So I didn’t waste any time to moving on to the next thing. If you read my last post you know that I just wrapped up a little makeover on a big feature wall in my loft. Well now that the weather is (sorta) cooperating and we’re about to say goodbye to May, it’s time to turn all my focus on the patio. Because hello! Summer + rooftop patio.

I live in a condo downtown Toronto but I’m (extremely) lucky to have a rooftop patio all to myself. Check out that sunset view above! Last Summer they had to make some big roof repairs which resulted in completely gutting all the rooftop patios – which meant a whole Summer without a patio. But the patio has been rebuilt so it’s the perfect time to give it a little refresh.

Here’s what the patio looked like before. In all fairness and full disclosure, the second pic is from wayyyyy before. I gave it a little refresh a few Summers ago and got someone to power wash it for me to get rid of some of the grime. It’s amazing what a difference simply cleaning your patio can make to it so if you’re interested in having it done to yours then click here. It didn’t look this gloomy afterward but I don’t really have any photos of it on its own not all dolled up for a special event. The truth is the direct sun and weather elements are really tough on anything I put up there so it gets pretty worn looking pretty fast. I’d love to get some really nice teak furniture up there, but I’d worry about it getting damaged by the weather. So right now it’s just an empty box in the sky (scroll further down to see).

(the cushions are obviously missing here)And here’s what it’s looking like these days, new wood (yay!) but nothing to work with (boo!).

The plus side of gutting the old patio is that, well, it was old and showing it. I love having a brand new patio made with beautiful cedar but the downside is that I lost all my great built-in features. I had built-in seating, a few long planter boxes and a shed for storage. All gone. So that meant getting a little more creative with storage, seating and planters. It’s funny, I totally took those built-ins for granted. I mean, I knew they were a bonus feature but I didn’t realize how much they added to the space until they were gone, especially the planter boxes. I’m thinking maybe getting some new ones built will be on the list for next Summer. If you are interested in getting more space, then a simple thing you could get is sliding Patio Doors, so rather then getting ones that open up you can save some space that way.

But…let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. So for this Summer it’s all about creating zones with lots of mobile pieces. There will be an eating/dining zone with a cooking zone close by and then a sitting/chillin’ zone. Here’s what I’m thinking – using the sectional sofa I already have but splurging on a new dining set from Wayfair.com and the best part, a hammock!! Yes, that’s right, I will be the proud owner of TWO hammocks. I know, life isn’t fair.

SOURCES: 1. Clear Cafe String Lights, Home Depot Canada / 2. Outdoor Sectional Sofa (own) / 3. Striped Outdoor Rug, Home Depot Canada / 4. Hammock with Stand, Home Depot Canada / 5. Recycled Wood Planter Boxes / 6. Plant Feature Wall / 7. Botanical Tapestry, Urban Outfitters / 8. Solar Patio Lanterns, Home Depot Canada / 9. 7-Piece Dining Set, Wayfair.ca / 10. Storage & Prep Station, Home Depot Canada / 11. Weber E-310 Spirit BBQ, Home Depot Canada

You know me, it has to have colour. That will come from the rug and accessories. The truth is that the direct sun up there makes it hard to go crazy with colour because everything fades so I’ll be relying mostly on plants & flowers to give me my colour fix. I’m hoping to also do a creative plant wall feature since the new “walls” are perfect to hang planters on with the horizontal planks.

You know you’re a grown up when you get super excited about having a really great BBQ. I had one before but it wasn’t great and made cooking frustrating sometimes. This one I got from Home Depot Canada is far superior and I can NOT wait to grill up some homemade burgers on there. Because I lost my shed, I’m also getting a handy little prep & storage station. It’s more for function than anything but trust me, it’s needed when your kitchen is two flights of stairs away. While I was there I also found some great actual real wood planter boxes and the star of the show, the hammock. Having a BBQ on your patio area is always lovely. Patios make for a great space to have some friends and family round to enjoy the evening together. With the lovely weather, there’s no excuse to not have a BBQ. The only thing is that it might get too hot on the patio, that’s the only thing that could ruin the evening. However, one of my friends recently got an awning installed to provide some shade over her patio. That’s made a big difference. I’m still not sure which type of awning I want, so she said I can See awnings in Singapore at Silverawning.com for some inspiration. Perhaps I’ll have a look at some awnings, they could provide that essential shade that you need when having a BBQ!

Ok, so that’s the plan! And it’s happening like right now. If it ever stops raining. Stay tuned or check in on Instagram for the after look super soon!

Note: This patio makeover is possible because of product that was given to me in partnership with Home Depot Canada and Wayfair.com but all concepts, product selections and opinions are 100% my own.