A Tiny, “Neglected” Backyard Became the Coziest European-Style Patio

Knowing the style Lauren wanted, she scrolled through Pinterest and saved pictures of spaces she hoped to emulate — studying the details of each to figure out exactly what elements she needed. “What specific colors, textures, and patterns was I gravitating towards?” Lauren shares. 

When that was figured out, Lauren decided the first step in her renovation process was leveling the ground before moving on to the other details. The best and most renter-friendly option, in her opinion, was to lay her own pavers and paint them Behr’s Pasha Brown.

“I did it by laying down landscape fabric and a thin layer of sand on top, then put down concrete pavers, which I found for less than $2 a piece at Lowe’s,” she says. The way she designed it made it an easy renter-friendly hack. She planned that when she moved it out, she’d be able to simply pick up all the pavers, fold the tarp, and dispose of the sand. 

Even though it didn’t take that many pavers to cover the entire space since it’s so small, “it was still a LOT of work,” Lauren shares. She ended up straining her back from moving everything. “I was literally bedridden for three days, and could not stand up or walk.” 

But she says it was worth it because while the result wasn’t perfect, it made the ground feel significantly more level.

But like many people, the hardest part of decorating any space for Lauren is making design decisions. “When I’m investing hundreds or thousands of dollars in furniture and other decor, I want to be confident about a purchase,” she explains. So this often means she takes her time sourcing items and making decisions.

“[But] I wanted my backyard to feel like a European-style patio. I knew I wanted lattice, trellises, comfy seating, and lots and lots of plants!” Lauren says. 

And while Lauren didn’t really have a budget — her goal was simply to spend as little each month as possible — she did pay $250 for someone to build two planter boxes. 

From there, she attached trellises to the back and “covered the visible wood paneling on the front and sides with thin flat wood panels to create a smoother surface.” Lauren also added trim for more dimension and painted everything using Benjamin Moore’s French Toile. 

“I wanted it to feel more finished and elevated,” Lauren describes. She also added a renter-friendly lattice vent cover for her air condensing unit and Dazuma solar-powered sconces by the fence gate — continuing the “elevated” look. 

By the IKEA SEGERÖN loveseat, Lauren added a Chateau Brass Mirror from Etsy, a World Market standing hook for hanging plants, and lots of throw pillows for texture. 

So knowing now that Lauren’s two favorite parts are the trellis and the iron patio table she found on Facebook Marketplace, reassures her that she made the right choices in designing her space. “I get such a dopamine hit just looking at them every day,” Lauren says. 

Months after DIYing her outdoor space and purchasing new furniture, Lauren’s landlord surprised her with the opportunity to renovate the entire backyard — meaning she would have to completely undo all of the work she had done, but her landlord would bring in professionals. 

“But it didn’t bother me!” Lauren shares. “I was excited and thankful that I’d be getting a new, bigger space.”

Along with updating the fence and doubling Lauren’s backyard space to 234 square feet, her landlord also loved what she had done with the pavers and ended up including them in the final renovation permanently.

Since Lauren had more space to work with, the L-shape that the planters and trellises were in no longer worked. Instead, Lauren moved them so they were parallel to the new fence and added more potted plants. 

Originally, her must-haves only included the trellises and comfy seating for her and her dog to lounge on. But when she discovered she would have more space to work with, a wrought iron patio table for hosting was added to her “wish list.” 

Lauren found “a very petite, adorable, vintage, wrought iron set with four chairs” on Facebook Marketplace for $500. “The sizing was so perfect, I was over the moon when I found it,” Lauren shares. Now, she enjoys working at the table each morning. 

“Overall, [the backyard] was a bit of a ‘build as I go’ process, but I really focused on layering in detail and texture to make it feel more custom and polished,” Lauren explains. It’s the first space she’s designed from beginning to end by herself, and she’s proud of how she’s created a home that reflects her style.