Before and After: A Cheery One-Day Mini Patio Makeover for Less Than $100

Even in the best of weather, it’s hard to want to spend time outside when your outdoor space is less than welcoming. That’s what Zoe Hunt, of Crafted by the Hunts, saw at her mom’s home: “Despite getting a decent amount of sun during the day, the space felt dark and uninviting, so it hardly got used,” Zoe says. “The chairs ended up being a home for spiders more than anything else.”

Despite its ho-hum appearance, the patio had a lot going for it—namely, that it overlooks a beautiful creek and lots of trees. “Despite all that looking, since she moved in, my mom hardly spent any time outside actually enjoying that view that sold her on the house,” Zoe says. “Her patio space was dark and uninviting, so it never really struck her as the place to sit and relax when she had a moment.”

Zoe wanted to change that, and give her mom a place to lounge that felt cheerful and relaxing. “She’s been wanting to update the space, but didn’t want to pour a lot of money on a full-on update and new furniture, so I decided it was time for a mini-makeover,” Zoe says.

The chairs were in fine shape, so instead of replacing them, Zoe decided to punch them up with a little spray paint. She cleaned them off, then used matte white (Krylon’s All-in-One Fusion Matte White) for the legs and a light blue for the top. To make the springy end table, Zoe used 2×2 lumber and a 16-inch square concrete paver. After building the table, she sanded it and painted the whole thing a poppy coral (Krylon’s All-in-One Fusion Matte Desert Orange). A stencil and a light yellow shade (Krylon’s All-in-One Fusion Wild Honey) add a punch of pattern on top.

Final touches: a big white umbrella, patterned pillows, and plenty of potted flowers. Zoe was able to keep the whole project under $100, and did it in about a day. “I love that this space is fun feels like a mini tropical getaway now,” Zoe says. “The power of paint never ceases to amaze me.” And her mom’s happy with it, too: “Overall, my mom is thrilled with how it turned out,” Zoe says.

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