Dev and I have very big, very beautiful - and very expensive - plans for the back room/back yard/outdoor kitchen/patio area, but until we can afford to start another major construction project, we got a lot of mileage out of this cheap, easy patio makeover.
We inherited this lovely outdoor sofa set from our friends Chris and Nadia but the cushions were stained and damaged. After trying to salvage them with repeated washings, mending, and Scotchguarding, we finally gave up and decided to just replace them. (I love the look of white outdoor cushions but they just don't work in a place with smoggy air.)
BEFORE
(Not a very good "Before" photo because the white cushions look great here! But trust me, they weren't so great up close.)
AFTER
We couldn't decide between buying replacements (surprisingly expensive) or sewing new ones ourselves (very time-consuming and still surprisingly expensive) so we wound up doing a sort of hybrid - we got a good deal on the lower seat cushions from Target and I sewed new back cushions using heavily discounted outdoor upholstery fabric from Joann's.
After that we mostly just rearranged pots, planters, tables, lanterns, candleholders, and other little knick-knacks we already had, then added an outdoor rug and a firepit from Craigslist. When you throw in the string lights Dev put up last autumn for the Halloween party, everything has come together pretty nicely.
This summer I have plans to cover the wooden fence and cinderblock wall behind the sofa with plants, but even now the outdoor area is looking a lot better, and just in time for several upcoming parties (Easter, then Dev's birthday, then a welcome party for Travis et al., then birthday parties for the kids).
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