A “Brown, Old” Chicago Patio Transforms into a Cozy Hangout Spot for About $1,300
In any big city, finding a home with a little patch of outdoor space to call your own is a treat, and Sarah Monson (@smonster1106) felt particularly lucky when her apartment had two.
“When I toured my apartment before buying it, there was easily a foot of snow piled on the patios, so I couldn’t see what I was working with,” she says. “I’m in the heart of Chicago so to have two totally private secluded outdoor spaces for me and my dog was the number-one selling point for me and what made me buy! … When the snow melted, I was left with brown, old decking outback.”
She spruced the space up with new decking, comfier furniture, greenery, and accessories for around $1,300.
New decking makes the setup feel more sophisticated.
“I’m a pretty impulsive person, so I basically ordered materials and got after it,” Sarah says. “On the back patio, a friend came and helped me assemble everything … I’ve never done any furniture assembly or tile putting together or anything, so it was a lot of learning.”
Sarah and her friend, Fawn O’Brien, used about 10 boxes of tiles to cover the old brown decking.
Larger furniture makes the patio space cozy.
Sarah says she loves how the patio “gives [her] an extension of [her] house,” and that “the back patio is an extension of [her] master bedroom.” She selected cozy new furniture — a sectional, new coffee table, side table — for about $800 total, but in hindsight she says she’d pick pieces with durability in mind so she doesn’t spend so much time cleaning tree sap off her furniture.
“Honestly, the maintenance is so much worse than I expected!” she says. (For advice on how to easily maintain your outdoor space, check out these three doable cleaning ideas, four tips for keeping white patio furniture clean, and four methods to protect your outdoor furniture from falling gunk.)
Look up for a cool outdoor lighting trick.
Lastly, Sarah estimates she spent about $300 on plants, which help the patio feel a little more secluded and personal. One more tip for a little bit of personalization you can steal from Sarah? Hang an LED lantern from a tree limb for a faux chandelier look. You can buy some cool ones from World Market, West Elm, and At Home.
Sarah’s main advice, though, is to have people over — both to help you with your outdoor project and to hang out afterward. “Honestly, the best hack is to invite people in!” she says. “Ask people if they want to help …. just having the space for everyone to be comfortable is such a godsend.”
Inspired? Submit your own project here.