plant collection for this space! For the rest of the décor, I found some great pieces on Amazon.
Pillows and blankets: I wanted to tie in our black, white, and wood theme with a pop of color from the plants, so I bought two different 4-packs of outdoor pillow cases to achieve this look. I was a little concerned that the black and white pillow cases would not be waterproof enough, but both those and the plant pillow cases turned out to be great at repelling water, and drying fast on our outdoor pillows.
I originally had my eyes on some beautiful woven outdoor blankets, but after reading reviews of bug being attracted to them and getting stuck in the weave (gross!) that was enough to change my mind. Instead I ordered this soft emerald green pop pom blanket and I absolutely love it, I bought one more for the front porch and our guest room! They come in a ton of sizes and they are incredibly soft and comfortable. I usually bring them inside for big rain storms, but if they do get left out in the rain they seem to dry quickly. I love how all of these pieces accessorize our couch from GDFStudio!
Lighting/ceiling: One thing I did love about this space even when it was empty was the ceiling. During our build, we opted to have both our front and back porch ceilings painted in the traditional Charleston haint blue color. As legend has it, the blue ceilings help to keep bad spirits away as well as bugs, so you didn't have to convince me much (hah). We have lighting installed by way of a ceiling fan which will be much needed in the hot summer months. We also decided to add string lights as a little extra ambiance in the evenings.
Outdoor TV: I can't really explain it, but an outdoor TV has always been a dream of mine. There's something so fun about playing a TV show for the kids while we grill out, and something so magical about watching a movie at night surrounded by the moonlight and the sound of the crickets. I was so happy to find how quick and affordable it was to make this dream a reality! We all know smart TV's are incredibly affordable now - we picked up a 32inch at Walmart for around $150. But the real question was how to make it waterproof. We found this waterproof TV cover on Amazon that works great for $19.99! Eventually we'd like to build a waterproof box for the TV, but this was a fast and easy way to be in business with our outdoor entertainment right away.
Outdoor Rugs: We found both of our rugs on Amazon, and I love how they look in the space! The large woven area rug was different than I expected - it's actually a beach rug that made of a plastic, rope like material. I didn't love it at first, but it's flattened out perfectly, and it's so easy to clean, I now love it! And like everything else, I love how it complements our furniture from GDFStudio.
The black rug we put in the walkway collects all of the sand that the girls usually track into the house. You can see in the photo it does show dirt, but its durable and again easy to clean.
It was so fun designing this blank canvas, and making it our own private getaway within our home. I think making the big decisions first like selecting our furniture really helped to style the room. A huge thank you to GDFStudio for your gorgeous Emma Outdoor 8 Seater Acadia Wood Sofa and Club Chair Set. There's nothing better than feeling like you are on vacation in your own home.
Up next: we recently added a 750 sq ft patio extension off of this room! We're looking forward to designing that space, and continuing to enjoy the outdoor living here in Charleston, SC.
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