I went from traveling once a week for work to being at home all day (everyday) in early March. I quickly realized around week two of quarantine, that I can’t sit still without a project. Please don’t send me “how to relax” self help books…I have most likely read them in the last four months…and I have come to realize with age that this is just who I am. Some folks are wired differently, and I am wired to be going and doing.
We had wonderful weather in Atlanta for the spring, and I really wanted to enjoy our outside balconies. When you live in a condo, and realize you are going to be locked up for the foreseeable future, you start embracing any outside space that you can find.
To be honest, I never sat on our balconies (we have two) before quarantine. I can’t remember ever finding the time to sit and enjoy the views that we definitely paid for. One of the best parts of being at home over the last four months has been making time to do the things I wish I had the time for before quarantine…cue sitting on my balcony for hours with a good book.
It only took two weeks for me to realize my balconies weren’t like the rest of our house. We’ve spent the last two years remodeling our two bedroom condo from top to bottom. For our full remodel, check out my latest posts.
- Switzerland Winter Trip
- España
- Celebrating Fall in Ireland
- Traveling to Hawaii during COVID-19
- Oma’s German Linzertorte Recipe
Our balcony wasn’t the friendly space that I created for our home over the years. It was filled with hand-me-down outside furniture and cracked tile. It was weathered to say the least. So here I was, bored in the house bored, and the next thing you know I am renovating my balconies.
The first detail that I wanted to fix was the terra-cotta tile. It was old, dirty, and cracked. I am loving my new teak wood clickable tiles from Amazon (link here). These Acacia Hardwood Deck tiles were very easy to install (did it myself- whoop whoop). I purchased a few other branded deck tiles, but my balcony door caused some issues. The tiles were too high for the door to open. These are the only deck tiles I found that were less that 0.6 inches high and worked for our door opening. We did have to use a saw for one piece of our deck due to sizing, but the tiles were great and sawed perfectly .
The furniture was my next step. Target had a great Memorial Day sale and I am sure you can find some wonderful July 4th deals too. I opted for the Opalhouse Southport Linen Sofa (link here) and the Kauffman Teak Wood Club Chairs (link here). Great quality and very easy to assemble. I also loved that both furniture pieces came with sunbrella pillows. I love the white look, but I was nervous about them getting dirty over time. I can wash these and will most likely cover them during the winter.
The last finishes were some throw pillows and a side table. I definitely benefited from the Target and Pottery Barn Memorial Day sales. I love my PB Pom-Pom natural grass pillow for my chair (link here). I also purchased the rectangular honeycomb grass pillow from Pottery Barn for my sofa (link here). My two white deco woven pillows for my sofa came from Target (link here).
The gold and marble side table also came from Target (link here). This is actually an indoor table that I sprayed with a rust preventer. I read reviews that said this was possible if your patio is mostly covered. My artwork that I refer to as “Ms. Peacock” is also from Target. I love the splash of color and it is lightweight, which makes it easy for hanging (link here). Finally, my favorite hexagon table fire pit is amazing. During the summer, I traded the Terra flame for a citronella candle for optimal serenity (link here).
All in all, and for the affordable price, I am loving this new space. The total project was around $1,000, and if I was able to shop around (I was at home quarantined) then I probably could have done this project for much less using Facebook marketplace.
As we continue to be at home more these days, I am forever grateful for my health and a roof over my head during these challenging times. So very thankful to be able to have a warm home, with a nice outdoor space, to enjoy for the coming months.
my-fair-katie.com 
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