2021 Renter-Friendly Patio Reveal
Summer is here and with that comes patio season! I’m so excited to share my patio reveal for this year. I think this is becoming my favorite space to decorate year after year. There’s just something so fun with turning your outdoor space into a comfortable spot to enjoy iced tea on hot summer days.
I take you through the entire process of how I transformed my apartment patio/balcony below, including my inspo, several DIYs and products that I used. It really gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into designing an outdoor space.
Now before I share the reveal, let me show you what this space looked like prior to the makeover.
The Before:
This is my third floor apartment patio/balcony as a “blank canvas.” Some notes: the siding is very much a yellowy tan color. It’s not the cutest, but I wanted to factor that into my design decisions.
Last year, I went for a fun tropical design with lots of green, black, white and brown. This year, I wanted to tone the decor down just a bit and really focus on creating a neutral boho vibe that still fits with the wall color.
The Reveal:
OK, first-up: the seating area.
I kept my chairs from last year to save money, but gave them an upgrade by spray painting the arms and legs with a satin black spray paint, which instantly elevated their look.
To cover up more of the vinyl faux-wicker of the chairs, I DIY’d some custom seat cushions in a neutral canvas fabric and added those gorgeous macrame pillows (see next photo for more detail).
I brought back in my $10 IKEA Tiphede rug as a base (though, I am pretty sure it shrunk a good foot in the wash…) and layered that gorgeous round jute rug on top.
A closer look at the pillows, which are my favorite addition to the space. I love the macrame texture that pairs perfectly with my seat cushions and just brings the right vibe into the seating area.
I styled a vase with faux monstera leaves, a lantern (which was poorly spray painted lol), and a fluted citronella candle on top of my DIY’d IKEA hack tray table.
Above the chairs, I wanted to tie in the macrame in the pillows by adding a small faux plant in a macrame plant hanger.
Next to it, I made custom textured wall art using joint compound. You can see the full tutorial either in the video, or by clicking here. I love this piece because it brings more texture into the space, and that’s really what I was focused on in this makeover.
Now this section over here, I admittedly had the hardest time styling it. I decided to create a bit of a jungle look with faux plant (I just didn’t want to care for a ton of plants, and these can be reused year-after-year anyways). I love the addition of the two lanterns, especially at night.
Now this is my favorite part of the makeover. I built this hanging vertical garden to go on my patio closet door. This is a great renter-friendly solution to both save space and allow you to enjoy fresh herbs throughout the summer.
You can check out the full tutorial on how to build it here.
Over on my balcony railing, I took a faux rattan utensil holder I found at Walmart and converted it into a railing basket planter! I think this has to be one of my favorite parts of the space. It also ties into the faux rattan plant stand I have over in the seating area.
And of course, I couldn’t have a completed space without adding some string lights and rehanging my patio curtains. If you want to see how I hung up these curtains last year, click here. It’s such an easy and renter-friendly way to add some privacy to your balcony (you do have to drill a few holes, but it’s such an easy install, and will be easy to remove too).
That wraps up how I styled my patio this year. I’ve already been loving my time spent outside. It’s nice to have a good outdoor space to relax, especially as a renter.
I have so many renter-friendly makeovers planned in the coming weeks that I am so excited to share. If you don’t want to miss out on those, give me a follow on YouTube or my social media (iinked below). I’ve also included a few other patio-themed posts you may enjoy. ✦
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Actually Alli is a DIY and home decor blog to help you craft your dream life through DIYs and home decor, all while on a budget. Here you’ll find DIY tutorials, home and apartment inspiration. ✦