Taking back the terrace
This spring will mark my family’s seventh year in our house. During that time, we’ve lived through countless renovations – and have the credit card bills to prove it. The payoff, of course, is that we get to live in our wonderful, wacky, beautiful dream home. But while we adore our redone cozy family room, sleek kitchen and restful bedrooms, that’s kind of where it ends. My family is busy, like everyone else’s, and if we’re not snatching a meal together, binge-watching a new favourite Netflix show or getting some much-needed shut-eye, we’re out and about. That, however, is about to change.
Last September, I was looking out the kitchen window at our backyard and wondering why we’ve never taken more advantage of our terrace. Sure, we have the occasional barbecue and my husband will catnap on our decrepit lawn furniture after a long shift (oh, and my stepdaughters have indulged in a few late night beer pong parties – don’t get me started!), but other than that the terrace stands abandoned. Although I’m not a huge fan of the Tuscaninspired terracotta and mustard-yellow ceramic tiles it sports, the space is in perfect condition. It gets ridiculously hot in the summer, but there’s a sweet roll-out awning that, despite listing slightly on the left, keeps the sun at bay. So what was the problem?
One of my excuses was that there was no comfortable seating. The existing furniture I’d dragged from my old house had not held up, nor was its contemporary aesthetic appropriate for this more formal area. And due to the aforementioned renovation costs, there was minimal budget to furnish the space. Luckily, later that month I happened upon a set of outdoor furniture at a clearance centre that was perfect. Just $500 for a couch, two armchairs, two foot stools and a coffee table! The set was a floor model and had a few dings and scratches, but it was enormous value. Plus, the very kind salesperson threw in some outdoor toss cushions as well. But that wasn’t the best part. That came when we arrived home. Within minutes of setting up the conversation set, my family gravitated outside – and didn’t move back indoors until nearly midnight. It was one of our best evenings together.
So if you ask me what I’m doing this summer, my answer is clear: I’ll be spending time outside with my husband, stepdaughters, two cats, one dog and the best $500 I’ve ever spent.