There was this time a year and a half ago when I thought our back patio was finished. You can see the reveal here. Box checked. Moving on. Then our dog ate the furniture. Like, there was a huge hole through the arm of the outdoor sofa. Oh, and he ate the rug as well. Here’s what it used to look like.
We salvaged the two chairs by moving them to the front porch, but the sofa was toast. I also accidentally left the cushions out one day and those were chewed on. When it came to choosing new furniture I was at a loss and honestly just plain over it. So, I let my husband decide. He said he wanted adirondack chairs. I regretted letting him choose 🙂 But in the spirit of letting go, I went for it.
Now, there are of course still some things I want to do out here, like putting back up the striped curtains, but wanted to share with you some of the progress.
Obviously the biggest change are the chairs. You guys, I actually love the chairs. They truly are comfy. We went with the Highwood Eco-Friendly Synthetic wood Folding Adirondack Chairs in Coastal Teak from Overstock so they could stand up to the weather and be easily sprayed off to look like new if they got dirty from the dog getting into them. But, I don’t think that will be happening anymore. I made him a pretty sweet dog bed he’s digging that I’ll share later.
Now, I know a rug would ground all the furniture, but I’m not planning on adding one. For the same reason I don’t have one in our dining room. As pretty as it would be, it just doesn’t make sense at this point in time. Kids are going to spill food on a rug in the dining room and I’m going to be upset. Archer is going to chew up a rug outside and I’m going to be upset. It’s just not worth it. I do plan on adding some pillows to the chairs, but those can easily be brought in when we’re not using them.
Another change are the plants. The ferns I originally had flanking the fireplace weren’t having any of it. It didn’t help that I always forgot to water them. I’m trying out these California Elephant Ears that are suppose to be pretty hearty. Finger’s crossed!
I also sat some succulents on the DIY coffee table. They serve a purpose much greater than looking pretty. It’s to keep Archer off the table. He thought it made the perfect dog bed (you can see scratches in the wood from his nails). This bowl is too heavy for him to nose out of the way and he has stayed off.
So that’s where we’re at with the patio right now. I think it’s actually a really good change! I’ll share the finished version when I figure out pillows.
SOURCES: adirondack chairs // DIY outdoor storage coffee table // galvanized planters – IKEA, no longer on their site (similar here) // DIY rope mirror // succulent bowl – Homegoods (similar here)
SHOP THE LOOK:
it looks awesome! those chairs are much more comfortable than you would think- i know! and hear, hear on the rugs because i am with you 100% on that. i don't want to buy a rug just to have it destroyed, no thank you!
I'm an official Adirondack chair convert! When he first mentioned it, visions of the obnoxious ones carved to look like flip flops or weird paintings on the chair back kept shooting through my mind, lol! But yeah, no rug and I'm completely ok with that. I've got 99 problems, and a rug ain't one 😀
This is such amazing spot, I can't believe you have an outdoor fireplace. Seriously my dream! Adirondack chairs are surprisingly comfy aren't they? They look great with your coffee table!!! We are in the market for some outdoor chairs and I'm thinking synthetic is the way to go. I'm exhausted with having to keep up with our teak deck set that requires sealing every year.
Thank you! I was worried they wouldn't work with the coffee table, but I'm pleasantly surprised! The synthetic really sold me on these in particular, they really do look like real wood. I knew I didn't want to be worried about sealing and re-sealing, or gouges from dog toenails 🙂
I just bought Adirondack chairs for my husband's "man cave patio" on the side of the house at his request. It's where his unattractive bbq smokers and fryers live. The chairs must be a man thing even though I've always liked them, too. I know what you mean by the outdoor rug. We just bought our first one because I wasn't sure if the chairs would scratch the new pool decking. I always thought what's the point if you've got messy little ones, too.
I think they are a man thing! But, yes I totally get the appeal now, they really are so comfy! That's funny you say man cave patio because we totally had one too. It was the area along side the master bedroom and bathroom wall where he had two smokers (one massive one and a smaller electric one). He ended up selling them and bought a Komado Joe.
My pup also is a lover of chewing outdoor items! What a nice space to have though – so jealous! 🙂
Thank you! Yep, I just don't understand why they prefer furniture to chew toys :/ We had a pointer a long time ago that ate several feet of lattice that covered the under side of our deck when we left for a day trip. Like, straight up ate it! There were only a few little slivers left in the grass as proof it came off the deck. We are still shocked he lived after eating it.