We're so excited to share with you the outdoor dining area we created on my parents' deck today! We were able to pull the whole thing off for less than the $1500 budget we were given by World Market (more on that in this post) and many of the items we purchased, are now on sale for even less! Here's how it looks now:
As a refresher, here's the blank slate we started with:
Their wish list included:
• Easy seating for grandkids (of course they said this first <3)
• A rug
• Some sort of umbrella to block the sun, but also the berries and leaves the trees drop constantly
• Plants
• A spot for an herb garden
We had everything in place for the Memorial Day family BBQ at their place and it was so heart-warming to see it come together for them. The table and benches are substantial and solid. I love the color of the wood and the fact that there are spaces for drainage--but the spaces aren't too big--makes everything a lot more functional and comfortable.
We really went back and forth on whether or not to put an umbrella in the center of the table, or go with a cantilever one that can be moved around and positioned as needed--(there is a removable, wooden plug in the center of the table for either option). In the end, this cantilever one was the right choice here because the direction of the most intense sun comes from one side on this deck and it has been working wonderfully for them. I love the filtered light and how it leaves even more room on the table for spreads, or just really cute table runners and planters.
This space is large and really needed an 8x10 rug. This gorgeous graphic woven indoor/outdoor rug was sold out in that size (and would have pushed us over budget), so we went with a 5x8 and layered it over an inexpensive, plain rug to cheat the size out.
At either end of the table, we squeezed in additional seating with these beautiful outdoor hairpin chairs (2 for under $100!). I love the juxtaposition of the black chairs and warm wood and, bonus!, these chairs are stackable, substantial in weight and comfortable!
Against the house, we stationed a tiered planter stand for herbs, and a few of the birdhouses they collect.
As a finishing touch, we strung three strands of solar-powered lights--they don't even need plugged in!--across the space of the deck, going from the house to the trees. It makes the whole space just as welcoming after the sun goes down, as it is during the day.
There are definitely a few accessories I'm eyeing for our own place and as I mentioned at the beginning, almost everything that we used is now on sale for even less! So I've updated the original mood board below to not only reflect the current prices (not sure how long they'll last!) but also to serve as an inclusive source list to inspire your own outdoor dining spaces!
Tiered Planter Stand | Table Runner | Cantilever Umbrella
Outdoor Rug | Dining Table | Black Hairpin Chair
Barrel Planters | Navy Striped Pillow | Dining Bench
String Lights | Leather and Glass Vase | Tabletop Planter
This post is in partnership with World Market. You can get up to 50% off all of their outdoor furnishings right now with their outdoor sale!
Leave a Reply
WE'RE CHRIS + JULIA
Portfolio
Projects
You can get a less expensive version on the benches and table at IKEA. You get what you pay for, but it looks nice enough and does the trick. Also, the three tier plant holder is now $129.99 :( Thanks for sharing!
I love this whole set-up! When we are ready to redo our deck and buy furniture I'll make sure to reference this page for inspiration.
Love everything that you guys do; I've been a follower for about 4 years now and in that time we bought a house last year and next year we're going to start making changes. I love your style and you help give me a vision for what we want to do with our Pittsburgh home.
Outdoor dining is really a great idea and the way you have done it is great. It looks fabulous, the table, chairs etc everything and that too in budget. Thanks for sharing such a creative blog.
Love love love this and your outdoor space. Please tell me how the heck do ya attach the lights to the house?!?! We have hung ours numerous ways & they always flop down.
We used fencing wire and attached them to the nails in the gutter. Some gutters come loose over time so you need to make sure they're really stable before doing this.
[…] quick deck makeover (for under$1500!) was […]
Love it all!! You guys are amazing!
I just purchased that same dining table and benches, as well as the solar lights. Is there some trick to the solar lights? I've left them in the sun for 2 days and they are not coming on at night. Do you have to put a battery in first? The directions they come with don't indicate anything other than the charging time.
I think we had to press a button to turn these on the first time. We pressed it once, and they were blinking and again and they were on.
Hi - did the planters come from WM? What do you fill the bottom with. It just seems like you would need a lot of dirt to get the plants to show at the top. TIA.
We actually put a little stand inside (even a cardboard box will work!) And a planter inside
I love the look of your barrel planters. So of course I clicked on your link to get a closer look. I found it odd that World Market says it's not meant to be used as a planter. Not to keep it outside. And not to expose to moisture. But it sure is cute.
Funny, huh. I saw one reviewer used theirs as a planter. We did put a planter inside of these, OK instead of using it on its own.
It looks fabulous! What is the source for the natural fiber 8x10 rug under the world market graphic rug? Is it made for outdoor use?
It is an outdoor rug from Lowe's
I love the table and bench seating but I see they didn't get good reviews. Are you having problems with it being outdoors?
No problems here
Love this space and the layered rugs! Can you tell me where the bottom rug is from? Thank you so much!
Hi Julia, the space looks beautiful! I was wondering how well those solar string lights illuminate the space? I've always had issues with solar lights not being bright enough. We don't have exterior outlets so these would work wonderfully for us if they have a good light output. Thanks!
Love it! So warm and inviting!
The glass vases are out of stock. Any idea where else to get them?
Things are going fast! It looks like these are exclusive to world market, but they frequently restock!! I'd sign up for an alert.
How wonderful! Question for you since we're in the process of adding the finishing touches to our deck - do the rugs still allow for drainage or do you find it holds moisture against the wood for longer periods of time? I'd love to put a rug down under our outdoor dining table (we purchased the same one y'all did! :D ) but I worry that it will never dry, or cause excess damage to the wood decking below.
I'd love to know your thoughts!
That's a really good question. It depends heavily on your climate, of course--we love in a dry climate here. But also, outdoor rugs are meant to dry quicker!