The light at the end of the construction tunnel is getting bigger and brighter every day – we are hoping to be fully blinded by June. So it’s time to start showing you some of the finished spaces – starting with our kitchen patio. We’ve already spent many nights on this patio with family, kids playing soccer in the grass til 9 pm, grownups around the table, wine aplenty and I feel a flood of hope for the future, relief that we are happy here, and gratefulness that you are all still following along. Thank you 🙂 The landscaping and exterior construction was the second phase that we tackled, and it was a beast that almost devoured me whole. But we made it! Alive and with less mud! For today’s project, we partnered with Sunbrella on this patio, knowing that we wanted cushion fabric that provided comfort for our tushies for long hang sessions and durability from the weather/wine. Let me introduce you to our finished kitchen patio.
Where Is This Kitchen Patio?
The reason this patio was even a priority is that the living room (and deck on the right in the rendering) is west facing, which means that the afternoon sun is super hot over there and shadeless (the trees are too far away). Now that’s all fine and good – we’ll have umbrellas and can sit underneath the one big oak tree with friends (and it’s only hot/sunny a few months of the year). But on a daily basis when it’s just us four, we wanted somewhere closer to the shaded south-facing kitchen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It goes without saying that we are spoiled when it comes to places to hang out, but come 4 pm this area is full of shade and so lovely (and while I’m not a meteorologist a fun fact about being in the PNW is that 6 pm is the hottest time of the day, it does NOT cool down til 9 pm – truly baffling). So that’s why we invested in this patio early.
Three Years Ago…
When we first bought the property it looked like this (above) and it was still charming. Sure, it needed work but the potential was so clear. The family that lived here before also had it as a little kitchen patio. They had a covered walkway that came from a carport with eccentric rooflines. We removed part of it because the walkway didn’t line up with the new kitchen windows and the new stairs. It had become incredibly awkward and was kinda falling down, so we took off half of it. Here’s a quick video tour if you want to walk through the space with me (just wait for the ad to play please and thank you!!!)
There she is now! It makes me soooo happy. New siding. New windows. New EVERYTHING. We decided to take the hardscape all the way to the house mostly to make this a forever mud-free zone (I think we are pretty scarred from the last two years of mud) and chose pots instead of planting straight in the ground. The brick herringbone is so pretty and classic (and Northwest Native Landscapes did a great job of installing), and while the original Yardzen plan called for window boxes, once we got the corner plants and the umbrella we felt that it was enough. We will be doing more of a full reveal of this south side of the house, but the plants aren’t grown in enough so today is all about the patio and Sunbrella, our fabric partner here.
Table and Chair Set | Seat Cushions
We kept everything here pretty classic, hoping that it looks integrated with the older style home. I bought the table and chair set from Ballard Design, including the cushions made with Sunbrella fabric, and at first, I was worried the table and chairs were going to be too small or just not cool enough, but once styled out I love the vibe. The black legs tie in with the metal of the stair railing, and wood always looks good outside. Since these are teak and slatted my hope is that we can leave them out for the occasional rain and then fold them and put them away for the winter. As you know, we are not good about covering our furniture (and this is so prominent that I wouldn’t want to walk up to and stare at furniture covers six months of the year anyway) thus us choosing something that folds/stores easily and isn’t totally upholstered. While I’ve only had these for six months I can say I am very happy with this table/chair set and I’ll continue to let you know (fun fact: our mountain house upstairs deck is still in perfect condition despite harsh weather).
I LOVE how the black and white striped umbrella made with Sunbrella fabric ties it all together and creates a sense of a room. The pattern is super classic and adds some pattern and visual interest in one big pow. Since the herringbone brick is a pattern and the slats on the wood feel like a stripe I didn’t want to keep adding busyness, so we went with the sold white seat cushions which really toned it down in a good way. These cushions have been outside now for weeks since I got them and look brand new – Sunbrella fabric truly is just so durable, long-lasting, and weather-resistant.
The entire set is easy to take down and store for winter (and we even bought more chairs to add to when we have more guests as they were pretty affordable).
While this area does get shady by 4 pm we wanted to be able to eat lunch out here and you can see what a difference the umbrella makes. Left is no umbrella = full dangerous sun for my baby white skin and right = shady and less hot.
Enamelware (similar) | Pitcher (similar)
I styled it out with some vintage enamel camping dishes and serveware in blue to contrast with the warm tones. Blush and blue forever:)
The cushions made with Sunbrella fabric fit nicely on the chairs and are rather comfortable, and with little ties, when it’s about to rain, you pop them off and they store so well. They come in a ton of different colors and of course, are weather-resistant. Also, my brother who is not a wee man found them perfectly comfortable – I was a little nervous that these chairs were too petite for my large man friends, but the reviews are in and they are super solid and feel big enough.
I wear overalls now because FARM. And those blossoms came from our orchard and are so so pretty.
Outdoor Sconce | Bench | Pillow | Side Table (vintage) | Lanterns | Candles | Cooper Mugs | Terra Cotta Planters | Dark Rust Planter
We kept it earthy with the pots, using the big ones that were left on the property, and adding in some pretty terra cotta and dark rust (both from Rejuvenation). I bought the lanterns from Terrain and huge candles from Pottery Barn (HOP TIP – do not leave them in the 95-degree sun – they both melted like an inflatable Gumbi). The copper exterior sconces are throughout our exterior, from Rejuvenation – Again, I love them so much and they add the perfect contrast.
This kitchen patio is a pretty darn lovely place to be, with the right balance of architectural hardness (brick, concrete, railings) and comfort-inducing softness (natural wood, fabric, plants, and umbrella). A huge thanks to the following: Sunbrella for partnering on this area, Yardzen for creating the initial design, Studio Campo for weighing in on all the things, and Northwest Native Landscapes for executing it all (not a small job).
Resources:
Table and Chair Set: Ballard Designs
Seat Cushion: Sunbrella via Ballard Designs
Chair Striped Pillows: Sunbrella via Birch Lane
Bench Pillow: Sunbrella via Sien + Co
Umbrella: Sunbrella via Ballard
Lighting: Rejuvenation
Planters (New): Rejuvenation
Bench: Rejuvenation
Brick: Mutual Materials
House Paint Color: SW 7005 Pure White by Sherwin-Williams
Door Paint Color: SW 9655 Mountain Pass by Sherwin-Williams
Windows and Doors: White oak, Aspen Casement by Sierra Pacific Windows
This post was sponsored by Sunbrella but all words and opinions are mine🙂
*Design by Emily Henderson, Yardzen, and ARCIFORM
*Photos by Kaitlin Green
It’s lovely and feels true to life, as in, a real family is spending real time there. I actually like the concrete stairs, and will probably like them even more when they get weathered a bit.
Same. I’ve gotten so used to them. I’m not sure If I reiterated enough how concrete in Oregon is often the way to go – in-destructable via rain whereas decking is obviously not. 🙂
We are in Portland and how I WISH the previous owners had just poured a concrete stoop and stairs at the back door. Instead they put in a huge deck (boards in fir, not cedar) that we cannot maintain despite our best efforts to keep it sealed. They also covered the original concrete front porch in slate tiles (terrible idea!) but luckily once we had them removed the 1924 concrete looked great.
Lesley, have you seen this 110 year old house made entirely of concrete: not one crack and no spalling. What is wrong with the concrete they pour today? It’s awful. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lhQzC5b-maA
That was fascinating Kj!
So interesting! This may explain why.
https://99percentinvisible.org/article/cracking-case-secret-ingredient-explains-durability-roman-concrete/
Aaaah! That’s what it looks like, a big, ol’ relaxing exhale.🤗
I think you’ll be hglad long-term, that you went with paving to the house indtead of garden beds, because mud and dampness near the foundations.
The Sunbrella fabric looks kinda “Fronch”-ish and is a nice choice to go with the exterior of the house.
Love the light fixture. Probs woulda loved another one at the back door, too?
What’s the possibility of tiling the steps in a blue and white pattern? – seems like they’re a tad harsh in bare concrete and that might tie them in more with the rest of the house??
Huge step forward and loads of lovely family n friends times to be had there!😊
Thanks, Rusty! we put a light fixture at the back door (well, held it up) and realized it was too big and you couldn’t open the door without hitting the shade, haha. there might be a smaller 8″ version though that could work without hitting it. And i think the more the house grows in the less the concrete steps will bore me 🙂
Another pretty and practical option for the concrete steps would be a jute runner, held in place by metal rods (black to match your railings!). Sold by the yard at home improvement centres and replaceable every couple of years when worn. Provides traction on slippery wet/icy days, catches dirt so it’s not tracked into the house, and looks warm, rustic and textured.
Oops, should have said coir, not jute. Jute doesn’t like the rain 🙂
Sheryl I love that idea!!!
Love this idea! I’m trying to get onboard with the plain concrete stairs, but they are bumming me out. Searched coir runner so I could better understand your idea and this pic came up, beautiful! And also wondering why Emily isn’t painting the steps…?
Exactly! You picture is much more eloquent than my words 🙂
Because painting concrete steps is an upkeep nightmare. I wish to heaven the owners of my house never painted mine. They need repainting after every winter season if I want them to look nice. No matter what, painted concrete in outdoor exposed, high traffic areas just does not hold up. Meanwhile, the concrete walk leading up to my painted steps looks as good now as it did when it was poured in 1946.
The previous owners of our 1951 house painted the front concrete steps a horrible red colour (to go with the painters tape green trim perhaps?!). My husband painstakingly grinded off several coats revealing the original concrete. The messiest most labour intensive job ever, but looks great even four years later. Has held up so well to our rainy winters.
I know no one will see this, but I have to ask – how is it possible that the door hit the exterior sconce shade? Exterior doors open in, not out. Looking at that door jamb, there is no way that door opens out, so no way that door would have hit the exterior sconce. Can someone explain this to me?
Tile is very slippery in places that rain, that would not be a good way to go coming out a door in the PNW. You have to avoid outdoor tile in NE and PNW,
I live in Portland and I think bare concrete is the way to go. I guess I’m used to it, but I think it looks sharp. Plus, bare concrete ages really well. Painted concrete ages really, really poorly (chips, bubbles and always looks dirty.) There’s a 100% chance wet or icy tile would hurt someone. A runner (jute or coir) would not dry out all winter and would basically turn to moss by March. Come to think of it, a moss runner would be quirky. Sorry to be Debbie downer. I think they make the right call.
Okay this isn’t related to the patio (which is beautiful and you’ve totally sold me on Sunbrella fabric), but your funny caption about overalls and a farm reminded me of your comment a ways back about getting animals and how it wouldn’t be too much work. We just got goats (after years of planning), and we have chickens and ducks, and I just want to reiterate that it IS a LOT of work and I encourage you to be really thoughtful if you’re still considering adding livestock to your home. I think you also mentioned alpacas, and my colleague has alpacas and puts a ton of effort into managing their health, temperature, shearing schedule, living environment, etc. So…I don’t know where you’re at with that but please just keep that all in mind! It’s a lot of work and will require the whole family’s time and effort if that’s the way you go! Thanks for listening.
I so appreciate this. We are on that actual fence RIGHT NOW (split rail, of course). We are doing as much research as possible. and we are trying to personally gauge how much we are going to be ‘into’ it which directly affects how much we’ll want to take care of them. What we don’t want to happen is to regret it. Is your friend regretting it or just relaying that its so much work? We expect the work, but there has to be enough enjoyment too …
A few (read – 3-6) chickens are a great starter animal for farm life. They don’t require a ton of infrastructure (mobile coops are awesome to give them access to grass!), are generally healthy, and have a ton of personality. Like any and every animal, they require daily care, but they’re not expensive, give you eggs, and if it turns out they aren’t right for you, there are always people looking for laying hens so are easy to find a good home for.
How is your family with diligently committing to chores and not just kicking the chore can down the road? Because that’s what animals are: daily attention through the chores associated with them. You just have to be brutally honest with yourself about how reliable you are about attending to the care and upkeep of living things. Don’t do it unless you are the kind of person/family that’s going to be 💯 on top of it.
I love what I see in your photos — a simple place for the family to gather easily. The best part of spring/summer time 🙂 We have chickens in a mobile coop and horses… while they all require care, we can step away for about 3 days without much issue (only a friend to collect eggs and make sure gates haven’t blown shut cutting off access to water). My daily pulling workout is to move our coop 🙂 And my animal-loving daughter loves to care for our animals throughout the day — which is her very favorite part. Intentional set-up has been helpful — we use PVC feeders that give us 10 days of hands-off feeding, and our waterer lasts 3 days. You and your team have a lot of considered design elements and do a lot of research.. so you probably have a good gauge of what’s to come.. I’d say our biggest hiccup has been the sometimes early onset of winter and weeks of subzero temperatures because there are so many more needs for animals (ex. we brought our mobile chicken coop into one of our out-buildings, which neither I nor the chickens preferred), and snow cover inhibits… Read more »
Chickens are very easy to take care of, if you want to go that route. Also very easy to give away to a good home if you somehow end up hating them – it’s not like giving away a beloved pet, so I don’t think anyone would bring out the pitch forks.
Definitely think about the time investment, I do have friends that have regretted getting chickens and a horse,, as they were so tied down and found it to be. a lot to juggle with jobs and childrearing. The first six months was fun and then they were like agggh – they also had problems with keeping the chickens protected from predators and had some drama with that. If you are into it though and want to be home bound at this phase of life, it can also be a lovely lifestyle.
Please don’t get a single horse. Horses are social and need company. They also require supervision and care. I would not recommend getting horses without experience or being really willing to put in some time to learn (or having someone with experience who can guide you).
Our friends had alpacas and I think you really need to think carefully about this. They live for 18 years- are you really committed to dealing with them for that long? Also, when you go away, you have to find someone to care for thee, and it is much harder the find someone than it is for dogs or cats. . I seem to recall that you had issues with dealing with your dog wast waste at the mountain house, and alpacas are a much bigger thing! Where will all of their waste go- who will deal with it?? Etc, etc….
Alpaca “beans” are fantastic fertilizer, I use them to restore landscaping the deer eat during heavy snow years like this one in Salt Lake City. I don’t keep alpacas, so I buy the beans.
Hi Emily,
The other Kat who responded about chickens was a different Kat 🙂 (but I agree, they were certainly our gateway animals and they’re less work than mammalian livestock). My friend doesn’t regret it at all but she’s had a farm for decades, and it’s the anchor point of her life. I also don’t regret it because a homestead was my dream, and I absolutely love the physical outdoor work (and of course the antics and companionship of my wonderful animals), but I will say that my husband and I often travel separately and I haven’t gone on a weekend camping trip in 3 years because it’s difficult to leave for more than a day (which is for me the biggest downside). We also always have to be mindful of feed schedules and closing everyone into coops and barns if, say, we’re going out with friends for the night – so it will impact or at least factor into your time freedom.
Also P.S. you will need much more than a split rail fence 🙂 We’re currently learning to construct H-braces for our permanent pasture and stretching several hundred feet of woven wire fencing.
I have a small livestock farm with alpacas, goats, horses, chickens, and bunnies and personally find the alpacas to be the easiest to take care of other than the chickens! They do require herd health every 6 weeks (shots and toenail trimming) and shearing once a year, but are so calm and easy to care for in general. Plus their primary method of communication is humming, which is so soothing to be around. Here’s our posse: https://www.instagram.com/p/CmDBQpYuiex/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
As far as the fun factor goes they’re a little skittish, so if you want a hilarious lap animal then goats are a better but louder option (we have Nigerian Dwarf goats).
The only thing that might be annoying in your area is the mud – we’re in Virginia so it only gets bad here in the winter, but that can always be mitigated with good pasture management/rotation.
My sister in law rented chickens for a summer, if you’re looking to see how “into” it and time consuming it may be a good trial:)
I’ve never heard of renting chickens! City life ; ) I was going to suggest starting with chickens. Much more manageable as a beginner than livestock. Also, their lifespans are much shorter, so not as long-term a commitment. We added ducks to our flock, which I regret. They are adorable and entertaining, but so messy!
I don’t know who looked at a chicken and thought “I should just rent a chicken instead of buying it”, but that is brilliant! 🤣
Haha! They also rented a coop that came with it, so you get a little more than a chicken😂
I like the plain steps, they say farm.
Oh I love it, it’s so inviting and cosy and classic and design.
I’m working towards my own part potted garden (around the patio area) and part wild/vegetable garden (for food production and the pollinators), and if I could recreate how your patio feels to me in these photographs…well, I’d be thrilled.
Wishing you years of happy times ahead in the (safe) sun.
This looks lovely! I’m so happy for you that you get to enjoy the results of your hard work <3 Looks like a great space for quality time with family and friends and also like a good place to take a little break on your own, breathe deeply and enjoy the view of the garden (with no mud!)…. You look happy in these pictures and I love that you wear overalls now because FARM 😀
Congratulations on the beautiful space!
This is so lovely! And it’ll only look better as everything grows and looks less new. Congrats!
The patio brick and hard scaping are so well done! It looks like a welcoming space to hang with family! As an avid gardener, I hope you do eventually think about installing those window boxes Yardzen suggested: they were my favourite part of the original design. I imagined trailing ivy, or maybe creeping petunias in your signature blue? This is such a great reveal. I can picture all of you happily dining al-fresco here!
Agreed, would love to see those window boxes!
Or, if not window boxes, then long trough planters that sit on the ground and run the full length under the windows. So no need to attach to the house. Veradeck, featured by Emily Bowser and Orlando, make beautiful metal ones.
Yes! Especially for growing herbs and frequently used/daily picked produce. We have a blueberry bush right outside our kitchen window and it’s my favorite thing to pop out there first thing in the morning to pluck fresh blueberries for my yogurt. I think (hope) you’ll find, Em, that the more you garden, the more you will want to garden. 🙂
PS this space is so dreamy and I agree with the commenter that the style of the furniture & b/w stripes give it a very French countryside vibe! We have a similar space tucked into our front yard that I’m hoping to outfit this summer– so lovely to have multiple spaces to be used depending on the intensity of the sun at any given moment! Our PNW sun, when it is out, is INTENSE. 🙂
Now that the pavers go all of the way to the house, this would be a real project to water the window boxes without water covering whatever on the patio is underneath. Also, watering can wreak havoc on your windows/wood siding. (Speaking from experience. RIP cute window planters.)
did emily use james hardie siding?
looks sooo nice!
nope. its wood!
Pretty patio. I know the rain chain is not to be functional in this location, but, I believe, it is upside down. The water would go into the tulip cup, not over it.
Oh really? Well, hahaha. thats hilarious. oh dear ….
Yup! We have a similar one in rainy Northern California and love it so much. You want the rain to fill up each little cup for a million tiny waterfalls. But if it’s not at a drain spout it probably doesn’t matter. 🙂
For the areas where they are functioning, you are going to need to put them in correctly. Otherwise you will have water splashing every which way vs. directing water down the chain. I have rain chains and I have them long enough to zip tie to an in ground NDS catch basin and pipe ( for windy/rainy days ), away from house, to rain garden. I love the functionality and how pretty it is to watch from my window.
Haha yes, came to say the same! I do Linda the one you picked, very charming.
Phew I’m glad someone pointed this out.. I grew up in Japan (land of rain chains!) and I was cringing about it being upside down but not sure it was intentional or something. We have one on our Seattle area home and it’s lovely during the rainy periods, you’ll love your functional ones! Beautiful patio, love the table and how it ties the whole area together.
what is the source for the rain chain? i’ve been looking, but have had little luck. thank you!
Absolutely lovely! The herringbone brick is gorgeous and I never thought I’d be so in love with an umbrella – that black stripe really does tie everything together perfectly.
it does! it was a little low contrast without the umbrella. We’ll leave it up as much of the year as possible – the curb appeal with it up is wonderful and makes me so happy when I walk home.
This is so beautiful! Classic and fits right in with the home — and looks like a totally comfy place to hang out.
I’m curious, do you leave those cushions out in the rain, or do they get covered / put away?
We leave them out if its just a couple days, but if the forecast says like 10 days of rain we’ll likely put them away. 🙂
I’d love to know where you store them. That’s always an issue.
Beautiful! So inviting. Can I come hang out and drink wine on your patio with you? ;). In all seriousness…. summers in the NW are truly the best! Long days and beautiful evenings sitting outside with friends and family. You’ll enjoy for many years. Way to go!
Absolutely gorgeous! Thrilled about all the reveals. Here in Portland too, so I love seeing a space that I can be inspired by and adopt, given our weather, planting conditions, etc.. 🙂 I try not to be the editor type but found this one distracting and had to read several times to understand: when talking about the candles from Pottery Barn, you meant HOT TIP, and if you mean the green guy, it’s Gumby. Can’t wait to see the continuing stream of “afters!” Everything is beautiful!
So effortlessly cozy and lived in!
Gorg, feels like it fits the era of the home well while also being fresh!
Wasn’t somebody looking for Sunbrella samples on another post? Sien + Co has some great sample sets. https://www.sienandco.com/collections/outdoor-fabric-sample-sets
I love the patio but I love your overalls even more. Would you mind sharing where you got them? 🙂
They are the Splatter Paint Cutoff Denim Overalls from The Great.
Really pretty and functional. I could NOT get the volume to work on the video….just me or technical problem?
Lovely! I wish your giant blue cupboard could live out there under that light fixture, but the weather would probably wreck it, huh?
That brick is a beauty! I think the stairs in concrete go with it perfectly!
I want to hang out here! Love how it came together, you guys did a great job!
When I saw yesterday‘s post, I had wondered about railings on the concrete steps. I do like this design. Very simple and clean. I live 30 miles outside Salem Oregon and totally agree with leaving nothing that could get muddy near a door. We are about to redo our front porch and steps and will also be going with concrete. And with concrete you only have to make sure that you don’t get moss as it makes concrete slippery. When I moved here from Southern California, eight years ago, I did not understand all the signs advertising moss removal. I certainly get it now!
Yes yes yes! You’ve just set your family up for a lifetime of magical Oregon summer evenings. I love it all. One thing, though – no string lights?
The patio looks amazing. Choosing a mud-free design was a very wise decision. Based on personal experience (I have a similar setup outside of my kitchen) I would recommend to rise your pots (small and large) off the brick surface. The water runoff will damage and distort the surface. This will happen quickly so please consider doing this as soon as possible. I must admit is not easy to find attractive and well designed pot raisers, (in my case my handy/carpenter husband constructed them for me) but they really work and are a worth the investment.
If you are interested in going with battery operated flameless candles, you can get some that are intended for outdoors and won’t melt. They aren’t made of real wax, but they look very real. I had a flameless wax candle in an outdoor lantern and it ended up a very interesting shape after the summer here in Atlanta.
Emily… PLEASE ANSWER… I’m struggling because I LOVE (alllll caps!!) the color of your door to the back garden area. However, when I look up Sherwin Williams Mountain Pass, I’m finding another much darker color that reads green… HELPPPP
You door color is perfect for my den/front door/ and bathroom vanity…
I could be wrong, but to me it looks like the door is indeed SW mountain pass as linked, but because it is in full direct sunlight it reads lighter than the link does. Colors can look really different in different light!
Hi Emily,
Beautiful job on your kitchen patio. I live in Brookings on the Southern Oregon coast and talk about rain!!! Definitely agree on the pot risers for your plants. They will stain your gorgeous brick if you do not get off the patio floor. Also from what I can see from your photos I think you might need some kind of molding where your brick meets the walls of your house. You might be able to use a matching brick as a border which I think would give a more “finished” look to your patio. What a crazy winter it has been here in Oregon and like you we are so so ready for outdoor living!!!! k
Looks lovely! Would love a round up of cushions of assorted kinds and prices for outdoor use. 70 bucks a pop for dining cushions is far beyond my budget.
FYI I purchased some outdoor cushions from this company via Walmart.com two years ago (def not my first choice of companies to support but they had what I needed and the price was right). They are made in the US and the quality is great! Have had them for 2 years and with the exception of my cat clawing them in a couple of places–UGH– they have held up very well.
I leave them outside from about mid-April to November.
Thought I’d added a link! Company is RSH Decor https://www.walmart.com/ip/RSH-D-cor-Indoor-Outdoor-Foam-Deep-Seating-Loveseat-Cushion-Set-46-x-26-x-5-Seat-and-23-x-21-x-3-Back-Branson-Pewter-Black-Buffalo/551980626?selected=true
Lovely patio & very inviting. I really like the brick herringbone pattern. I like the concrete stairs. There’s a lot going on visually, and they blend in nicely IMO. I was curious why you did not make the stairs the same width as the landing. I love wide exterior stairs- they’re great for sitting on and hanging out.
I love everything about your outdoor space. Im in So. California, and there seems to be a lot of extra work because of the weather. But you are well set-up now and it sounds like your summer evenings will be lovely!!
So smart to use folding furniture instead of covers!! I live near Seattle and have wished so many times that someone would come up with an outdoor line specific to the PNW in rain and rust-resistant materials.
Love the brick and the vibe.
Are those chairs really comfortable for long dinners and conversation?
Teak does not need to be covered or taken in. It will turn gray, though. It lasts forever. Huge OLD teak planters everywhere in Europe
I can vouch for Sunbrella big time! I have used them on properties in multiple states, and whether it is the rain / snow of the Northeast, or the blistering sun of the Southwest, this fabric holds up better than anything else you will buy.
Love the brick! I think the space would benefit from a couple of large planting boxes painted a dark color up against the house. Also wondering if you considered a Ballard Design dark metal dining set to “ground” the space. This one looks substantial and the chairs look comfy! https://www.ballarddesigns.com/suzanne-kasler-directoire-7-piece-84-22-rectangular-dining-set/outdoor/furniture/dining-sets/537349?listIndex=1&uniqueId=537349&isNewProduct=false
I love a backyard space that can be used in the warmer months for dining or just sitting outside. I was wondering if there was a reason a pergola with sunbrella fabric was not chosen rather than the umbrella.
What a stunning back patio reveal! It’s impressive how everything has held up beautifully against 6 months of Portland weather. The attention to detail and choice of durable materials truly paid off. Your space is an inspiration for outdoor enthusiasts. Thank you for sharing your journey and showing us how to create a stylish and resilient outdoor oasis!
So cute! – love this setup! Are the chairs at all comfortable? I’m struggling to find outdoor chairs that work for both dining and lingering/lounging….
I have eaten a lot of dinners outside, and sat on brick patios like that on metal furniture like that. It looks great, and I love the umbrella so much. But, practically, is it hard to push the chairs back from the table when you’re sitting in them? In my experience with metal chairs with little feet the brick will often catch the feet and it’s not fun:(
The brick is beautiful. If you’re looking for more low care greenery, check out outdoor orchids! Cymbidiums only need to be watered weekly, make enormous long-lasting winter and spring blossoms, and can stay outside as long as it’s above 20F. When not blooming they have large attractive glossy leaves.
What a gorgeous and inviting place to spend time with family and friends. Really lovely.
We have a very similar herringbone brick patio- ours is about 15 years old. Any advice they gave you for keeping the brick bright long term? Over the fall/winter ours gets mildewy and dark spots. Power washing is only effective if you do it a brick at a time which is very time consuming (though produces a beautiful outcome!) We are in Virginia.
Beautiful reveal and I hope you enjoy!
Patio looks great! Would love to know more about your thought process when putting railing with concrete steps. I’ve been trying to research it and learn about factors to consider and haven’t had much luck! Yours looks wonderful, would love to learn what an amateur wannabe patio renovator like myself should keep in mind. 🙂
Nice! Can’t wait to seemore!
I love the way the brick looks with the blue gray door. The proportions of ehe door are also very beautiful! I don’t think I would like it better if there were plants in the ground (but then again I live in Brooklyn so what do I know about landscaping).
You are just going to keep loving that space more and more. And I swear I would do a Sunbrella ad if they asked (that’s a joke – I’m not an influencer). After 5 years in our beach house I finally learned my lesson and whether inside or outside, if it gets some sun, I am all about the Sunbrella. Totally worth the very reasonable prices. This patio is lovely.
Can I ask what type of trees are in the large pots? I want to do that look on my deck and want the get the right thing that is not going to die on me.