Our Back Patio...progress and a setback

 Our back patio has to be one of my favorite places to sit, relax and enjoy a glass of wine at the end of the day, or drink my coffee and read the paper on Sunday mornings.  But it wasn't always so enjoyable...in fact, up until late last summer, it was one big 'ole hot mess! 

Last year we renovated the existing pergola and added a new seating area, and I LOVE the way it turned out! But this year we have had a minor set back. More on that in a minute. This it what it looks like today....

 

 It's come a looong way since we started the project, but there is a lot more accessorizing that I need to do to make it truly feel like the amazing outdoor living space that it could be. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of the before, but imagine white peeling paint and rotten wooden boards on the top. Not pretty. The bones of the structure were still sound, so we figured if we could replace the boards on top, then strip and repaint the rest, it would look as good as new. 

We Derek got to work ripping off the old top and stripping the paint. We used a power washer to remove all the peeling paint first (honestly it was so bad that every time it would rain, the patio would be covered in paint chips!) Then sanded it down to remove any paint that was still left. Here's a little peek at what it used to look like.

Daddy's little helpers!! Cole had a blast using the power washer. (We train our little DIY'ers early here at the Langtry household!) Carson was just trying to keep his pants up as they are usually down by his ankles. I swear, If I had a nickel for everytime I say "Carson, where are your pants?!" , well we would be hiring people to do the painting for us!

Anyways, back to our problem....after it was completely stripped and sanded. we primed with Zinsser Bulls-Eye 1-2-3, then painted two coats of Porter Acrylic Outdoor paint tinted with Benjamin Moore's Black Beauty. We did A LOT of research and read tons of reviews on the different kind of paint to use, because we only wanted to do this once! And better to do it right the first time than have to do it over again, right?!? Well, guess what. The #@$! paint started peeling again this year. Not happy. Has anyone else ever had to deal with this issue before? We're not really sure what to do with this frustrating problem. Just lightly sand and re-touch? Or should it be heavily sanded, re-primed and re-painted? Argh. The relaxing may have to wait a little longer.....

 Even Cole is pissed!! 

But despite the peeling paint, we are pretty happy with the overall two-toned look ~ a classic mix of modern black and rustic natural wood.

We installed rough-cut Cedar planks for the top and stained it as close to natural cedar as we could get. We used Cabot semi-solid deck & siding stain tinted in New Cedar as the semi-solid was highly recommended for rough-cut cedar. We also installed the planks fairly close together to maximize the shade it would produce, and it really does feel about 10 degrees cooler under it than out in the blazing hot afternoon sun.

 

The underside of the pergola looks great however. No peeling paint here! Maybe I should just stay under the pergola instead of looking at it from the yard. But enough about our paint woes....back to the accessorizing!

I love the look of outdoor patios done up with candelabra chandeliers and tons of candles and accessories for ambiance, but that plan just doesn't jive well with the high winds and storms we often get rolling through here in Northern Kentucky, so I'm keeping it simple. No time to be packing everything up every night. I have a hard enough time putting the cushions away!

I do need to add a few toss pillows though, perhaps an outdoor rug and little ambient lighting, so I did some on-line shopping to get some ideas and came up with some fun finds that I am going to be adding to my wishlist!! And they won't break the bank either;)

1. Topiary 20" outdoor pillow from Crate & Barrel $29.95
2. Mill Creek Hockley outdoor fabric from Fabric Guru $8.95 a yard. Such a great price! You could easily  make 2-3 pillows with a single yard. 
3. Thomaspaul Seahorse Sunflower Outdoor pillow from 2modern $88.00. Okay, so these are a little pricey, and oh so cute! But now that I'm an expert at applique......
4. Sunbrella outdoor pillow from Crate & Barrel $39.95
5. Galang floor vase from Crate & Barrel $59.95
6. Look familiar?!? Planter basket from West Elm $69.99
7. Allen + Roth modern lantern Light from Lowes $17.98
8. 5' x 8'  Indoor/Outdoor rug. from Sears. $79.99. A great buy!!
9. UniFlame Propane fire pit from Lowes $299.95. The next best thing to a real firepit! And I could probably use it under the pergola too.
10. Copper citronella tourches from Lowes $12.97

We also have plans to add some lighting around the perimeter of the pergola, and have purchased a replacement back door light too. Something decorative for the back wall where the bbq is is on my radar, and I thought about adding some outdoor curtains too. But again, they will probably just get wrecked in one of our storms, or I will probably find the kids swinging from them one day. Oh the joy of boys:)

Please, please, PLEASE send along any recommendations you guys may have for a good exterior paint! your input would be greatly appreciated.

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