*This post is sponsored by Walmart and affiliate links are used. All opinions and product selections are my own!
Hello hello! Talking about our outdoor deck today. I’m so excited about this little project I’ve been working on recently! When we designed our house I loved the idea of having an upstairs balcony deck. We have beautiful views of neighborhoods, open greenery and a golf course behind our house and I wanted somewhere that we could sit and enjoy the view! We seriously debated putting our master bedroom upstairs so that we could enjoy the view even more off of our bedroom, but ultimately decided to put the kids’ upstairs and us down. It’s easier for us to not be up and down stairs all day plus now that our kids are older it’s nice to have a little separation! The upstairs has become the “kid zone” and is where my kids and their friends all hang out.
What I didn’t factor in was just how HOT this back deck would be. It gets hit with direct heat during the day and we’ve talked about possibly putting an awning or something over it so that we can use it more. But other projects/life got in the way and for almost 7 years this deck has sat empty. When everything shut down and my kids were forced to spend more time at home I noticed my girls started using the deck a lot more. They were pulling out a chair or towel to sit down and talk to a friend on the phone, coming out on the deck to do TikTok routines, pulling out a blanket to sit on together to chat in the evening, etc. When Walmart reached out to me to possibly partner on a backyard space makeover I was thrilled! I knew exactly what I wanted to do. :)
I found so many fun outdoor furniture options! They have everything you need to update an outdoor space. I ordered every item for this easy deck makeover at once and took over Addison’s room when it all started to come in. Everything shipped so quickly and once it all arrived I got to work and had the new deck set up in 30 minutes!
Here is our upstairs deck “BEFORE” (after a good sweeping!). :)
And this is what it looks like today!
Honestly this came together so quickly and turned out even better than I pictured! I’m just kicking myself that I didn’t do something like this right after we moved into our house.
My main priority was creating a cozy spot for my girls to sit and I fell in love with this Best Choice 3 piece wicker set. I bought the tan, but it also comes in a grey and black and is a perfect little set for relaxing and having a conversation. It’s so comfortable and I love the style of the chairs!
(*sidenote.. if any of these products you are interested in are showing they are out of stock click the blue “get in-stock alert” button. Most items come back in stock quickly and you’ll get an e-mail alert once they do!)
I knew a few real plants would be perfect to add some greenery and color to brighten up this space and when I found these modern planters with wood stands I was thrilled! I’ve seen identical planters for a much higher price and couldn’t snatch them up fast enough. (I have the medium and large sizes.)
I bought some plants and transferred them. One hasn’t perked up yet! Let’s see how long I can keep these babies alive. I’ll probably have more luck just turning them over to my girls to water. I feel like I’m cursed when it comes to potted flowers and plants!
This cute outdoor striped rug was perfect to create a little sitting area and my girls have loved having a soft spot where they can be barefoot and not worry about the hot deck hurting their feet. (My rug is 6×9.)
I also fell hard for these cute blue Ikat outdoor pillows – the set of two was just $19! The ceramic lattice garden stool was another fun find (I told my girls I might want to move that somewhere inside later but they aren’t parting with it!). I bought this beautiful faux fern to add some greenery and these cute little faux lavender plants to set on the stool. Happy I don’t have to water and take care of too much in this space. :)
In the summer my kids will mostly be out on this deck in the morning or evening when we aren’t getting such crazy heat, but I wanted an option for shade in case they ever do want to spend time out here in the afternoon.
I was so excited to find this Best Choice Market Patio Umbrella! It comes in so many colors and looks just like the other outdoor umbrellas in our yard but for a fraction of the cost.
You have to also buy a base to help hold it down so I purchased these water weights. There are also other options you can choose from here.
The umbrella opens huge and adjusts just like the others we have. It’s seriously such nice quality for the price!
A perfect solution for having instant shade when they want it! To shade both chairs I can just pull the umbrella to the middle of the deck.
Now this space is perfect regardless of the weather. :)
This was such a simple makeover and I can’t believe the difference it made.
Now everyone wants to hang out on the deck!
It was a good reminder to me that you don’t have to have an elaborate plan, a lot of time and a lot of money to makeover and enjoy an outdoor space. I didn’t put anything here for years thinking the furniture would be expensive and that we needed an awning or something large for shade.
Most of the time all it takes is a cute set of chairs, a durable rug and some pretty flowers. Real or fake.
Or both. :)
I don’t want to waste any more time not enjoying the view!
These two wanted to sit out here a few nights ago with their drinks and a snack and I snapped this pic quick. (I’ve been loving this cute divided plate for fruits/veggies for the kids this summer!) I’m not sure what Ad was talking about but it must have been funny. Ha. :)
My kids are so excited about this deck makeover (they were honestly all 3 giddy when they came home and I showed it to them!). I love it too! Plus I’m thrilled that they have another spot to hang out since it’s looking like we’ll still be spending a lot of time at home this Fall.
Open the umbrella and bring on the TikTok dances. ;)
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Oh I would have loved this as a kid! What a great spot and of course you worked your magic. I’m still at awe of all the little details you designed for your home while building. It’s gorgeous.
Thank you so much Sarah! So sweet of you. This will be a fun spot for the kids to hang out for sure. I just wish I would have done something like this sooner! And I wish you lived next door! We could have lots of nice long chats on these two chairs. ;)
That looks fantastic, Erin! Great job and how fun that you were able to create this makeover via Walmart. Makes it a bit more afforable for sure! How do you access the deck? I thought I noticed the neatest looking door in one of the first pictures, but going back, it looks like it is a side light or window that opens on the side of the French doors. Is it through the kids’ room? I guess it doesn’t matter, but was curious. Anyway, the views ARE stunning. I’ll bet it is magical at night. Would you pull the items toward the house when not in use or will they get baked in the hot sun? Maybe it doesn’t get quite so hot in San Diego, huh? Where I grew up, it got into the 100s regularly. Anyway, fabulous makeover! :)
Thank you so much Jeanne! Check out my IG story today! I showed how we walk out on the deck through my girls’ french doors in their rooms. :) They have windows next to the french doors so I can see why you were confused! I’m going to try leaving this up all the time and see how it does! It doesn’t get over 80 degrees here because we are near the coast (most of the year it stays in the mid 70’s) so I think we’ll be ok other than rain. I might have to pull the chairs in quick if we’re getting heavy rain. The rug seems really durable (impressed!) so I’m hoping I can leave it up and it will handle the elements. The sun does beat down on this deck so that will be the biggest factor, but that’s why I’m thrilled I didn’t spend a lot on this! It will be an experiment and I’ll share how it’s looking after a while! I imagine the real flowers will turn to faux at some point. ;) Thanks again sweet friend! So happy you like it! :)
Love this! Should have had Walmart send a few more chairs and another umbrella!
When the kids are all out some evening you and hubby could enjoy this space alone.
Right!? I might have to eventually order more! I love the chairs. I originally pictured a sofa and a few chairs in this space with an awning but that’s honestly what kept me from getting it done! It felt like such a big project. I’m so happy to finally have something here! There will definitely be times Kenny and I are using the chairs. The two of us might end up taking over this space altogether. Ha. ;) Thank you so much Dianne! xo
What a lovely space! Do you leave the rug and chair cushions out all the time? I’m wondering if they won’t mildew if they get wet from the rain?
Thank you so much Cindy! I’ll probably pull them inside quickly if we’re getting major rain. We don’t get a lot of rain in San Diego and it mostly comes in the Spring so I think we’ll be safe leaving this up most of the year but we’ll see! It will be an experiment for sure. :) I’m so happy you like it! xo
I love that rug! I really want an outdoor rug, but we don’t have a covered patio so it will get so dirty and wet.
Oh, and that view is gorgeous! What a peaceful place to sit and relax. I definitely need to get to building some outdoor furniture so we can spend more time outside. (When it’s not 100 degrees in Idaho)
Thank you so much Monique! It’s a peaceful place to hang out for sure. I can’t believe we haven’t had furniture there until now to enjoy it more often! I’m curious to see how this rug holds up getting direct sun but I’m impressed with how durable it is! I have a feeling it will be better than others I’ve tried. 100 degrees makes it rough to enjoy the outdoors for sure.. hang on until Fall! xo
I love the new space. I would definitely go with some of the lovely faux flowers and plants you’ve used in the past. Watering and tending gets old for me after a while. It’s a lovely space to hang out.
Thank you so much Sally! I’m sure those real plants will eventually get replaced with something faux and easier to take care of. The real flowers look so beautiful though for the summer. I’ve had the girls watering them every few days and so far they are great! Fingers crossed we can make them last for a while. :) So happy you like the new space.. thanks again! xo
What a great quick project! That’s such a nice space, and its finally getting used! I can already imagine everyone raiding the media room fridge for soft drinks, lol. You mentioned just moving the umbrella if both chairs needed to be shaded. How easy is that? I’ve seen some bases on rollers, but these don’t look like it. Also, is the umbrella easy to operate?
Ha ha.. no doubt that will be the case Betsy! Gotta keep it stocked with my Coke Zeros. ;) The umbrella itself is not hard to move at all! I can lift it easily and I have zero upper body strength. The water weights are a little heavy.. I just have to move them one at a time. Takes a minute, but it isn’t hard to do. It’s very easy to operate! I’m so happy with the quality for such a low price! I hope that helps. :)
I love this Erin!! Simple, but effective. Living in the PNW, it’s nice that our house has a covered patio/deck off of our family room/dining room that we can use year round. We replaced the big light with a fan a few years ago, to keep it cooler when we do get hot summer days, like yesterday (94 degrees). I’m wanting to replace our patio furniture, as I didn’t put much thought into it when we bought it five years ago. I love what you have on your covered patio w/BBQ and TV!! Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your day!! xo
Thank you so much Shari! I’m so happy you like it! Smart to add the fan.. I’m from southern Utah and it gets over 100 degrees in the summer so I know all about HOT summer days. So happy you have a covered deck you can enjoy! xo
Wow, that looks amazing Erin. I’m sure it will get plenty of use.
Thank you so much Shelley! xo
The deck looks great.
I was noticing the shutters that you have on the house. Are those functioning shutters? They look like they’re custom made. I’m doing some research right now into putting up new shutters on our home and like that yours look like they’re solid and not plastic.
Thank you so much Jen! The shutters are custom made (very solid!) and just for looks. :)
Thanks for the reply. Did you design them yourself? They look great.
Erin, WONDERFUL deck space! JUST ENOUGH furn. and xtras to have it PERFECT!
NOT too much, NOT too little……
PERFECT!
There is NO need for you folks to ever leave home!
NO vacay resort can compare!
Of course, although anywhere you go, will not be AS NICE, when you go, you leave the cooking, cleaning, laundry BEHIND-SO………
Always nice to GET AWAY,SOMETIMES………
Then when you come back and see all you have done, THAT IS ACTUALLY nicer than WHERE you have been-I can just hear the “ahhhhhhhh….”
THAT is till you have to unpack and hit the laundry room!
Sharon! You seriously made my day! SO sweet of you. Thank you! And you are so right.. especially for homebodies like me! It’s always nice to take a break from the cooking, cleaning and laundry, but at the end of the day there’s no place like home. ;) I hope you’re enjoying your summer! xo
This is so beautiful, Erin!!! Wow! What a great spot to chillax and take in the view. :) We are starting the adventure of finishing our basement here in August and I have so many Walmart things on my design board/wish list/already purchased and hiding in our closet! :D They have been killing it!!! Have a wonderful weekend!
I’m so happy you like it Genelle! Thank you! So exciting you are finishing your basement! We had a basement growing up and I loved hanging out in it! We don’t have basements in San Diego (so strange!) and I miss them! I agree.. there are so many cute things at Walmart lately! Send me a pic when you finish everything! :)