Happy Wednesday, friends! With one day to go until our company arrives, my husband and I have been full steam ahead with preparations. One of our main goals was to clean up our outdoor spaces so we can enjoy this beautiful weather with our guests. So one big item on the to do list was painting the wicker furniture!
The pollen really did a number on our outdoor spaces this year. Maybe it does every year in the South, we just forgot. So, this year every single thing was covered in yellow pollen. The downstairs area, which we call The Loggia, was hit especially hard. We already cleaned the areas upstairs, so maybe it just trickled down? At any rate, it was time to freshen it up! Here is where we started. The wicker furniture is still in good shape, but has never been painted.
Lacey loves to hide back here, so you can see she is showing you how badly the furniture needs painting! The green paint was badly faded. The cushion covers were dirty too, so I removed them and washed them on the gentle cycle in my washing machine, then dried them on delicate.
We removed all of the furniture from the loggia so my husband could pressure wash the flag stone while I worked on the furniture. I spread tarps in the yard and moved the wicker furniture out there where I could work. I brushed the wicker down with a brush and wiped it down. You can see how the backs of the settees were in bad shape. This one especially is exposed to the elements so it needed a bit of extra attention. I decided to paint the furniture a lighter color in order to lighten up the loggia.
I painted the wicker settees and ottoman with Rust-Oleum Almond in Satin. (The project took ALL day and lots of patience, but I’ll spare you the details.) It took a whopping 25 cans and numerous trips to various stores looking for this type of paint. Initially I bought 8 cans and I should have known better! Anyway, this is how the little sitting area looks now! I put the clean cushion covers back on the cushions and added pillows, small tables and a little greenery. What a transformation with just a little cleaning and paint! (Well, a lot of cleaning and a lot of paint.)
And Lacey thoroughly approves! Now she can hide behind the sofas and nature-watch once again!
Actually, you never know where you might find her. Here she is scoping out a bit of shade while I was painting. I think she thinks no one can see her. Such a silly girl!
This little corner of the loggia recently got a mini-makeover as well. I added a table, mirror and a few pretties. So now the entire outdoor space is colorful and fresh. Ready for summer!
The jasmine covers the entry way to the loggia and it smells absolutely divine!
The jasmine vine is COVERED in blooms this year! So beautiful and fragrant! Love, love.
So, a quick before and after picture. The freshly painted furniture and a few accessories make such a difference! I can’t wait to sit out here and watch the golfers pass by. Bring on the appetizers and cocktails!
We still have some grocery shopping and cooking to do, but the hard part is over and now we look forward to relaxing with our friends! Thanks for stopping by and supporting my little blog! What are you working on? Please share! xoxo Dell
