Perk Up Your Patio With Help From Second Hand Furniture Stores [DIY]
I always seem to feel like I can take on any little DIY job. Sometimes I’m right, but sometimes I need a little help or inspiration. In my day I’ve seen some pretty clever ideas at my friend’s houses or in magazines, but nothing like the inspirations found at my local second hand furniture stores. Some of the items offered up for practically peanuts are quite well built and present myriad opportunities for creative genius.
Patio Floor
In many cases your patio will have a concrete deck. You can jazz up the appearance with either a coating that seals and beautifies the surface which is available at any local hardware store, or go inexpensive and purchase an old rug that won’t mind the weather. It’s not hard to start with a rug which can be easily rolled up if inclement weather approaches and adds a level of color and comfort to your tootsies. You can find many different styles and colors at your local second hand stores, sometimes they might have a slight flaw but it’s going outdoors anyway and many of these rugs can be literally hosed off if your little rug rats mess it up.
[Photo source: eHow]
Click here for instructions on how to spiff up your concrete deck.
Another clever find would be ground decorations like garden gnomes or various critters such as deer or frogs, whichever strikes your fancy. Pottery comes in many sizes and colors as well as small shelving or plant tables. All of these items can be painted to suit your décor and add a pleasant and fun element to your backyard.
DIY Curtain Cabana
A second hand store can set your imagination soaring with ideas. For example, how about adding outdoor curtains? Sounds funny but when you see what they can do for your finished effect, adding panache and also keeping afternoon sun out, hello Better Homes and Gardens! There’s always plenty of curtain panels and hardware for hanging them at your local second hand furniture stores.
Follow this link for ideas.
[Photo source: Thomas J. Story | Sunset Magazine]
Someone once said a coat of paint can hide a multitude of sins, well they weren’t wrong. Almost every table, chair or wall decoration can be painted to look like new with a couple cans of spray paint and a little elbow grease.
How about putting two or three chairs together to form a bench? Fastening them together is simple and a small bench pad covers both seats and creates a cozy little resting spot for you or your guests. I know the family dog will most likely take over the space but maybe he deserves a little spot on your new patio.
Armoire Shower
How about making a small shower area for rinsing off after a swim or just cooling off from laying out in the sun? Take an old armoire, hutch or dresser and mirror, spray paint the back for water resistance and paint and decorate the front. Then mount one of those shower heads that’s attached to a hose to a fitting on the back of the hutch and run a garden hose to it.
You can use a small ball valve to close off flow when you’re done and then simply walk around to the front and grab your towels or brushes or anything else you might store in the drawers. A friend of mine has this type of arrangement and after using it on a very hot afternoon, I was impressed with its simplicity and extremely grateful for the cool down.
These are just some of the delightfully simple and elegant ideas that can change your patio into a new center of activity for your family and friends. I hope you will take a moment and go to your local second hand furniture stores and exercise your imagination to discover a whole new living area.
