A $405 Makeover Turns This Bare Patio into a “Cheap Slice of Paradise”
Looking to make over a space on the cheap this summer? Try leaning into the TGIF philosophy: thrifted, gifted, invented, or found. This brilliant motto is the brainchild of designer Paul Overton (@objectlessondesign), who recently used it to transform his neglected patio into a serene outdoor escape for just $405.
The side yard of Paul’s home, where this patio is located, wasn’t much to look at before — just bricks and a relatively new fence. But Paul guesses no one had updated anything else in 30 years. “I felt it had the potential, with a little zoning, to become the outdoor room of my dreams. Or at least, my dreams within my meager budget,” he says. Here’s how he did it.
This makeover was the product of lots of planning.
“If you’re going to adhere to my TGIF philosophy, then you’re going to need patience,” Paul says. He started collecting items for his new patio in December — six months before the project was completed. “The perfect plant or the perfect piece of decor are not always readily available when you want them, so you have to wait it out and keep your eyes open.”
A slatted wall turns the open space into an outdoor room.
Paul knew the main challenge in making over this space was figuring how to make “what was essentially a breezeway” into a cozy outdoor lounge where he could hang out with his dog. Adding a slatted wall along the back was the biggest change in that regard; it helped create the feel of an secluded outdoor room without making the space feel completely cut off from the rest of the yard.
Paul DIYed the slatted wall himself using about $120 in building materials.
Potted plants are a key part of the new lounge.
Paul filled the space with potted plants, which he spent about $100 on total. One particularly showstopping piece is the little plant-filled copper pond, which Paul made from a washtub he got for $30 at a flea market. All he needed to do to make it functional was patch a small hole and make the tub watertight. “Boy did that turn out to be bang for the buck,” Paul says. “Not only are the water plants amazing to look at, but the sound turns a regular patio into a spa!” The pond is such a hit that Paul has made three more for friends since then.
The rest of the furniture and decor cost about $160 total, taking the whole project to a total of about $405 (for pots, plants, building materials, paint, decor, and furniture). The only thing Paul says he might have done differently: power-wash the bricks, although he notes that would have been an added expense. For now, he loves the way his new outdoor lounge looks. “Now, the patio functions as an extension of the house — just like I wanted it to,” he says. “It just feels like another room, albeit one with bubbling water and beautiful tropical plants. Ever since I’ve finished, I have a hard time wanting to be anywhere else. It’s my own little cheap slice of paradise.”
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