Budget-Friendly Concrete Patios: Creating Outdoor Retreats
Transforming a Boring Concrete Slab into a Relaxing Oasis
I’m not going to lie – our outdoor spaces have been the lowest priority since we moved to the cabin. After all, it’s still not quite spring here yet. In fact, the day after I took those initial photos, it even snowed! So when Better Homes & Gardens, exclusively at Walmart, challenged me to refresh an outdoor space, I’ll admit I was a little worried. The weather is so unpredictable out here, and I hadn’t even begun to wrap my mind around what I wanted to do with our concrete patio.
But let me tell you, I am beyond thrilled with how easy and affordable it was to transform this boring concrete slab into the perfect relaxing retreat – especially since it’s right outside our main bedroom suite. You’ll see the “before” photo and totally understand my initial hesitation, but thankfully, there are so many amazing options for outdoor decor, furniture, planters, lighting, and even plants that they basically did the job for me.
Dividing the Space into Zones
When a tree fell around our house, it basically stayed there until about a month ago while we figured out what to do with it. There are still a bunch of smaller branches all around the backyard now, but for the most part, we’ve cleaned up the tree, which left us with a basic concrete pad that had no charm, character, or real interest whatsoever.
But the concrete slab is actually quite large, so to make the design process a bit more approachable, I split it up into two zones – the outdoor dining area and the hot tub area. Even though they’re a bit different aesthetically and color palette-wise, I feel like the vibe of each matches and helps to unify the space.
Elevating the Outdoor Dining Experience
When we lived in the city, we ate every meal outdoors from late-April through October, usually. Now that we’re out here in the country, I’m pretty sure we’ll do the same – or at least as much as possible. It’s very important to us to have a great outdoor dining area where people can come over, BBQ, and hang out once it’s safe to do so.
We kept our outdoor dining table from the old house, but I upgraded the chairs to these adorable Parisian-inspired bistro chairs. I absolutely love them, and the instant charm they bring to the space. And get this – they’re only $100 for a set of two! Such a good deal.
I kept things pretty neutral for the dining area and chose a chic and modern woven outdoor rug. I love that it picks up the wood tones but still adds a bit of pattern. Now, the pretty flowers can be the pop of color.
Bringing the Backyard to Life with Lighting and Decor
When I say that Better Homes & Gardens, exclusively at Walmart, has tons of options for outdoor decor, I am not exaggerating. I was able to get everything we needed to finish this patio – multiple types of lighting, melamine dishes and cups, bug repellent torches (which I am obsessed with, by the way), and outdoor pillows. I love how it isn’t too matchy-matchy but instead all just goes together.
The biggest update on our patio, though, is all the potted flowers that I scattered around. As much as I love living in the forest, we needed some pops of color. I didn’t realize that the Better Homes & Gardens collection also included plants – from dahlias to English daisies to hostas, they had so many affordable and pretty flowers to fill our planters. I’m really excited for the planters to fill out and overflow this summer.
Speaking of planters, I really do encourage you to check out the amazing options from Walmart. I had a really tough time narrowing down my selection because there are so many good ones. My personal favorite is this set of 2 terra cotta-colored planters. They’re really sturdy, lightweight (aka easy to move), and so affordable.
Creating a Cozy Ambiance with Lighting and Decor
When it comes to outdoor lighting, I’m a bit of a stickler. I LOVE lanterns and path lighting, so I incorporated a mix for the backyard. I wanted the space to have a cozy glow instead of any sort of directional light. One day, I hope to put up some café lights, too.
From what I’ve heard, it can get really buggy out here, so I picked up a few ceramic flame tabletop torches to keep them at bay. I love how modern they feel, and that I can refill them throughout the summer. We only have three right now, but given how much I love them, I might need more.
Delineating Zones with Outdoor Rugs
When it came to delineating the zones, outdoor rugs came in quite handy. I was immediately drawn toward this bold blue rug for the hot tub area. My hope is that the blue would bring a bit more life into that space since the tub itself is brown, and I think it works.
Next, I surrounded the hot tub with even more potted flowers, lanterns, and outdoor decor. Oh, and an umbrella – I’m a little bit of a brat when it comes to the hot tub. If it’s raining, I hate getting my hair wet, so I added an umbrella to prevent that from happening.
The Finished Oasis
So, what do you think of our refreshed patio space? I’m absolutely thrilled with how it turned out, and I can’t wait to spend countless hours out here this summer, enjoying meals with friends and family, soaking in the hot tub, and just taking in the tranquility of our backyard oasis.
And the best part? It was all budget-friendly and easy to pull together thanks to the amazing selection from Better Homes & Gardens, exclusively at Walmart. Now, who’s ready to start planning their own concrete patio makeover?
