Beaux R'eves

Friday, June 29, 2012

From Yawn to YAY!

I have SO much Blogging to catch up on!  
I have been very busy with lots of projects! 
 Let's head outside and see what I've been up to. 
 This is the patio underneath my deck.  The sliding door leads out from the basement.  We use this door a lot but kind of ignore this area.  
Why? 
 Cause it's Snoozeville!!!

But it has so much potential!!!
And it stays shady most of the time!  
And right now that is important.  It has been over 100 degrees for most of the week and I see no relief in sight.  It's too hot on the upper deck and even on the Screened in Porch.
  Let's see what we can do down here to spruce things up!
I have had this patio set for about 12 years.  
We bought it when we lived in California.  
I miss living there sometimes.  California is one place where outside living is a reality.  We used to be in our backyard with a pool from sunup til sundown. 
 Oh well, I have to live in the NOW.
 I would love to buy new cushions but it's not in the cards.
 (I priced them starting at $35.00X6=TOO MUCH MONEY)   So let's try to salvage these first.  
You can see by this photo that I have some mold and mildew issues.  And, I think the color of the chairs is a big sleeper too!
But, first things first, let's attack the mildew problem. 
 I mixed up a bucket with a little bit of Dawn Blue dishwashing soap and about a half cup of Bleach.  
I scrubbed the cushions with a stiff brush and let them sit for about 15 minutes.  
While I waited for the cushions to soak, I painted the chairs with Valspar Brown Spray paint.  OK, it took me longer than 15 minutes to paint them all but it's kind of like the magic of Television right? 
 Look at how happy they look already! 
 My grass not so much!  
Back to the cushions.
  Get ready to see all of this mold and mildew disappear! 
 I used a power washer, yes a power washer.  They sell them at Costco for $299.00.  Awesome things you can do with a power washer.  You might even consider going in with a neighbor, friend or relative to split the cost.  I don't have any pictures of me power washing the cushions so you will have to take my word for it.  My arm still hurts from trying to start the darn thing!  Why can't they make things like lawn mowers, snow blowers and power washers "girl friendly"?  I guess I had better step up the weight lifting.  
What do you think?  
YAY!
Big improvement!  
We are on our way! 
 Stay tuned because in the next post I am going to show you how I stained the concrete patio (all by myself, I might add!).
Now I am going in to get something cold to drink!
Until Next Time,
Beaux Reves,
XO Cindy
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Not Just a Housewife
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Roeshel  at DIY Showoff
Kristin at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Faded Charm for White Wednesday
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
Judy at DIY by Design 
The Brambleberry Cottage
Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Sherry at No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
 From My Front Porch To Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday
 Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Heather and Vanessa at At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Diann at The Thrifty Groove for Thrifty Things Friday
Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday

Jen at Tatertots and Jello for the Weekend Wrap-up Party
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special



12 click here to Comment:

Carolyn said...

VERY nice! Amazing how something so small can make so much difference.

Candice said...

Wow, the cushions really cleaned up nicely. Love the new color on the chairs! Did you also paint the table brown?

Unknown said...

Nice work! Why are all yard machines so hard for women anyway? It's not like we don't have amazing technology these days! Actually our current mower starts up like a dream with one pull of the cord. :) You really spruced these up and not having to spend money on new cushions is a huge accomplishment. Hope you are able to spend many cool evenings out here enjoying your space! Stay cool!!

ℳartina @ Northern Nesting said...

Cindy it looks like a brand new set!! Great job!! Can't wait to see the stained patio!

Shenita @ Embellishments by SLR said...

Cindy, these look great! I'm excited to see the rest!

Unknown said...

You did a fabulous job! They look wonderful. Hurry back with the next project! Happy 4th.

This N That said...

Great job..Worth all the effort..

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

Wow! What a difference! I recently finished painting some patio furniture, so I know how tough all that scrubbing can be. You did a great job! Visiting from Between Naps on the Porch. Hope you'll stop by my blog too! :)

karen@somewhatquirky said...

Wow. love the new color of the chairs. My husband would have a heart attack if I got spray paint all over the grass. I always tell him that it will disappear when he mows, but he just rolls his eyes. Maybe he will change his mind, because I got red paint on the driveway the other day and you can't mow that up!

Debbi@Texas said...

Awesome and sometimes I find that "re-doing" something is more awesome and beautiful than going to the store and forking over big bucks to replace it. It just takes some thought and planning and I tend to be in a hurry. I have learned to go slow. I love spray paint; if something is boring, I say wake it up with paint in a fantastic color; it can always be repainted again in a different color. Love it.

Audrey said...

I have seen your stained concrete porch and sooo love it and now these chairs are really nice looking. You do good work.
Blessings, Audrey Z. @ Timeless Treasures.

Unknown said...

Well done, nice choice of color it is totally compatible with the cushion. You just made them look like a new one.

Denver Patios

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