25 Budget Friendly #PatioIdeas

patioideas

Paint Your Floors

Designing a pattern on the floor is an inexpensive way to tie together the look of your outdoor space. Designer Rachel Greathouse used a diamond pattern with a whitewash to fit the home’s farmhouse chic design. Depending on the pattern and palette, you can end up with a rustic or modern look.

Make an Eyesore a Focal Point

Instead of buying new furniture, rehab an old or damaged table with no elbow grease. Just cover it with a vibrant tablecloth, like the Mexican tapestry that WAKE + LOOM Design selected for this eclectic, colorful patio.

Puff Up Your Seating With a Pouf

Floor poufs are a low-price way to add seating without investing in larger pieces of furniture, such as a sofa or chaise, say Gabriela Eisenhart and Holly Conlan with WAKE + LOOM Design. While you can find outdoor poufs for less than $50, you also can make your own fabric pouf ottoman in a pattern and palette that you prefer. A garden stool is also an inexpensive, versatile item that can serve as extra seating or a side table.

When Life Gives You Lemons

There’s nothing sour about this well-styled patio sofa. In a small space, all you may need are a couple of pillows and accessories. It could be as simple as looking in your fridge. Here, designers Gabriela Eisenhart and Holly Conlan with WAKE + LOOM Design placed lemons in a metal bowl for a burst of color. You can sew a simple outdoor pillow as well.

Rescue Old Items

Reclaim an outdoor focal point with upcycled brick and barn doors. The biggest trick is to look for old barns, buildings and chimneys that aren’t being used, suggests Tyler Davis, owner of Athens Building Co., which worked with designer Tami Ramsey of Cloth & Kind on this project. Sometimes you can spot them from country roads. Approach the owner and offer to remove them if they will let you keep the material. You can get free materials and help someone remove a potential hazard from their property.

Select Low-Maintenance Plants

Using plants with low water use and low maintenance requirements is cost effective while providing color, movement and texture, says Patricia St. John with St. John Landscapes. Succulents, burgundy Cordylines, variegated plants and evergreen vines provide contrasting colors and textures, without the use of flowering plants. This project was an Association of Professional Landscape Designers award winner.

Pick a Prefab Product

A screen adds coziness to an outdoor area, and this prefab screen is cheaper than a custom one. It’s only on one side of the patio and is topped with a smaller “eyebrow” arbor. St. John Landscapes also saved costs by using low-water, low-maintenance plantings in this award-winning San Francisco backyard project.

Cut Groundcover Costs

The owners of a San Francisco townhome wanted to be cost effective wherever possible. St. John Landscapes used decomposed granite for the lower patio and paths, which is a cheaper option for a low-maintenance outdoor space.

Roll in a Cart

To get the look of this high-end bar cart on a budget, start with a basic metal or wire shelving unit, says Michiel Perry, founder of Black Southern Belle. Spray paint it your desired color. To add the lattice and bamboo trim, use a piece of vinyl diamond lattice, which you often see on outdoor decks and fences. Use bendable PVC pipe that is spray painted to match or in an accent color, for the trim.

Bring a Party to your Patio

Adorn your patio or deck fence with festive bunting to make it stand out from the rest, and every day will seem like a party. You can find outdoor pennant-style bunting like this at home decor and party supply shops for about $5-$10, or you can make your own.

Infuse Bursts of Color

Cute, cheap updates to a small patio include adding an outdoor pillow in a complementary color to a plastic Adirondack-style chair and an outdoor rug. If you don’t have room for a coffee table, a smaller end table, can serve as your bar when enjoying cocktails with friends. Amy Latta of One Artsy Mama made this table using upcycled crates.

Mix and Match

If you can’t afford a new farmhouse-style table, the same look can be achieved by mixing salvaged pieces to create your own table. Find an old tabletop, then add old or new spindle legs. If you paint the table and other outdoor furniture all white, it creates a modern and sleek look, says Ili Hidalgo-Nilsson, architect and designer with Terracotta Design Build in Atlanta.

Salvage Like a Star

Salvage and save money by using reclaimed wood for a barn door. Go big with the doors and embellish the area with a metal star, which can be found on the cheap at antique shops and junk shops. The weathered tones of the wood complement the star in this space designed by Cloth & Kind, and created by Athens Building Co.

Add a Set of String Lights

String lights add sparkle to an outdoor space, even when you have a limited budget.

Give Granite a Modern Update

This once-bland courtyard is now a showcase for salvaged and recycled materials. The contemporary dining set rests upon bands of reclaimed granite slabs. Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design used blocks of granite salvaged from a 19th century building in Boston as benches in this courtyard, which won an Association of Professional Landscape Designers award.

Create a Crate Table

Get crafty and create a side table, which can be put to use when you grill out. Amy Latta of One Artsy Mama used a large crate and added a shelf and a top for her DIY table. Making a pair of crate end tables cost less than $100, according to Crates & Pallet.

Be Versatile

The white tub on a red stand is a versatile outdoor item that Beth Johnson of B Interiors found at a sample sale. Use it as a drink cooler, toy holder, planter or container for garden supplies, for just a few ideas. Also, Johnson says melamine plates, which come in various shapes and patterns, are a budget-conscious buy for a vibrant patio table. You can find 12-piece sets for about $50. This table setting also includes vintage juice glasses from a thrift shop.

Style With Single Pieces

Combining a single flower floating in a metal bowl can be a no-fuss and affordable way to adorn an end table in an outdoor space. The succulent in a pot also is a long-lasting choice on a low budget.

Retain and Recover Existing Items

This contemporary outdoor space was once a forgotten, unused area. The design firm, A Blade of Grass, kept some existing materials, including the wood decking. The existing fence was updated with horizontal cedar cladding, which provided a clean, uniform backdrop. Garden stools are also an affordable, bold accent for a patio.

Boost the Look With Boxwood

Boxwoods, such as the ‘Green Mountain’ boxwood on the left side of this contemporary patio, are smart, cost-conscious purchases for courtyard shrubs because they have handsome foliage and grow to 3 feet high by 3 feet wide and don’t need a lot of maintenance. Also, layering is a part of outdoor design. A plexiglass panel in front of a cedar fence on this patio by A Blade of Grass, which won an Association of Professional Landscape Designers award, creates dimension and interest. A plexiglass screen also can be an easy DIY project.

Make a DIY Storage Tower

For a custom towel and toy storage tower that costs less than $100, Jaime Costiglio from That’s My Letter used four crates from Crates & Pallet. Three of them were used to make the storage tower and the other was disassembled and resized to serve as a drawer. Think about ways to repurpose indoor furniture for outdoor use.

Decorate With Driftwood

For free patio and porch decor, use stones from your yard or a piece of driftwood from the beach or lake. “You would be surprised to learn that you already have plenty of decor options right in your own backyard,” says Atlanta designer Alice Cramer.

Cast a Glow With Lanterns

Take advantage of a privacy screen or wall separating your patio from neighbors. Hang lanterns, which can give your outdoor space a glow without taking up floor or table space on a patio. Thrift shop for used wire lanterns or globes, spray paint then any color you desire and add candles.

Pick a Consistent Hue

Play off the color of a dominant feature to make your accessory purchases worth every dollar. In this Atlanta courtyard, Cultivators Design and Landscape chose orange accessories since they match the color of the fountain cube and don’t detract from the water feature.

Color Underfoot

Instead of painting your floors, design experts suggest making a painted outdoor rug to freshen up a porch or patio floor. You can buy a cheap drop cloth, or use one that has saved your indoor floors when you have repainted a room, and turn it into a custom-colored rug.

Make Your #GardenFences Disappear With This Surprising Color

Give tired fences a face-lift with a hue that blurs boundaries and provides a dramatic backdrop for plants.

White picket and natural wood fences may be more common, but garden fences painted black can be surprisingly effective in the landscape. Dark fences act as a stunning backdrop for bright green foliage, provide understated privacy where needed and make garden borders disappear. Take a look at these examples of how a dark hue can transform a garden fence, and you may be inspired to get out your paintbrush.
Highlight plant structure. Black and charcoal-gray fences work well as backdrops for formal plantings. The dark hues look elegant and sophisticated, and provide a stage to highlight the form of espaliered trees and clipped hedges.
Here, a dark fence serves as a backdrop for a double-tiered hedge of clipped boxwood and photinia shrubs trained as small trees. A white fence in the same setting would draw the eye more than this dark one, taking attention away from the form of the planting.

Make property boundaries disappear. Dark fences visually recede, reading more like the shadow cast by a tree than a man-made barrier. To further draw the eye away from property borders, plant beds in the foreground with silver and pale green foliage.
Provide understated screening. Far less stark than white, black can be a more effective color for subtle privacy and screening. Here, black fences enclose an urban terrace to screen surrounding buildings and create an intimate gathering place.
In this garden, dark fencing provides an elegant screen to hide the home’s air-conditioning and utility units. Variegated New Zealand flax, feathery grasses and a simple water feature also help draw attention toward the garden.
Show off spring blooms and fall color. Deep forest-green fences can work just as well as black to provide a dark background for pale blooms. In this garden, white and blue agapanthus blooms nearly float against the deep green backdrop.
In fall, dark fences complement the rich colors of changing leaves, highlighting gold and orange tones and creating a moody pairing with plum and burgundy foliage. Here, a dark green fence sets the stage for a fall show of golden birch leaves.
Make small gardens feel bigger. White fences or walls enclosing a small space can feel confining, while darker hues tend to visually sink into the background. In this garden, a small deck outside the kitchen window has just enough room for a cafe table for two. Painting the wall a medium charcoal and adding subtle down-cast lights make the space feel larger and more inviting.
Give property fences a contemporary edge. A fresh coat of dark paint can transform a simple border fence into a landscape feature that sets the tone of the garden upon arrival.
Dark paint also can be used to integrate traditional elements of a landscape with those that are more modern. For example, in this garden a dark stain gives a classic fence design a fresh, contemporary look.
Update your kitchen garden. Giving fences a wash of dark paint can create an entirely new look. In this kitchen garden, a dark coat of paint and end caps on the fence posts elevate the perimeter fencing from being purely functional to an attractive design feature.
Likewise, a few coats of a dark semitransparent stain over the fence boards and raised bed give a contemporary feel to this edible garden. Plus, the dark backdrop highlights the form of a squash vine spilling out of the raised bed.

All About #KitchenIslands

kitchenislands

Placed at the heart of the cook space, these multipurpose units can enhance a kitchen’s utility and appearance.

Topping the list of must-haves in most kitchen renovations, an island is the perfect value-added improvement, one that transforms the way you use and enjoy the busiest room in your house.

At a minimum, an island adds counter and storage space just where you need them: at the pivot point between your kitchen’s cooking, cleaning, and food-prep zones. And outfitted with fixtures and appliances, such as a sink and cooktop, or bar stools for dining, an island itself can become the hub of activity. Such utility is the reason builders and designers say that adding an island offers more bang for your buck than just about any other kitchen upgrade.

The first kitchen islands in America date to the colonial era. These simple worktables, situated near the hearth of the home, were where families prepped meals and then sat down to break bread. Even after the advent of built-in cabinetry, and well into the first half of the 20th century, the island remained a freestanding piece of furniture, often with a look and style all its own. The tradition continues today, as islands often integrate materials, colors, and design flourishes that are different from those of the surrounding wall cabinets, making them the focal point of the space.

On the following pages you’ll find all the information and inspiration you need to create a kitchen island that’s right for you—from the critical clearances for good traffic and workflow to the many ways you can customize it to suit your particular space and the way you cook and entertain.

A handcrafted island made of reclaimed chestnut stands apart from the painted wall cabinets.

Shown: Custom kitchen island, $15,000 (not including the countertop, sink, or faucet); Crown Point Cabinetry.

What’s it cost?
Freestanding worktables or rolling carts can be had for as little as $200. Basic built-in islands made with stock cabinetry and butcher-block or stainless-steel counters start at about $600. More features, larger sizes, and costly materials can easily push the price above $5,000.

DIY or hire a pro?
Anyone can put in a worktable or cart. An island assembled from cabinetry is more of a challenge but doable for handy homeowners. Call in the pros for custom configurations if you plan to have plumbing fixtures and electric appliances or if you want a stone countertop.

How big?
An island ought to have enough counter space to meet your needs, look proportional within the kitchen, and have ample pathways around its perimeter. For smaller kitchens, a worktable or rolling cart may be a better choice than a built-in.

Where to Put Your Island

 

Be sure to leave enough space on all sides to permit the free flow of traffic all around it and between the key activity zones centered around the stove, sink, and fridge.

Planning: Walkway Clearances

 

For two-cook kitchens or for universal design, which accounts for people with physical limitations or those who rely on a wheelchair, plan a 48-inch passageway on all sides.

Planning: Food-Prep Height

 

A 36-inch-high counter is standard, but 30 inches is best for kneading and rolling out dough because you can apply more downward force.

Island Types: Working

 

These furniture pieces, styled after vintage worktables, often have drawers and open shelves. Their “see-through” design takes up less visual space but makes it hard to hide utility lines.

Price: From $200 for a stainless-steel table to more than $3,000 for a custom wood one with turned legs and a stone top.

Island Types: Storage

 

A basic freestanding or built-in island provides counter and cabinet space without the expense of sinks or major appliances. Open shelves, as shown here, 
can keep cookbooks and dishes handy.

Price: Starting at about $300 for a movable prefab unit and $800 for a semicustom built-in, not including the countertop.

Sinks make islands ideal for washing hands and food and bartending for parties. Tuck bar sinks, like this one, into corners to maximize counter space. Give full-size sinks at least 1 foot of counter on both sides.

Price: Built-ins with sinks tend to be bigger than storage units—at least 4 feet long—and pricier, about $1,000 and up. Sink, faucet, and counter are extra.

Island Types: Dining

An overhanging counter for casual eating needs space for knees, for diners to scoot chairs back, and for seating—at least 24 inches for each chair.

Price: About $800 for a prefab freestanding dining island to more than $5,000 for a custom built-in without a countertop.