Name: Jenna
Location: Burbank, California
Shortly after purchasing our tiny (709 square feet) home in the LA suburbs, we knew we needed more space. We decided to transform our wasted backyard area into a patio oasis. We gutted the dirt and poured concrete, paved it with slate tile (which wraps all the way around the house), and replaced our bedroom window with a French door for easy access.
I kept the decor earthy and neutral (and wallet-friendly, using only IKEA and our local grocery store for everything!). We splurged for a barbecue grill and had a custom-built storage bench made for our yard tools and extra seating. We wired up an outlet for extended laptop usage, a fan for lighting and cool breezes, and speakers to control the mood. Being in LA, we are able to use the outdoor space year round, and with the affordable $5k budget, it's by far the best investment we've made to the house.
Thanks Jenna!
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Comments (25)
Its a whole extra room, good use of real estate and it looks beautiful.
Wow this is a great transformation! Great vision too!
www.imagemadedesign.com
Seriously a great job. Looks professionally done!
Thanks! Thorndale, we actually scored the furniture set from Ralph's, they were using it for their summer display area. It was the last package they had, and half-off no less, $200!
Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery? I always knew they'd have the best bargains.
This is an incredible transformation...you have fantastic vision. Way above and beyond with the little space you had and you made it something other worldly. I think I'd be spending all my time out there. And it must feel cooler, too...with the tile floor over concrete, under a significant overhang, etc. The French door was genius. It's a magical space now!
What a nice way to give yourself some outdoor space AND privacy! Beautifully done!
Fantastic!
going gray is a different approach to a patio. usually one would like to see some refreshing colors.
It looks great; what a wonderful way to get more space!
Improper: Gray is the color of our house... so... we weren't about to repaint everything :) I don't mind it, it goes with the slate.
Ooh, pretty! What a great room (and this is definitely a *room*, not just a typical patio)! I also like that you'll be conserving water by not needing to maintain the lawn.
stunning. love every single thing.
jealous... I want to be there right now relaxing with a cocktail in hand :)
I love the grey! Well, I actually love all of it.
Nice job. It looks really inviting.
I see that your water heater was already painted, but wondering how it's holding up. When I looked online, I saw ominous warnings about trying to paint galvanized steel...how is yours holding up?
Romeo: It has held up great, no issues. I wonder what the warnings are for. But we're counting down the days until the thing craps out so we can get a tankless heater :)
AWESOME!!!
So inspiring! Thanks for sharing.
I adore this patio! And the grey is so soothing! It provides a beautiful muted neutral background for your furniture and the white curtains. I for one think it is perfect and sophisticated, but if you really wanted pops of color you could always add some planters of bright flowers or change out your throw pillows for something more vibrant. Love. Love, love love.
WOW!!! Nuff said.
Using gray IS refreshing. Great space.
LOVE this!
This looks fantastic - perfect inspiration for my patio. Was your patio covered beforehand? If not, was your covering a DIY solution or did you hire someone?
Did your budget include building a pergola? Did you use a kit or used a design plans? It looks great. I have noticed that Ralph's has great deals on outdoor furniture - good job!
chorf & janet - the patio was not covered before, it was just an open gap between our house and garage. I sketched out my plan for the pergola, bought the lumber and had our handyman make the cuts and do the installation.