Patio Makeover with Article Furniture

Hey lovies! It’s been awhile since I talked about our little patio space. Remember when we added faux hedges and painted? Well we FINALLYYYYY got furniture out there and have made it a proper space to hang out!

Shopping for furniture was a lot more difficult than I expected and it took me forever. I couldn’t find anything I wanted within my price range, and everything I did find, both vintage and new, seemed to not be able to hold up in our 3 digit desert heat. Don’t ask me about the vintage chairs that completely scorched in the sun last summer. Wahhh!

Luckily Article expanded their outdoor furniture selection with quality and affordable pieces with the vintage flair I was looking for! Yay! As soon as I saw the rattan style chairs I knew I had to have them. They look a lot like ones I saw in a vintage magazine I have.

Wait, first let me jog your memory with what I was working with when we moved in.

Then we did a little painting and added some faux hedges and grass around the perimeter.

And here’s what it looks like now!

Renter friendly Patio Makeover

This is the view when you first walk in. Instead of re-painting the floor we laid out astroturf over the concrete like a big area rug. We removed the grass around the perimeter and added heat tolerant plants such as palms and hibiscus, and a potted lemon tree. Along the back fence is jasmine, bougainvillea, and yellow lantana which I’m hoping will continue to climb and cover the fence with beautiful flowers.

Hibiscus LandscapingHibiscus and FlamingoLemon tree

As for furniture, I really wanted a lush tropical vibe, so we chose the Daisy and Medan lounge chairs and Po side table from Article.

Vintage inspired Palm Springs PatioThe Daisy chairs and Po table go so well together in this little corner, along with this yellow umbrella I spray painted white and added fringe to.Rattan Chairs from ArticleEvery one who sits in these chairs is pleasantly surprised by how comfortable they are!Outdoor Table from ArticleThe Po table is the perfect little side table for drinks and small plates. Hot tip: it looks beautiful when you use a little mineral oil to bring out the grain and texture of the wood. Mid Century Tropical Inspired Patio

On the other side of the patio we grouped four Medan lounge chairs around a fire pit table and surrounded them with more plants for a lush oasis feel.

Outdoor Seating Space with firepitOutdoor LivingOutdoor Living SpaceAlong the wall we have a table with an outdoor pizza oven and cooking space.Palm Springs Apartment PatioTropical inspired patioArticle ChairIKEA plantersNow it feels like an extension of our apartment and another living space to enjoy! Mid-century inspired Palm Springs Patio

Just in time for the 110 degree summer days. Ha! At least the furniture is holding up exceptionally well in these temps and I don’t have to worry about anything getting ruined.

Stay tuned for a post about how I transformed those umbrellas!

 

Special thanks to Article for partnering with us on this makeover.

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Patio Makeover With Faux Boxwood Hedges

Are you ready for part one of my patio makeover? Do you remember what it looked like in my introduction to Melodramaville? Let me refresh your memory.

Patio MakeoverPatio Transformation First we painted the floor a light gray because the orange color that was there before was peeling, was reflecting an ugly muddy orange color cast onto our interior white walls, and just generally didn’t fit in with my ideal vibe. I ended up painting the cinderblock as well for the same reasons.

But all of that and it still looked bad. I needed to find a solution to the industrial looking metal fence extender. I rent, so everything I do has to be put back to its original condition upon my leaving. Taking down the extension and replacing with something else wasn’t an option. Paint can be repainted, but this wasn’t negotiable.

That’s when I found these faux boxwood hedges from Natrahedge on Amazon!

Faux Boxwood Hedging DIYThey’re 20×20 inch faux boxwood panels that link together easily to cover all kinds of fences and walls. It was so easy to install and have been holding up well for months now, even in 120+ degree weather.

Faux Boxwood Hedge DIY Patio Makeover

I also laid some realistic looking artificial grass down because I couldn’t keep grass alive or tidy in these areas. My dogs love it and looks great! Better than over grown or dead grass for sure.

Faux Boxwood Hedge DIY

And there it is! Part one of the patio makeover. Now I need to find furniture and more plants. Stay tuned!

Boxwood Panels: Natrahedge via Amazon
Artificial grass: Lowe’s
Bistro set: vintage
String lights: Brightown via Amazon

Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Apartment Balcony Succulent and Cacti Garden

I have a confession to make. I am a plant killer. Yes, it’s true, I have murdered many of plants. I wasn’t always a killer though. In fact when I was younger I fancied myself a green thumb, but somehow along the way I became the black widow of gardening. My latest killing spree happened when I attempted to plant herbs and lavender on my balcony. It was pretty for like, a day, and then it all went to hell. I won’t even show you pictures of the crime scene. I’m too embarrassed.

Now that I’ve come to terms with my inability to maintain flowers, and apparently herbs, I’ve decided to attempt and embrace succulents and cacti.

Why succulents and cacti? Because I kill everything else, obviously. Also, because our super cool and hip mayor, Eric Garcetti, suggested it is our civic duty to do so. My hopes are that one day I’ll meet him and bring up my drought tolerant balcony garden and we’ll become friends. *end squiggly line fantasy sequence*

I’m no stranger to native succulents and cacti. I grew up throughout Southern California and in the desert where our lawns consisted of mostly rocks, palms, and some variation of cacti. I don’t want to speak too soon, but I think low-maintenance plants will be the key to my success.

Balcony Succulent Garden Planters

As you can see we used window box style planters from IKEA. We have a tiny balcony and we wanted to see the plants through the window, so these were our best bet. (I’ve had these for over a year, so I can’t find them on IKEA’s website to be able to link you.) The only problem was there were no drain holes, and well draining pots are necessary with succulents and cacti. We ended up drilling holes into the bottom to ensure drainage.

Balcony Succulent Garden PlantersWe took a trip to the nursery and came home with a variety of plants and a couple of cacti. We also picked up specific “well draining cacti, palm, succulent” soil, because I am not taking any chances this time. Don’t ask me the names of any of these because I have no idea. We’ve just been calling them “the yellow-ish one” and “the one that looks like jellybeans”. So scientific.

Balcony Succulent Garden Planters

Balcony Succulent Garden Planters

Balcony Succulent Garden Planters

Anyway, we just plopped them in and filled any empty spaces with succulent-ish ground cover and prayed to Frank the Flamingo to watch over them all.

One thing I did learn the hard way is if you’re going to handle any kind of cacti, WEAR GLOVES. These little jerks sneak up on you with their prickly thorns.

Balcony Garden Planters

We’re also attempting “weed like” herbs with hopes that they’ll grow like weeds and not die a horrible, temperamental, death like my lavender and rosemary of gardens past. I’m actually leaving those up to my husband. I can’t be trusted.

Wish us luck!