Our Brand New Patio {Before and After}

Our charming cottage is old.

Very, very old.

No one knows exactly how old, since the building records weren't very reliable or detailed when she was built somewhere in the late 20's or early 30's.

But based on our research, it's safe to say that sometime in the next decade, the old girl will turn 100.

And, as you can imagine the upkeep is constant.

Keeping this old girl very, very busy.

Summer 2022 was a perfect example.

The first job began in April, when a wind storm scattered parts of our roof all over the front lawn.

Then, it became clear that the pool liner needed to be replaced.

So that was next on the list.

Expected upkeep, no problem.

However.

What we did not plan on renovating was our concrete patio.

We had it poured 20 years ago, when we added the kitchen.

It was an inexpensive solution and one that was rustic enough to match the aged aesthetic of the house.

As the seasons went by it did get a bit more weathered looking, but it was nothing a little DIY couldn't fix.


For example, in 2014, we stained the concrete to camoflauge flaws.

Then a few years later we filled several small cracks and painted the entire patio to freshen it up.

Unfortunately, this spring, we realized that the damage from two decades of northeast winters was too much for us to repair on our own. So we called in the pros.

I wanted to replace it with concrete, but the masons wouldn't have it.

And my husband was on their side.

First of all, cement wasn't cheap anymore. I couldn't believe the price. It was no longer a budget choice. 

Second, given enough time, cement slabs almost always crack and there's really no good (or easy) way to repair them. 

Water works its way underneath them, from hard freezes or rain, settling happens and boom. Cracks form and grow. Not a good look.

Plus, some of the slabs were higher or lower than their original position, which was a potential tripping hazard.

And after a tiny tumble down the basement stairs this spring, that resulted in a nasty shoulder injury, I wanted to eliminate all of that.

Instead, everyone recommended pavers.

My husband worked his way through college as a mason. He laid the bricks in our screened porch and front walkway. 

And he's pulled up and releveled the pavers around the pool many times to repair settling. So he was already a fan of pavers and confident that if something went wrong down the line, he could repair it.


So pavers it was.

Which was great, except it meant I had to choose them.

And, big surprise, I had a very specific look in mind.

Since this patio was so close to the pool patio, I wanted some contrast. A big stone, light in color, with a classic feel that would complement my cottage style garden.

I wanted them to coordinate with, but not match, the red brick. Nothing small, nothing that felt too modern and nothing gray.

A seemingly tall order, but one I nailed down in a catalog pretty quickly.

I chose Cambridge Pavers, Ledgestone XL in sand. No border, I just had the masons run the stones right up against the beds and cut in a few arches. Fabulous.

Of course, the process was not a simple one. Or a neat one.

Before they even showed up, my husband had to rip out the old deck and stairs we had that led to our back door.

The wood was rotten and split in some spots. The stain had worn away.

Overall, that deck was just an eyesore.


I wasn't sad to see it go, but for weeks, these were our steps in and out of the house. Fancy.


We also, needed to remove the fence that separated our front yard from the back.


Then they brought in a huge machine to rip out the concrete and cart it away. 

Only then did the pavers go down in. That process took about two weeks, due to holidays, a few mishaps and weather delays.

Now, I'm not usually a patient renovator, but I have to say, this patio was worth the wait. Especially when you see the broken down before:


Versus the very polished after:

It's absolutely gorgeous. Exactly what I wanted. 

But at this point, the job was only partially complete.

With the mason's task complete, my husband started his...replacing the deck and steps so I could get rid of those buckets.


He changed the design a bit, to give us a more open entryway. In the process I gained a larger area to decorate for the holidays. No complaints here.

We also decided to sell our old outdoor dining set. Several years ago, we gave it a makeover and replaced all the slings on the chairs.

However, it was tired, and frankly, a little small for our family gatherings. Originally I wanted an all weather wicker set, like we have on our covered porch. 

My husband, on the other hand, wanted something without cushions since people are always wet when they sit, either from the pool or the beach. And he wasn't wrong.


He also wanted another cast aluminum set since they don't rust. I was onboard with that since I didn't want my perfect new patio to get stained after a few rain showers.

Finding the right set was a bit of a struggle, since our space is small. It seems like all the furniture out there is made for giant homes.

Sometimes, it takes a bit more time to find pieces that work for cottage living, but in the end we found a set that made us both smile.


On sale!


Complete with a red umbrella to compliment the house and my flowers.

The post script to this tale has absolutely nothing to do with the new patio...and everything to do with it at the same time.

You see, when we took the fence out (and then put it back up) we realized how rotted and terrible looking it truly was.



It had to go. Which brought in another contractor.


In addition, our driveway, that was also 20 years old and already on its way out, had sunken a bit from the big machines the masons used to rip out the patio.

Yet another renovation that was on the list for someday, but moved up...and is actually not fully complete yet.

{sigh}

It's a classic renovation story.

You touch one thing and then everything else suddenly looks terrible.

And needs to be replaced.

But that's ok. It was totally worth it.

And had to be done eventually. I'm just glad it's {mostly} behind us now.


Just in time to move back inside.

To finish up the renovations we abandoned when the weather warmed up last spring.

Like I said...never-ending. 

Especially in an old house.

😉

Did you renovate anything this summer?