When you have a small home, outdoor space can be such a blessing. Sick of your spouse? Go outside. Need a change of scenery? Go outside. Wanna feel fancy AF? Eat outside.

George and I knew we wanted to create a sort of “outdoor room” in our backyard, but we didn’t have a lot of money to do it. A deck would’ve been both expensive and time-consuming because we’d have to get a permit to do it.

Our yard is also sloping, so a patio with blocks or stones would be difficult to do because we’d have to get the yard professionally graded or do it ourselves. My back hurts just thinking about it.

So, instead of all that trouble, we settled on building a gravel patio.

First we dug out space for the wood frame and built the box. We then somewhat leveled the yard using dirt and mulch we had leftover from a previous project. Next, we laid down paper to help prevent weeds from popping up.

We then spread the gravel. We chose 3/4 wash to match the driveway, but a pea gravel would look lovely too. We also built a flower bed, the same way we built the box, so I could have a bit of extra gardening room.

Finally, we filled the bed with dirt and plants. And lastly, I stained the wood.

The decor is almost all reclaimed items. The chairs are vintage and given to us by George’s aunt. I repainted them about a year ago. The planter boxes were old feed troughs that we found in the woods behind our house. We rehomed them (with permission!) and planted them up with herbs.

The fire pit is a galvanized bucket we found at an agricultural supply store. We drilled holes in it so water didn’t collect in it and placed it on a stone paver. I was given most of the terra-cotta planters or already had them from previous projects. The only thing I purchased in terms of decor was the outdoor rug. I wouldn’t have even purchased the rug, but my dog doesn’t like walking on gravel. *Eyeroll.* She’s a princess.

I don’t keep detailed records of our renovation costs because it’s usually pretty overwhelming, but I do have an estimated cost breakdown, in case you’re curious. I’m know I’m always curious about money. 😉

Pressure treated wood for frame- $135.98
Gravel- $280
Dirt, plants and paver- $134.68
Stain- $7.98
Galvanized bucket- $28.00
Outdoor rug- $115.00
Total: $701.64

This isn’t the cheapest project we’ve ever done. And I know this will still be out of some people’s budgets, but it was much cheaper than us hiring it out. And now we have a whole other room! I can’t wait to sit out there in the fall when the weather cools down and there’s not as many bugs!

Happy almost patio season!