This Post is in Partnership with Bed, Bath and Beyond.
Thank You for Supporting the Brands that Support Lavin Label.

As you probably know, we moved into our new home in January of this year. We renovated almost the entire house, but didn’t really touch the exterior of the home. Over the spring and in the beginning of summer, when temperatures are ideal in southern Georgia, we realized that we didn’t really have an outdoor space that was conducive for alfresco dining. So I came up with the idea of transforming the outdoor space (next to our sunroom and kitchen) into a patio, so we could add a dining table and chairs. It’s been about two months since I started this journey and I’m so excited to share our finished patio with you! Of course, it’s also the perfect time for the reveal because temperatures are about to cool down for fall and I plan to spend many evenings with my husband on our new patio — enjoying cocktails and dinner.

So let’s start with the ‘before’ picture — because everybody loves a true transformation, right? The first image (below) was taken before we began renovating our home. Note the glass french doors, one lonely window that was awkwardly placed, and the endless shrubs. The entire space (below the window) consisted of pea gravel and planted boxwoods. It was a pretty view from our sunroom (far right), but wasn’t necessarily the best use of space relative to our needs.

During the renovation, we decided to install a custom dutch door in place of the french doors, since I always dreamed of having a dutch door. We also added another window in the kitchen to bring in more natural light. I painted the shutters a soft black to contrast the grey brick. In mid-June, we started removing the boxwoods so we could expand the stone patio–the first step of the process! However, I wanted to keep the ivy on the wall to soften the brick, so we were careful not to harm their root systems. When it was time for the cement and stone, we left about 10″ from the wall to preserve the ivy and add a line of mini boxwoods.

When I sketched the original design, I knew that I had just enough space to add window boxes under the kitchen windows. I felt like the flowers would help soften the space. My sister’s fiancé, Adam, was kind enough to create them based on my measurements and design. Our window boxes ended up being about 40 inches wide and 9 inches in depth. Adam also added holes for drainage and used weatherproof wood. I then painted them the same color as our shutters (which is Benjamin Moore Charleston Green) based on your feedback! Thank you for all of your votes via my Instagram stories! When I asked if I should keep the window boxes white or paint them black to match the shutters — the popular vote was black — so here they are! I have to say, you were right!

The next step was to take my weekly trip to Ace Garden Center, where I decided to stick with a green and white color palette. I love to plant flowers, especially in the evenings when the sun goes down. I opted for a combination of Garden White Caladiums, Euphorbia Diamond Frost and Variegated Vinca Vine for the window boxes.

So now, the fun part really begins! I teamed up with Bed Bath and Beyond for my patio furniture! I take a trip to their Brunswick, GA store about twice a month for all of my home essential needs, so it made sense to trust them for my patio furniture. I LOVE my woven rattan chairs. It was a close call because I loved these decorative rattan chairs as well. They provide the right amount of texture that’s I needed for the space. The grey wash compliments the grey and white brick perfectly. I also treated them with a protectant that fights against mold, mildew and other bacteria for outdoor use. We’ve had them outside for about three months now, (smack in the middle of our rainy season) and they still look brand new! Eventually, I’d love to get the cushions recovered in a colorful fabric that matches the blue and white planter. Since the cushions are intended for indoor use, we keep them in our linen closet and take them out when we want to use them. This way, they stay extra clean and plush!

My absolute favorite piece of furniture is the cement top dining room table. I love the durable top and the color compliments the wicker chairs as well as the black shutters and window boxes. I also love the detail of the table legs. Sometimes it can be tricky to mix and match the table and chairs but I measured twice! We ended up with six chairs for the 80″ wide table and I think that the chairs fit perfectly.

I hope this inspires you to refresh your outdoor space — whether it’s with new furniture, cushions, planters or even window boxes! I’m so happy with our new patio space and can’t wait to take advantage of it this fall.

Kelli Boyd Photography Exclusively for Lavin Label

Special Thanks to Bed Bath and Beyond.