How fitting is it that we are sharing the reveal post for our patio on the first day of summer?! Incase you don’t remember what we started with this spring, I’ve included a picture below of the “before”. Steve had made the steel structure at the end of last summer, and had put together wood forms so we were ready to pour the concrete base. (It’s so funny looking back at this, because at the time I remember thinking how good it was looking!) I really wanted the space to look modern and luxurious, while still feeling inviting!
-BEFORE-
-AFTER-
This is probably my favourite view of the patio!
I searched high and low for the perfect furniture pieces to fill the space. Something that would be minimal, comfortable and also bring in some warmth against the black steel and concrete base. After coming across the Arca collection from Article, I was sold! The sofa and lounge chairs both have a solid teak frame that will develop a beautiful silver patina over time, and the deep seats meant comfortable lounging throughout the summer. I also loved that the cushion covers were not white, but still a light grey. As much as I love white, I knew the grey would hold up so much better with 3 kids running around! The sofa and lounge chairs do take some assembly to set up, however it was really minimal. (If Steve wasn’t home, I would have felt comfortable to set them up on my own!) We also ordered the co-ordinating furniture covers. Previously we were storing the cushions in the shed, and had to do a couple trips back and forth to set up the space each time we used it. The covers keep the furniture clean and dry, and are so quick to take off and put back on. (They were out of stock when I ordered them, and arrived just after our photoshoot. However, they were definitely worth the wait! You can see photos of the sofa cover here, and the chair covers here!)
Ordering furniture online can be a little intimidating, which is why I love that Article offers a 30-day satisfaction guarantee so you have some time to try out your new pieces and make sure they are a good fit. If you decide it’s not what you had expected, they will pick it back up and refund the piece, minus the shipping which is typically just $49.
I also incorporated the Tana Stool as a side table. It is made from off-cut teak, and is really solid! From the images online, I had no idea how heavy it was until I took it out of the box. I love that it is a bit warmer then the rest of the wood, and that the kids can’t move it around 😉
For the coffee table, my initial thoughts were metal or textured concrete, however after thinking them over they both felt too harsh. I really wanted something that would tie in with the other furniture pieces, and add some more warmth and texture. I can’t quite remember how I thought up this idea, but at some point we decided to make the table out of an old reclaimed beam. Steve picked one out at a salvage yard, and I love how the weathered grey ties into the teak frames on the sofa and lounge chairs. There are a bunch of notches and holes in it, which adds some really pretty rustic texture against the rest of the space!
I love how this image captures the detail on the back of the lounge chairs. They look just as good from every angle!
I am looking forward to lots of time spent here this summer!
Photography by Cameron St.
