Articles in: style challenge

A Family-Friendly Outdoor Dining Space by Dana of House*Tweaking

Posted by: Dana of House*Tweaking on May 6th, 2013 | 15 Comments

Dana of the blog House*Tweaking on her gorgeous outdoor dining area, complete with DIY wood art piece

In our Style Challenge series, we ask some of our favorite bloggers from around the web to surprise us with their ideas for creating a stylish and functional space using Home Depot products as a starting point.

When we saw the incredible progress that Dana of the blog House*Tweaking and her family have made on their 1950s fixer upper (which they affectionately call The Underdog), we knew she would be the perfect addition to our Patio Style Challenge. She put together a gorgeous outdoor dining area that’s perfect for her young family and for spending quiet time with the hubby after the kids are asleep. Check out her clever way to hang bistro lights and the DIY art piece made from scrap wood, too.

Last year my husband and I spent most of our free time renovating the inside of our fixer upper just so it would be livable. With most (but not all!) of the major interior projects completed, we were really excited to finally show the exterior some TLC.

Dining, Dining Alfresco, Outdoor Living, Outdoor Projects, Patio, Patio Furniture, patio style challenge, style challenge

A Charming Courtyard: Small Backyard Ideas by Hannah of Maple + Shade

Posted by: Hannah Maple on May 3rd, 2013 | One Comment

As a talented designer, we knew Hannah Maple would come up with some terrific small backyard ideas for this year’s Patio Style Challenge, so we were delighted when she agreed to join in on the fun! Little did we know she would be moving to a new home in downtown Lexington, Kentucky just weeks before tackling this project! She lets us in on exactly how she turned her long neglected little urban courtyard into a bright and beautiful space for relaxing and entertaining.

Being that revamping spaces is very much my passion (and also my career), I was beyond ecstatic when the amazing staffers at Home Depot asked me to partake in their 2013 Patio Style Challenge. After all, I pretty much live for the outdoors (yes, even work there at times), and to say our newly acquired, city-centered courtyard had been well-ignored is a bit of an understatement. But, the Mister and I aren’t afraid of a bit of hard work, and were confident that a little elbow grease would more than spruce up this potential-laden patio space.

So, here’s a glimpse at the before:

Small Backyard Ideas: A small, drab urban courtyard before its makeover

Eeek–it’s bad, right? Like I said, the previous owners didn’t quite see its potential. And…there were a few challenges.

See those heinous, splinter-ridden boards on the old windows? They were challenge #1. So, handy hubby and I doused them with paint and built a simple trellis out of inexpensive lumber, which I painted the most gorgeous blue/gray (Winter’s Day by Martha Stewart for Glidden, at The Home Depot).

Challenge #2 came in the form of red paint. It had LOTS of red paint. Everything seemed so dull and lifeless. I immediately knew I wanted to add more contrast into the outdoor space to make that gorgeous brick wall stand out and to make our little walled-in backyard feel so much lighter, brighter…and airier.

See the result?

Small Backyard Ideas: An Uudated, urban courtyard with a fire pit and a new outdoor dining set

Remember those dreary, boarded windows that once dominated the brick wall? Just look at what a coat of paint and a little ingenuity can do. Someday those trellises will be draped in vines, but patience is most definitely a virtue!

Fire Pit, Firepit, guest blogger, Outdoor Fire Pits, Outdoor Firepit, Outdoor Living, Patio, Patio Furniture, patio style challenge, style challenge

Cozy, Contemporary Backyard Patio by Lauren of Pure Style Home

Posted by: Lauren Liess on May 2nd, 2013 | 9 Comments

Designer Lauren Liess is known for the crisp interior spaces she creates and the way she infuses each space with a touch of nature. She applied her design skills to the backyard of her Northern Virginia home for our Patio Style Challenge, and came up with a comfortable and cozy space suitable for entertaining or relaxing with her active family. Read on for her simple and creative backyard patio decorating ideas.

A family relaxes on an outdoor sectional on their backyard patio

Our family pretty much lives outside when it’s warm. (And honestly, we’re out there a lot when it’s cold too.) My husband Dave and I have three boys and a dog so being outside is a necessity. When we found our new house this past summer, we fell in love with the yard and the outdoor spaces. This past fall, when we moved in, we ate most of our meals outside on the back deck at a big table we have, which was great, but we had nowhere to really veg and relax. When we were contacted by The Home Depot to be a part of their Patio Style Challenge, I was SO EXCITED because we’d been dying to create an outdoor lounging space/ living room next to our deck dining area. This was just the push (and help!) we needed to get it done.

Here’s what our space looked like before:

guest blogger, Outdoor Decor, Outdoor Living, Patio, Patio Furniture, patio style challenge, style challenge

Natural, Chic Patio Decor Ideas from House of Earnest

Posted by: Erin Souder on May 1st, 2013 | 6 Comments

Erin Souder is the creative mind behind the home decor blog House of Earnest. She styled a gorgeous table setting for our Holiday Style Challenge, and she’s back with simple and effective patio decor ideas in the Patio Style Challenge. She shows us how flagstones and the right outdoor seating set are a great start to an awesome natural and rustic patio makeover. Add a fire pit and a few strings of lights, and you have an absolutely gorgeous outdoor space.

Patio Decor Ideas: Flagstone patio with Hampton Bay Millstone Seating Set

There is nothing that I love more than spending time outside relaxing with friends. My husband Matt and I knew that having an amazing patio meant that we had to completely renovate, and so we set out this spring to demo the cement slab that existed in our backyard and replace it with something ten times better. I wrote on my blog, House of Earnest, about my plans for my patio. It was natural and maybe a little European cafe inspired (hey, a girl can dream!).

In our 100+ year old farmhouse, something as contemporary as pavers wouldn’t quite do the trick, so we went with the natural look of flagstone. I also felt that the flagstone would give our backyard a little more of that old world flair that I was after.

guest blogger, Outdoor Living, Patio, Patio Furniture, patio style challenge, style challenge

A Casual, Eclectic Patio Makeover by Tobe of Because It’s Awesome

Posted by: Tobe Reed on April 30th, 2013 | 6 Comments

Graphic designer Tobe Reed of Because It’s Awesome has great taste and an eye for design, so we knew she would make a fantastic addition to our Patio Style Challenge. She started her patio makeover with a pair of simple stained Adirondack chairs and created a beautiful new outdoor space with a casual, relaxed vibe. Tobe explains how just a few, small changes made all the difference in her patio makeover.

Winter weather has certainly lingered this year in Kansas City! Now that the cold seems to (finally) be on its way out, I am eager to spend lazy mornings and warm evenings on our patio. Having moved from a loft in the city center in late 2011, we had a long way to go when it came to furnishing the house…including a pretty neglected outdoor space. Here’s where we were last year:

A backyard deck before its patio makeover

Yikes. Showing this pic is painful. Even though we’d amassed some unique pieces and had the casual vibe we were looking for, our outdoor living area had a long way to go. We kept things mostly to the deck and weren’t taking full advantage of our sizable lower patio at all. So when our friends at The Home Depot called, we were up for a patio overhaul!

Patio with large outdoor sofa, Adirondack chairs, and a firepit

Keeping a casual, eclectic feel was important to us from the start because we love to entertain. While I thought I might go with a simple color scheme, I quickly realized that the color addict in me would have no such thing! A natural palette across the furnishings and a bevvy of worn, earthy terra cotta pots let plants and a few decorative elements do most of the heavy lifting in this space.

adirondack challenge, guest blogger, Patio, Patio Furniture, patio sets, patio style challenge, style challenge

Pancakes On The Front Porch With Grace Of A Storied Style

Posted by: Grace Mitchell on April 29th, 2013 | 65 Comments

Browse Grace Mitchell’s blog A Storied Style for a few minutes, and you’ll immediately see that she has infused her home with beautiful colors and ingenius DIY projects, and she clearly has a killer eye for design. We knew Grace would create a gorgeous space for our Style Challenge, so we were thrilled when she agreed to take on our Patio Style Challenge. Take a look at her awesome front porch decorating ideas, including links to the DIY projects she mentions.

I am so thrilled to be part of the Style Challenge this year, and I have been busting at the seams to share my space with you! We live in a 1921 home with our four children, who are all a year apart. Needless to say, we need to squeeze all of the space out of our home we can! One of the things that initially drew us to the house we live in now was the big front porch. “Front porch living” and the community feel of really knowing our neighbors was very appealing to us. Sadly, with all of the other projects we have been working on (old home = lots of work), our big front porch had been neglected.

A drab front porch before it gets a total makeover

I envisioned this being a space we could enjoy as a family and with friends. It needed to be inviting, cozy, and have a sense of privacy. I wanted it to feel like a room outside our door. After looking through all of the beautiful patio sets Home Depot has to offer, I fell in love with the Woodbury Dining Set. At one glance of its x-base dining table, I was sold. You can order cushion covers in several colors, but I chose the bare cushion set so I could tailor the fabric choices to my taste and have a little fun.

Woodbury Dining Set – Bare Cushions

I have to tell you, I gasped when my husband took the set out of the box. It is pretty in the pictures on Home Depot’s website, but wow, it is gorgeous in real life. We were so impressed with the quality and sturdiness for the price! And did I mention we have four little ones five and under? Yeah, we definitely need sturdy.

The exterior of the house is a cream brick with aqua blue shutters, charcoal trim, and a sunshine yellow door, so I knew I wanted to coordinate those colors for my new outdoor dining set. Of course, putting a patio together like this is so much work, but my goodness, it is such a GREAT feeling in the end! In our house, breakfast is our favorite meal so we decided to celebrate all of our effort (the kids helped, too!) with pancakes on the porch. Welcome!

A front porch decorated with sunburst mirrors, vintage tole chandeliers and a Hampton Bay Woodbury patio dining set

Dining, Dining Alfresco, guest blogger, Outdoor Dining Room, Outdoor Living, Patio, Patio Furniture, patio style challenge, style challenge

A Small Urban Balcony: Patio Decorating Ideas by Alex of Things That Sparkle

Posted by: Alex Kaehler on April 26th, 2013 | 3 Comments

A small urban balcony is decorated with the Fenton 4-piece Outdoor Set

Not every outdoor space is a big, lush, grassy backyard, which is why we asked interior designer and native Chicagoan, Alex Kaehler to join our Style Challenge and give her small outdoor space a fresh makeover! We love seeing the way she brought color and style to her small urban balcony.

Living in downtown Chicago, we treasure our outdoor space, but sadly, the little deck off our bedroom has always been ignored. We had a couple chairs to sit out there and read, but no real attention had ever been paid to it. Enter The Home Depot. When we were given this beautiful outdoor lounge set I knew exactly where it would go. It is the perfect spot to sit and read a book, or have girl friends over for cocktails.

With two chairs, an ottoman and a love seat, the Fenton 4-Piece Seating Set provides us with tons of seating for entertaining and lounging. I love the colorful bohemiam vibe we were able to create with the use of the rustic trays, white garden stool, and lush greenery.

Balcony, guest blogger, Outdoor Living, Outdoor Rooms, Patio, Patio Furniture, patio style challenge, Small Spaces, style challenge

A Colorful Poolside: Patio Decor Ideas by Cassie of Hi Sugarplum!

Posted by: Cassie Freeman on April 25th, 2013 | 7 Comments

We can’t help but love the color palette Cassie of Hi Sugarplum! chose for her outdoor space, after all, orange is our favorite color too! With the help of a couple of DIY projects and some colorful accents, Cassie turned what used to be a blah poolside space into a functional family hangout! Read on for Cassie’s colorful patio decor ideas and some gorgeous photos of her patio makeover.

Patio Decor Ideas: An outdoor loveseat with colorful throw pillows and coffee table decorated with succulents

When we bought our house six years ago, I could hardly believe we lucked out with a pool. I pinched myself every day that first summer to be sure I wasn’t dreaming. (If you’ve ever been to Texas in August, then you know what I mean!) But soon after, our attention turned to all the projects calling our name inside, and even though we still used the pool, the backyard wasn’t an inviting place for lounging and entertaining.

Enter Home Depot, and their amazing collection of patio furniture, and now we have a cheerful outdoor room, ready for spring picnics and summer pool parties!

guest blogger, Outdoor Decor, Outdoor Entertaining, Outdoor Living, Patio, Patio Furniture, patio style challenge, style challenge

A Family Friendly Under Deck Patio by Erika of BluLabel Bungalow

Posted by: Erika Ward on April 24th, 2013 | 6 Comments

Erika Ward of BluLabel Bungalow is an interior designer in Atlanta and the mother of four active kids. With a couple of pieces from the Walnut Creek Collection, Erika created an inviting an under deck patio that suits her style and her family’s needs! Here she shares her money-saving outdoor decorating ideas.

As a family of six, it’s important for us to get the most bang for our buck. This concept applies to all areas of our lives, including our outdoor living spaces. It only makes sense to take full advantage of our home’s amenities, both inside and out. After all, the mortgage pays for both the house and land, right?

Last summer we focused on the upper deck and created an area perfect for al fresco dining. This year we planned to focus on our badly neglected patio beneath the deck. You can see the before photos on my blog BluLabel Bungalow. You know the story about the cobbler’s children without shoes? Well, this designer’s outdoor space was without style until now.

Under Deck Patio Decorating Ideas: A beautifully decorated family-friendly outdoor space

The Home Depot Patio Style Challenge could not have come at a better time. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to select from a series of gorgeous outdoor furniture sets, including the Hampton Bay Walnut Creek 4-Piece Patio Seating Set in Wheat. Its wicker material stands up not only to Mother Nature, but also to wear and tear from active kids.

guest blogger, Outdoor Decor, Outdoor Living, Outdoor Rooms, Patio, Patio Furniture, patio style challenge, style challenge

Small Patio Decorating Ideas by Courtney of Courtney Out Loud

Posted by: Courtney Lake on April 23rd, 2013 | 7 Comments

Small Patio Decorating Ideas: A gorgeous small condo patio with Hampton Bay patio furniture, DIY outdoor chandelier and greenery

We were pleased as punch when Courtney of Courtney Out Loud agreed to join forces with us to turn his small, urban backyard into a peaceful oasis. We knew that his killer style and modern edge would turn out a beautiful space perfectly suited to the Northern California aesthetic. Courtney takes us through the process of transforming his small patio into a special place for relaxing and entertaining. He shares some of his decorating ideas, and a few gardening tips he picked up along the way.

I can’t help myself but at the first signs of warm weather, I start daydreaming about dining alfresco, garden parties and lazy weekends spent soaking in the sun. Then I have a reality check remembering that (1) I live in Oakland/San Francisco, so after 6 p.m., it’s chilly; (2) I live in an urban condo with a patio, not an estate with an English garden; and (3) I have yet to spend a weekend doing nothing since moving into our home four years ago.

Like most urbanites, my partner and I found prioritizing outdoor space as a “must have” on our list when looking at homes, but when we finally did buy, the overwhelming task of pulling the interior of our home together took precedence over the exterior. It wasn’t until almost 2½ years into living in our home that we tackled the patio. In our first attempt, we primarily focused on foundational items such as patio pavers, replacing the gravel that perpetually found itself scratching our hardwood floors with moss and installing irrigation. I created what I thought was going to be the ultimate outdoor space for lounging and relaxing….and it sat unused for almost 1½ years until The Home Depot kindly invited me to participate in the Style Challenge: Patio Edition.

Backyard, Dining Alfresco, guest blogger, Outdoor Dining Room, Outdoor Living, patio style challenge, style challenge, succulents

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