Turn your patio into a lush tropical lanai without breaking the bank
Written bySharon CohoonMay 6, 2009
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Bargain hunter
Tip from the designer: Brooke Dietrich, owner of Green … Landscapes to Envy in Costa Mesa, CA looked to bargain sources to outfit her own patio. “Ikea and Pier 1 are my kind of stores,” she says.
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Fresh paint
Black pillars and beams and a tan ceiling give the patio’s shade structure (originally green and white) a Balinese motif.
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Bargain plants
Dietrich bought the tree aloe and ponytail palm from a friend who was moving out of state. The Boston fern is from a grocery store, and the cannas are offshoots from another friend’s plants.
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Recycled furniture
This rattan sofa had been abandoned in an alley; the sofa in the rear was a swap-meet find. New and re-covered cushions give each a second life. The wicker coffee table was a discounted floor sample.
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Colored concrete
A tawny stain (Mason’s Select Transparent Concrete Stain #50, in Sandstone; superdeck.com for stores) took a half-hour to apply and makes cold gray concrete look as warm as terrazzo.
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Mood lighting
Hanging lanterns that hold candles illuminate without the expense of wiring. Tall candlesticks, set on the ground, add romance in the evening.
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Accessories
Large loose-weave baskets hang from a beam. Other touches include a centerpiece of succulents, and a 5- by 8-foot rug woven of recycled plastic.
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Receipt rundown
$425 Professional painter for structure’s ceiling, plus extra paint to finish lower beams