This Terrace Makeover Shows the Power of Thrifting (Even for Outside!)

I cover Before & After makeovers every day, and one thing I love to see in a project — whether the budget for a project is $50 or $50,000 — is a thrifty moment with big design payoff. That’s why I love this little detail in Spencer Bergen’s (@retrojectprojects) terrace transformation: the thrifted Facebook Marketplace lounge chair upcycle. 

Spencer and his partner, Jack, wanted to add color — namely, red, a color that’s trending in bathrooms, kitchens, and living rooms alike — to their outdoor space, which was once “a blank slate” gray space. (You can check out the full makeover here.) 

For the floor tiles, that meant months of searching for an outdoor-friendly option “that wasn’t gray or beige,” Spencer says. For the dining table, that meant splurging on something handmade from Morocco. The Topiary accent chair was a sale find from Design Within Reach, but, even still, the price tag was in the thousands. The total makeover cost about $15,000. 

But the lounge chair tucked away in the back corner was a budget-friendly moment worth calling out; it’s a $100 Facebook Marketplace find that Spencer and Jack scrubbed and spray painted — so smart! Spencer says he likes to start his day there with a cup of coffee, and it’s always nice to have a space to fully stretch your legs in an outdoor area if you have the square footage. 

Other budget-friendly pops of red in the space include the $121 raised bed planters and the wall paint (Benjamin Moore’s Burnt Russet). 

I think this project is a great reminder that if you can’t find something in the colorway you’re looking for, don’t shy away from a can of spray paint. And speaking of red spray paint, I recently bought this table lamp and spray painted it red (with the assist of a paintbrush for the smaller, more detailed areas) because for some reason all of the red options I could find cost about, well, one million dollars.

What’s your next spray paint project? Let me know in the comments!