The last few weeks have been hot, sunny, and beautiful. Even in May, it felt like July! We decided it’s time to get our backyard “summer ready” by creating a cozy seating area on our patio.

The Pavers

Last summer we (aka my husband!) put down patio pavers. We purchased the pavers from Home Depot, and used the paver edging and concrete to finish off the sides. It was a huge job (from what I saw!), but really helped to define our space.

The Filing Cabinet Planters

A few months ago, my Mom saw this video (jenaroach – filing cabinets into planters) on Pinterest. I thought it seemed like a wonderful alternative to the expensive cedar planters I’d seen so far! I started keeping an eye out on Marketplace, and every time I saw a free filing cabinet, we went and picked it up. Once I had three the same size (I went for the legal size, 4 drawer) we removed the drawers and my husband drilled holes in the bottom. The filing cabinets were much larger than I’d imagined, so we ended up filling them about 2/3 of the way with concrete, old gravel, etc. Then we put nice soil on top!

I was planning to spray paint the cabinets black, but the man at the paint store suggested that I would save a lot of money if I painted them with a roller and brush. All that soil wasn’t cheap, so I went with his suggestion! Due to a few unforeseen issues, I ended up leaving the painting until the last step. If I was doing this project again, I’d definitely paint the filing cabinets before adding the dirt and flowers!

The Flowers

The next step was to fill the filing cabinets with flowers! I did some reading on flowers that thrive in containers that receive full sun. The new patio is hot! I made a list of the plants I found, and went off to Canadian Tire’s Garden Center to see what I could find. I ended up buying the following: snapdragon, blanket flower, gerbers, lavender, Lanai Candy Cane, Branco violet, Osteospermum, Coreopsis, and a mini sunflower. I planted them in our filing cabinets. They add such a pop of colour to the patio! I left 3 spaces in the cabinets to plant some seeds I had: Zinnias, sweet peas, and wildflowers.

The Posts

Last summer we bought some string lights to add to the back deck. We didn’t have a chance to hang them last year, so this summer we were determined to get them up! After some discussion, we decided to dig holes for three 10-foot wooden posts. My husband dug each hole about 2-feet deep, and then attached the posts to the back of the filing cabinets. With all the cement in the bottom of the filing cabinets, those posts aren’t going anywhere! We have since decided to paint the posts black, so that they don’t stand out as much against the lattice. Updated photos to come!

The Lattice

Instead of wooden lattice, we ended up going with the slightly cheaper vinyl lattice. We’ve only had them a few weeks, so I’ll have to update later on how well they hold up. So far so good! As soon as we put up the lattice the patio space became so cozy. It made a huge difference to defining the space for our little seating area.

The Lights

Finally, a year after purchasing the lights, we had the structures in place to hang them! My husband added hooks to the top of the posts, and to the house at the other side. He then strung 100 feet of grey clothesline back and forth between the hooks. Then it was time to string the lights, and use the little hooks to attach them to the clothesline. As soon as the sun went down, we all headed out to the patio to turn on the lights! It’s gorgeous! It reminds me of a beautiful restaurant patio at night!

The Finished Product!!!

A few final touches and the patio is ready to be enjoyed! One day I would love to purchase a patio sectional/couch, but for now we have these bright coloured chairs that are perfect! We’ve added an outdoor rug, and I found a gorgeous homemade patio coffee table on Marketplace. I am in love with our new patio space, and can’t wait to enjoy it all summer!