Designing Our Patio

Radio silence on the blog means, I'm in deep project mode. Until I have some after and progress to share, lets talk my small patio planning. If you been a long time reader of Chic Little House [ thank you! ] You may remember, when we re-built our home in 2013, one of the additions we was enlarging our bedroom to include a walk-in closet, master bedroom which meant french doors in our bedroom were a must. A must, I tell you. I love the ease of access our home now has to our backyard, though laundry room door to our larger patio and our french doors for our more intimate patio. 

The patio off our french doors isn't on the large size, but its got so much potential to be stunning and cozy. I snapped this picture the other day, to help me nail down and execute the plans. First up is cleaning up, the tree in our backyard has tiny leaves are they are such a pain to keep up, plus they're left a fun residue of gunk our patio. We're going to clean the the concrete and then use a power washer if necessary.  Along with cleaning our patio doors, light fixtures. I'm envisioning lots of plants in containers on our patio and in the garden beds.  


We would love the build a small pergola above our french doors. I've looked at several pergolas that reside just above the door and have an overhang from roof line and it looks so good. I'm picturing something similar in design to the one below. 





For the planters, I'm building (the wood is all bought! yay!) I love the idea of growing evergreen vines, that will bloom Spring though Fall and stay green and lush all year long. I'm still researching what will work best in my area and also be drought tolerant. I love the look of the vine below and how a trellis casually rests against the house. 

via Pinterest

I'm also envisioning lots of plants in containers on our patio and in the garden beds. I love   the layered look of pots in various sizes grouped together on a patio. 



via Sunset Magazine 



via Iced Coffee & Poenies 


Along the fence line, I would love to have vines, either attached to the fence or growing on a trellis placed in front of the fence. I love how vines create intimacy and help sound proof years. Plus, if you have a flowering one, the smell is amazing.  

I'm still on the hunt for the perfect small patio set for my space, right now I'm leaning towards a cozy love seat paired with some garden stools for drinks. As we make progress on the space, I'll share updates. 

Artful Addition

One of my favorite places to look/dream/buy artwork from is Minted.com, check out

Avery's gallery wall to see some of the darling prints from Minted I've used. I'm been slowing adding a touch of orange into our living room and wanted to add some artwork in that colorway. I had some Minted credit, and found the perfect artwork on there for my living room. Art is always a happy addition to a blank wall. Hop over here to see my favorite Grey Paint Colors, I've used around my home. 

The print, I ordered is called

Meander by Betty Hatchett, in the 16x16 print size. I love that when you order artwork from Minted, you have the option to have it framed and choose what type of frame you want to use. For the artwork, I choose a white premium wood frame. 

The pretty print, is such a happy update to my living room and just the right amount of orange I've been looking for to inject more color in my living room though artwork. 

Have you ordered any artwork from Minted?

* Need Help selecting a grey paint color? I'm here to help! Hop over to receive a free copy of The Ultimate Grey Guide, the best colors from light to dark, click here