Happy Monday! It’s supposed to be a beautiful week here in New England, even getting up to the mid 80s on Wednesday. We finally finished setting up our patio just in time for dinners al fresco all week long.
While the set up we had last summer was adorable, we quickly realized that it wasn’t functional in the way that we needed it to be. We love eating weeknight dinners outside and having BBQs on the weekends in the fresh air, and it wasn’t very conducive to successful either of those. Balancing plates on our laps got old real quick, but the dog was pretty stoked about our coffee table set up for grabbing a hot dog and running.
So we sold our old furniture and created a space that both works for what we need, and makes me so happy to look at. There are two sections to our tiny patio: The dining area and the coffee/tea nook. We wanted two comfy chairs and a small table (we used a garden stool) so Anel can drink his coffee outside on weekends and I can drink my tea.
Post-baby, I’m hoping this will be a place where we’ll sip on wine before dinner with the dog and baby close by. I love the wicker chairs we chose. They’re comfortable but also won’t get ruined. We added these striped pillows to the back for extra comfort, and used a garden stool in place of a table in between them.
The dining table and chairs came as a set with navy cushions. We added two different striped indoor/outdoor pillows on the back for comfort and pops of color. I love how it looks and feels! We made sure to find a table with a hole for our striped umbrella because it gets really hot and sunny back here in the summer, and we wanted to make sure the table was fully covered in shade.
For the rug we chose a Dash & Albert indoor/outdoor rug because they’re super durable and easy to clean. I have four of them inside my house and have had to hose them down when Boots had accidents, and they’re all still in tip top shape. Clearly I’m a huge fan of these rugs, and their new Palm Springs collection which included this pink and white one which I love love love!
A note about caring for outdoor furniture: Get a storage box (we have this one from Home Depot) for pillows and rugs. When it’s going to rain, put them away so they don’t get wet and moldy! It’s kind of a pain for the rug, but so worth it.
Enjoy these cheery photos of the space and scroll down for all product details. I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Outdoor Dining Set c/o Joss & Main (On sale for $379)
Wicker Arm Chairs c/o Joss & Main
Garden Stool c/o Joss & Main
Placemats c/o Joss & Main (Set of 8 sale for $64)
Blue and White Plates
Gingham Napkins
Bamboo Flatware
Dash & Albert Indoor/Outdoor Rug c/o
Dash & Albert Thin Striped Indoor/Outdoor Pillows c/o
Dash & Albert Thick Striped Indoor/Outdoor Pillows c/o
Lemon Stripes x Hat Attack Hat
Thank you to Joss & Main and Annie Selke’s Dash & Albert for providing product for this post.
oh my goodness- this is amazing! such a perfect little space! i love your hat too!
xo, brittany
pretty summer maternity picks on my blog today!
http://www.brittanyisablob.blogspot.com
Thanks Brittany! I designed it with Hat Attack and I’m obsessed 🙂
great job as always
Thanks Paola!
The space looks great of course but what really bothers me as a reader is that last year you received all of your furniture for fee and then sold it so you could receive all new furniture for free – (and let me point out that you suggested in the write up that you sold it so you could now decorate when in fact you received everything c/o) – while I commend you for being upfront about the c/o products – the fact that its all c/o and replaces prior c/o feels very uninspired and unauthentic
I totally understand where you’re coming from. As a blogger, this is kind of the name of the game and I try to strike a balance between being authentic/honest and keeping things fresh. I’m sorry if this came across in any other way and I’ll keep it in mind for future posts!
Wanted to commend you for not only allowing the comment above (so many bloggers block it) but responding too. I see her point, but this is also your career and how lifestyle blogging works. Thank you for keeping the comment section real and not “curated”!
Thank you for saying that! I try to keep all comments and respond to them all as well… unless they’re just downright mean 🙂
Agreed with Tina; another reason why I love your blog and keep coming back to read it daily 🙂
Thanks Michaela! Wow, you guys are so awesome. You’re making my day!
Love your honesty Julia. This is your business after all! The colors are so fresh and fun. Thanks for being you!
Thanks Lori!! xo
While I completely understand this is the ‘business’, it would have been so refreshing to see you donate these items to GoodWill or Habitat for Humanity instead of making a quick buck. I love that you have mentioned you donate clothing items before, I think a lot of people in the world could benefit from other sponsored material, as well! Gorgeous space- just purchased the exact rug for my sunroom! Thanks for the inso, as always.
I hear you, Caroline! I actually go to Goodwill every single week (they know me by name!) to donate clothing, jewelry and furniture but once in a while it’s nice to have extra cash on hand. Especially with a baby on the way.
I’m sure you understand that!
that was quite mean comment… You are rude and your lack of knowledge how blogging works does not justify it. Do you always donate gifts you recieved? She recieves new free furniture not because she does not have it. Companies want her to have it free, so she can advertise it by “trying” and “reviewing” it.
Relax. Envy will eat you up
Looks great! We have a lounge set too, and balancing plates on your knees is not the greatest:( I am looking for a small dining set that I can incorporate into our outdoor space. I would love to see a larger shot of the entire space… you have tons of pretty details, but it would be great to see how you’ve laid out your full patio. Hope you enjoy lots of relaxing evenings outdoors with a glass of wine, after the baby comes:)
I’ll try to get a full shot! It was hard because it was so sunny when we were shooting this but will work on it when we get a good shady time 🙂
I love your outdoor space! I don’t know if I would ever put a rug down because living near Boston, weather is too iffy! But absolutely loving the blue and white you have going on!
Yeah it’s kind of a pain, but I love it for sunny days so I pull it in and out. I’ll probably give up once I have a baby, haha!
This is the cutest space Julia! I wonder if all the J&M umbrellas fit with this table? There’s a wide price range but they all look very similar! I am overwhelmed by choices ha…
Beautiful space! Love it and the authentic conversations that you inspire here.