Fortunately, this slate counter with a built-in farmhouse style sink was originally along the same wall but inside. It wasn’t deep enough for today’s cabinets so, during the interior kitchen remodel, it was decided to put it outside where it fits perfectly. No worries if you don’t have an amazing counter like this, you can always go to Ikea where they have inexpensive laminate counters that look very similar to this. That’s what I had at my last house and it held up really well. Wanting shutter style doors for the cabinets, I decided on interior shutters that are made of pvc. I also have them in the bathrooms as they are able to handle the moisture so it was the perfect choice for outside. No painting required – double bonus!

The Table

The table is an old workbench left in the basement when the house was purchased so it made sense to re-purpose it and I was needing a new dining table anyway. With a bit of tweaking, it’s turned out to be a great table hosting many delightful gatherings.

Get Creative With Pillow Cases!

Another element I chose to warm up the space was pillowcases. Yes, that’s right, pillowcases. I loved the dining chairs when I purchased them some years ago at Marshalls, and still do, but was wanting a different look. While at Home Goods, I saw the striped pillowcases and thought maybe they would fit over the backs of the chairs so I bought all that they had. I needed 4 sets and they only had 3 and they were quite reasonable at only $7.99/set. Once I got them home and saw that they fit, I was on a mission for the last set but no luck. Going to every Home Goods, Marshalls and TJ Maxx within a 30 mile radius, I gave up and got the last set on Amazon for $28.

Going on the hunt was fun and, of course, I purchased many things along my travels. However, what a difference in price. I couldn’t bring myself to pay that so I used some points and got them for free. Score! The pillowcases are simply thrown over the backs of the chair. I cut the sides from the very bottom up to where the seat is leaving the fabric hanging on the back and then took the extra fabric in the front and folded it under so it wasn’t sitting on the seat. A little bit of sewing and they were done.

Lighting

Lighting was a key element and a chandelier was a must! Getting one for outdoors that’s reasonable isn’t an easy task. I decided on this one from the Pottery Barn. The pendant lights are from Amazon and are for outdoors, as well. They sure do make the space feel cozy.

Bring Out Indoor Elements

When trying to cozy up an outdoor space, bring in elements from inside like artwork, vases and pretty dinnerware. The dinner plates are from the Christmas Tree Shop and the salad plates were from an antique store. I just had to have them! Aren’t they adorable? You can also have them. They’re by Cider House and can be found on-line. Using my saved spaghetti jars, I filled them with some hydrangeas that I have on the property making sure to keep them low enough so guests can see one another. I have so many glass jars. I can’t seem to part with them and, times like this, I’m sure glad I didn’t.

Floral, Vintage Tile

What about those beautiful vintage tiles? There are so many beautiful tiles out there today that look great as a backsplash and it doesn’t have to be limited to the inside. There are tiles specifically made for outdoors. The ones here are not but I fell in love with them and thought I’d take a chance. Also, it’s a very well protected area and for $40 I thought it was worth the risk and with the leftover pieces, I had it installed around the gas fireplace on the opposite end of the deck. It’s holding up great! I’ll check back in a couple more years. Fingers crossed. The shelf around the grill vent is reclaimed wood from another project. The basement is filled with leftover wood of all sorts for projects like this.

Hope this has inspired you in some way! On to the next project.