Patio Update

So, I am pretty sure that we have the worst patio in our entire development. We have a small concrete slab that is about 6'x9'. As far as I know everyone else has beautiful wood decks. Because we have so much to do inside the house right now, installing a deck is not in our plans anytime soon. We are thinking of extending the concrete or using some pavers to give us some more hard surface to entertain and enjoy the fresh air.

A few weeks ago our Home Owners Association hired a property manager to help keep things in order, and make sure that everything that needs to be done is actually getting done. She decided that the roof that covers our concrete slab should have a post in the corner to help hold it up. I completely agree! :) 

When the guys came out to put in the post they noticed that the wood inside was horribly rotten. All the wood on the ground is what fell out when they took off some of the soffit. uh-oh!

these shots are after they replaced the worst of it. this is the "good wood"

 Because of the way our homeowners association works we don't technically own the outside of our home, so we are not responsible for any of these repairs. If we damage the exterior, or if there is damage to our home from a previous owner we are responsible for that.

Anyway, everything is all back together now, with the addition of a support post and some hefty new gutters. I am a happy homeowner. Gotta love home improvement projects that cost nothing, and require zero effort.

Here's what the space looks like now.

Our super awesome neighbours shared some of their patio furniture with us since our old set won't fit in the tiny little space. I like it! I can't wait to sit out here on a nice warm morning and sip on a yummy cup of coffee.

We still have a lot more work to do out here. We need to figure out a solution for our garbage can since we don't have a garage. We also need to get our paint scrapers, and power washer out to clean the paint off of the concrete. I don't know if you can see it in the picture, but the original color was  a nasty green, which was later followed by baby blue. Both colors are 80% chipped away. We still haven't decided whether we will leave it plain, stain it or paint it.

While I might be confused about how to finish the concrete, I have a ton of ideas about how I want the area to be designed. We got a new Kenmore Grill as a Housewarming/ Christmas gift, and I LOVE that it's red. That's not something you see everyday. We haven't put it together yet, but I'm pretty sure it's this one from K-Mart.

I definitely want to take the red and run with it outside. I've pretty much taken any traces of red inside and gotten rid of them completely, (I was a bit traumatized by how poorly the previous owners chose to use the color) but I've always loved red, and I think the patio is a wonderful place to go for it. I'm still not sure whether we will use red alone, or accent it with some other colors.

These are some of the rugs we are considering.

This One from World Market is a very affordable option at only $20. You can't beat that. I was thinking it might work if I go with a slightly nautical feel for the space with red, a bold blue and light blue. We'll see. 

I am really liking the pattern of this rug, and I keep noticing that I am drawn to patterns similar to this one quite often. At just $48.99 it is another very reasonably priced option, and I don't have to worry as much about how it will look with the grill.

This one is probably my favorite of the three because it pretty much takes my color scheme problem and throws it out the window. It incorporates the red as well as most of the colors I am using a lot inside our home. Unfortunately at $123.99 it isn't nearly as budget friendly as the others. BOO! If anyone from overstock ever reads this post. I have absolutely no objection to being sent this rug free of cost so I can do a review on it's quality and fab style!   (j/k, yeah right, that kind of stuff doesn't happen to me)

Sorry, I know this post is getting pretty lengthy. I promise I'm almost through. I just wanted to share one last idea for the patio. As soon as I saw that post up the first thing I thought was "I should dress it" Here's a photo to show you what in the world I am talking about. 

I took this photo at the 2011 Cape May Designer Show House, and I love how it adds a softness and warmth to what can be a really hard space.  When you're working with a concrete base in an outdoor space it's easy for it to feel cold and hard, and I want it to feel warm, comfy-cozy and inviting. I think dressing the pole could really help.

Alright, I'll be done for now. I need to make some mood boards for the space and see what works best. I'll be sure to let you know what I come up with. Hope you are all having a wonderfully week! Tomorrow's Friday! WOO-HOO WEEKEND!!!