My patio was struggling. Not in size, but totally in design. If I had to guess where things went wrong, I would say it was Day One when I bought a red patio umbrella. It wasn’t my first choice, but Walmart’s Garden Center left me no other option. Did I mention my current chair cushions were green? Absolute no-no. I don’t care what anyone says red and green do not mix-unless it’s New Mexican chile. Even found a burnt orange futon cover in hopes of toning things down, but that immediately became a dreadful mistake. Sadly, I ended up with a patio that was granny without the chic. Not exactly the vision I was going for.

Speaking of vision, I’m talking about the one stuck in my head that I couldn’t quite articulate into Pinterest search words. Is Morrocan-natural-textured-modern-global- boho-chic a thing? And don’t forget jungalee (lots of plants). Yeah, I was driving myself crazy trying to come up with the look. My patio has good bones, as in plenty of space and furniture. The sofa is an old futon that my son no longer had space for. Why throw it away when you can put it in the backyard, said I the resourceful momma.

For weeks I sat on my patio trying to come up with design ideas. There was only one thing left to do-gut everything out and start over.

The first and BIGGEST change was the futon-turned-patio sofa. I replaced the burnt orange cover with a white sheet straight from my laundry room (that I drenched in Scotchguard) which instantly made the space feel light and airy. I then moved the sofa to the adjacent wall, creating a proper sitting area. Everything else fell into place as I repositioned the fireplace (previously located on the far end of the patio) and added a kilim rug ($20 at an antique shop), more plants, patio lights (Target), and a coffee table that was sitting in my donate pile. Remember that burnt orange tassel garland I had draped behind the sofa? See the above pic in case you forgot! I used that as a”trim” on a pair of sheer curtains to create a faux canopy backdrop. To zhuzh up the sofa, I covered those hideous green chair cushions in Ikea EBBATILDA rust color covers that were only $1.99 each! To create a bit more global, well-traveled vibes, I dug up some old kilim fabric from my personal stash and turned it into a no-sew pillow cover. Of course, gotta give all credit to Mother Nature for stepping in and growing a sis a few extra tree branches, like seriously overnight, to give off the perfect amount of shady drama!

Badda-bing Badda-boom my patio went from fugly to Morrocan-natural-textured-modern-global- boho-chic-jungalee. Can you believe this is the same backyard?