Last year we shared how we approach budgets when renovating (here) and shared a hypothetical 3 phase bedroom makeover under $2000. The gist? If you have $500, that doesn’t mean you have to buy the cheapest of everything to get the room done. That means, choose a few budget-conscious pieces to start your space and add onto it as you can! Since outdoor living season is upon us, I thought it would be the perfect time to share the same idea for creating an outdoor space!
We’ve created a lot of different outdoor spaces over the years.
Two years ago, we transformed our friends’ backyard in a weekend on a budget!:
(See the full budget breakdown and process here)
But our backyard from our last home took many years to put together, every year adding a little bit more:
See all of the sources in this post!
There was also this version…
You can see the full post and sources here!
This is only our second summer in our current home (we moved in last June), so I’m excited to see how our outdoor spaces continue to evolve. Last summer, our back patio looked like this:
(See all the sources here) But since the entire back of our house has changed, I know it’s going to look very different this year.
One thing is for certain–an outdoor space can and should evolve over time. Today we wanted to share how to get one started at your home, on a budget. I love the idea of starting with a base and then continually adding onto it. For this outdoor space, we started with a $1000 budget and added onto it in two different phases with the final look STILL being under $2000. We also listed the price of each piece under each phase, so if your budget is $500 or less, you can still start somewhere!
Here’s Phase 1!:
Start with…
Outdoor sofa: $627Â (Here’s an alternate option for $450 that I also love!)
Coffee table: $119
Chairs: $239 for a set of 2 (on sale for 40% off)
String lights: $35
In this first phase, we started with basics! Sofa, coffee table, chairs and string lights. These pieces will immediately extend your living outdoors for the sunny months. I decided to add the string lights in the first phase because they are the lowest budget way to make an outdoor space feel magical.
For $442 more, you can get this!:
Add in…
Rug: $128Â (7’10 x 10’10)
Metal fire column: $208
Pom pom pillow: $39
Striped lumbar pillow: $31
Natural woven pillow: $36
Every patio could benefit from a fire feature, and in phase 2 we make sure you get that! A propane fire column, a substantial outdoor rug to ground the whole space will transform everything and outdoor pillows add a real outdoor living feel that will make you want to invite all your friends over.
Now it’s time to finish off your space!:
Add in…
Planter: $149
Wall lantern: $59
Tiered stand: $63
Cement pot: $18
Grill: $245
Plants make a space come alive so we included a couple pots in this last stage, but also thought about other finishers–like that outdated outdoor wall light that’s probably nearby–so swap it out for the wall lantern linked above! And what’s an outdoor space without a grill?! This infrared gas one is one that Chris recommends over and over. It cooks so evenly and you’ll be so excited to eat outdoors all season long. And while you’re at it, the tiered stand is great for entertaining, too!
For under $2000, you can get the entire look, but you can start wherever your budget permits! Hope this helps you start imagining what your outdoor space can be this year and give you the motivation to start somewhere! I know I’m ready for some pillows and a rug this year!
Wow, you love a white outdoor cushion! I agree, they look so fresh, but my husband is concerned they’d look dirty quickly. How do you keep your white cushions clean?
I think it’s actually the opposite! I have found the sun bleaches them and we only included cushions that could be tossed in the wash. I also always use scotch guard and we use a big furniture cover when bad weather is rolling in.
Hi Julia! I love the sofa in this post! We have a very small outdoor screen porch so we are looking for a sofa and two chairs. Ideally the chairs are a little more “lounge-able.” Do you have any suggestions for alternate chairs?
Thank you!!
If going with the navy option for the outdoor couch, do you recommend pairing with a lighter colored rug? Any specific recommendations or links would be so helpful! Love your style!
The main outdoor sofa you shared is now on sale for $502 on Overstock! Such a good deal but I have mixed feelings about purchasing something like this now during the pandemic. Should we buy things because businesses are hurting or should we postpone big purchases because the delivery services are overwhelmed?
Love this! Just this week we started dreaming about how to freshen the patio. Bought new covers for the pillows, and about to order new lights. Have you seen any pretty AND budget-friendly deck boxes for toy storage?
Oh I want to know this too!