Virtual Interior Design by Kelly Egan

BLOG, DIY, HOW-TO, HOME PROJECTS, INSPO, OUTDOOR OASIS

WEEK 1 | WEEK 2 | WEEK 3 | WEEK 4 | WEEK 5&6

Six weeks down and two more to go! It’s the final countdown! That means it’s time to crank on the patio! This Spring 2020 One Room Challenge has been a really amazing challenge and I am loving reading all the amazing blogs and seeing all the inspiring progress of my fellow ORCers. There’s so much creativity and amazing transformations happening- it’s truly thrilling to be a part of. Thank you Linda, of Calling It Home, for creating this stellar event and to Better Homes & Gardens for sponsoring!

Week 5&6 of the ORC have been combined in solidarity with the blackout last week. I am human and the words to follow are imperfect for sure but written with the best intentions. I didn’t want my fear of saying the wrong thing to prevent me from writing anything at all. That’s the problem right now- too many people are afraid to speak out or are uncomfortable with the topic so they won’t speak out or acknowledge the problem. I would rather risk saying the wrong thing than not say anything! So here it goes… My heart is heavy and my mind has been buzzing with the new understanding of how racism has impacted so many black lives for so long. Racism is everywhere, it’s deeply ingrained into our culture whether we want to acknowledge it or not. Like many, I was blind to the fact that ‘white privilege’ meant that the color of my skin never set me back. I never really thought about that before, because I didn’t have to- which is the definition of white privilege. This movement has taken hold- finally- and people and businesses are listening and educating themselves. I see so much hope and people coming together. Racism or being called a racist evokes fear, making it hard to digest since it casts you as a person of severely flawed character. When people hear racism they run for the hills and running away from the conversation creates more issues. This time around the focus being on ‘white privilege’ is helping the conversation grow into a more approachable subject for some. It’s amazing to hear how many people can say I am white and that means I am privileged and I am a part of the issue. It helps us see that this is clearly a systemic problem. It is racism, it is everywhere, and we have to stop ignoring it just because it’s an uncomfortable subject. Our country is in so much pain right now. The justice system needs mending. If we want a healthier country we have to participate in the change! I plan to do my part. To go vote for a leader who can empathize and listen to the people. To start the conversation with my toddler NOW. To be present in the conversation and continue to make connections and support black artists. To push for the end of a political system that is corrupt with money and power, that produces more undoing, division, finger-pointing, and inadequate leadership than compromise and growth. To get outside my comfort zone and start reaching out! I hope that more people continue to stand together and support this much-needed movement. It’s up to all of us to do better. Black lives matter.

Patio progress over the past 2 weeks has been ramping up. We finally decided to buy our very own power washer and it’s AMAZING. We went with the Ryobi electric 2300psi from Home Depot and it is so powerful! It blasted away the years of dirt, grime, and mold off the patio and it looks so refreshed we had to pause and make sure we still wanted to paint it. It is so clean now that it sparkles when the sun hits it! I painted the steps with Olympic Rescue It which is made for concrete surfaces and the color we went with- Gibraltar.

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We love the stairs so much that we are going to move forward and paint the whole patio. The trick now is that it’s summer weather which isn’t ideal for painting in Maryland… here’s hoping for a string of days that aren’t hot humid and filled with thunderstorms. Here are the stairs- I think Kota likes them too since she’s literally smiling in this photo.

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DECISIONS
DECISIONS

Finalize Layout 
Finalize Furniture Orders- IN PROGRESS
Pergola or Screens or Sail Shade or MIX
Decide on Solar String Lights with Posts or Solar Feature Lights or Both
Metal or Wood Posts– not happening
Decide on Firepit versus FireTable
Decide on Gravel or Pavers
Swing or Egg Chair
Patio Paint Color
Accent Wall or Live Wall or Fireplace wall
Find Bar and Stools– not happening
Find Fun Lemon | Tropical Prints | Animal prints| for cushions MIX
Fencing & Childproofing Options
Decide on how to secure decorative privacy screens

TO DO LIST

ORDERS
2 Striped Umbrellas
Striped RugS (1 or 2)- ENDED UP ORDERING 4 TO CHOOSE FROM
4 Chevron Screens
Order PowerWasher attachment BACKORDER
Order and /pick Up Patio Paint | Brushes | Tape PAINT BACKORDER- pick up second 3 gal Sunday
3 Lotus Lights
Dining Table and 6 stacking chairs
Woven Poufs 2-4 source OR DIY
Vera Adirondack Chair
Seating Area
String Lights
Meditation Accessories – basket
NEW SWING
Build All Furniture

THE WORK
Power Wash Patio- POWER WASHER IS STILL DOWN
Paint Patio- in progress
Relocate Azalea Bushes- In Progress
Flatten and Frameout Firepit Area– THIS WEEKEND no longer happening
Install Lighting Posts | Screens | Sail not happening
Stone and/or gravel work– THIS WEEKEND not happening
DIY Cement Head Planter
DIY woven Pouf
DIY Pillows- RECOVER THE PILLOWS WE HAVE
DIY Accent Wall/Art for Brick Wall Behind Bar
DIY Planters & Pots
Fencing | Railing | Childproofing– RESEARCH IN PROGRESS
Create Whimsical tree swing area- in progress
Build and Install Decorative Privacy Screens
Flower and Tree Pots

Here are some sneak peaks of the patio since I am itching to see it come together!

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Up next week- I will finish painting 2 coats on the patio and we need to figure out how we want to secure our decorative privacy screens into the ground. I need to pick out some plants to go into pots so I’ll likely be hitting up my green thumb friends for recs. There are some odds and ends we still need to find or that I can try to make as long as I can get the materials shipped in time. We also are slowly sorting through fencing options which has been a process but we may even go the DIY route on this since my husband is feeling like he could tackle it but there’s no way we are doing this in the remaining 2 weeks of this ORC challenge so I will keep you posted into the summer/fall.

See you this time next week and don’t forget to check out the other participants on The One Room Challenge! For more play-by-play details on the patio progress follw me on INSTAGRAM– I also share my other favorite ORC projects on there and have a highlight dedicated to my ORC. If you need more inspo you can drop by PINTEREST — I have linked a lot of my Patio Inspo here for you!

6 weeks down 2 to go! Let’s go! We are all in this together <3

— Kelly