Back Patio Transformations

Brad and I have been giving some serious thought to renovating our back patio! It is on the smaller side (much smaller) and currently has a standard brick layout. We are still in the very early stages of making a decision back there, but I have started to compile some ideas and I thought I would share them. I would love feedback and any additional ideas people have! We can’t start until the snow melts so we have some time!

So you can visualize it, this first picture is a before photo that I found online of a patio very similar to our own.

Below is the after. I like the use of potted plants and the different layers of texture with the gravel base that has concrete colored slabs over it.

Below is a fun idea for a long and thin patio, the use of a bench along one wall and a very small table really utilizes the space. This patio also uses gravel instead of brick, concrete or stone, which I like – it will keep cost down and be a bit different from conventional patios.

This is an article put out by HGTV that explores the different materials you can use in an outdoor space. The wood flooring really caught my attention.

12 Outdoor Flooring Ideas : Decorating : HGTV.

This was one of my favorites from the article, but I want to look into putting wood tiles down to ensure that they will stand up to the Northeast weather.

We also share our patio with another condo owner who has an adjoining first floor unit. Right now we have a large divider set up that holds small plants. I would like to take this down and put in a different type of divider that will still separate the spaces, but not take up so much space. I found the below plant box at Curbly – a DIY website that breaks down a ton of different DIY projects. Using two of these as a divider would make the space feel really open but still outline the different patios.

Curbly | DIY Design Community.

I also really like these modern boxes. Their tall and thin shape will save space and using plants to divide the space will make it seem less intrusive and boxed in.

If anyone has other patio ideas I would love to hear them! Keep an eye out because I will keep you posted on our progress!

Happy Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day to all! Whether you love it or hate it, today is an excellent excuse to treat yourself, or someone you love, to a little treat!

Here are my top 5 Valentine’s Day recommended treats!

Twelve Chairs ~ Twelve Chairs. I met the owners of this chic furniture store at a Design Salon Event in Boston and they are just the nicest. Their items run the gamut of affordable to over the top, but they always have fun pieces to treat yourself. If you are looking to spice up a room, or just find a fun accent piece to make you smile – they will have it! I love their chevron hamper – they have it in a variety of colors!

blo blow dry bar | north america’s original blow dry bar. You have to check out blo in the South End. Hair salons that just do a great blow dry job are all the rage right now! It is a great way to spice up a night out and it doesn’t take nearly as long as getting your hair done. They have an extensive menu where you can pick your look and they are all just $35!

Rue La La – Rue Associate Sample Sale. It the spirit of Valentine’s Day Rue La La is having an Associate Sample Sale! Get there early these things never last long!

GoRecess | The Best Class of the Day!. For those of you gym junkies you have to check out this new site I stumbled upon. GoRecess lists all the best work out classes (any kind you like) in your city, by location, by class type – whatever you are looking for! It is a great tool to find fun and affordable classes that are close to your home or work! Below is what they offer – everything!

Treat Cupcake Bar | Boston’s Best Cupcakes – store, restaurant, events, catering. And of course make your way to a good bakery and treat yourself to something sweet! My favorite Boston stop is Treat Cupcake Bar – you can’t go wrong with any of their creations!

And I have to give a shout out to Brad – excellent Valentine’s Day skills! Thank you!!

Happy Valentine’s Day to all!!

 

Some shout outs to fellow bloggers!

Recently I have been really interested in seeing what other blogs are out there and popular right now. It’s a great way to get more ideas for BoBa and see what everyone else in the blog world is up to. I wanted to take a look at a variety of blogs, not just interior design, so that I could see a wide variety. I got some great tips from friends and here are some of my favorites right now! Most are more focused on fashion, but all have elements of design that are really interesting! It’s always good to see a bit of variety.

Happily Grey – Fashion blog. This is a great place to get some fun fashion ideas. The creator of the blog has a unique style and she outlines where she finds all of the pieces she is wearing.

{this is glamorous} : adventures in love, design, fashion, home decor, food and travel: how to. This blog has a little bit of everything! From fashion, to makeup tricks, to some interiors photos, this is a great place to find some inspiration.

Lifestyle | Olivia Palermo. Olivia Palermo’s blog is just fabulous! It doesn’t have much of a focus on interiors, but her style is timeless and you are sure to find something that speaks to you!

Ciera Design | Brand Identity + Graphic Design. Ciera is actually a friend of mine who has been my partner in crime at a number of Design Salon Events in Boston. Her graphic design blog is always a great place to get some new ideas and she is such a talented graphic designer – you have to check it out!

Back from our Trip!

Hi All! Just got back from 10 days in Austria and Switzerland! Brad and I had an amazing time, and this year we got to go with one of our favorite couples! Here are some pictures to see what we were up to!

This is my favorite picture from the trip! It was taken at the bottom of the Hahnenkamm, in Kitzbuhel. The Hahnenkamm is the most popular race of the year over there (like the super bowl)! The three days of races turned out 80,000 excited spectators. In this picture from left to right are Austin and Traver (the couple we travelled with), Brad and I, and Tommy, who raced the previous day in the Super G!

We started the trip in Wengen, Switzerland, this is a great view from a day of skiing.

This was the view from our condo in Wengen – we really lucked out!

After a day of skiing in Wengen we went up to the Jungfraujoch – it is commonly called “The Top of Europe” at 11,332ft!

When we got to Kitzbuhel the boys got to play in a charity poker tournament!

Once in Kitzbuhel we were able to meet up with some more friends from home and all went to dinner at Einsiedelei, a trailside restaurant that is committed to the true Austrian experience.

Pinky, the owner, even used the Harden cutting board that we had sent him as a thank you after last years dinner!

And finally, here is one of Traver and I at the races! The trip was amazing and we had so much! It was such a treat to get to ski some amazing mountains and see some friends we haven’t seen in a long time!