DECORATING Pea Gravel Outdoor Patio Dining Area

Wondering how to create an outdoor pea gravel patio in the yard? Here’s how we added a patio to a corner of our yard.

I’m not sure which I’m more excited about.

The fact that we are in the path of totality for the eclipse today?
Or that we finished the front yard this weekend (and created the CUTEST pea gravel patio for al fresco dining).

(total aside: someone just told me that the song “Total Eclipse Of the Heart” is the EXACT length of the solar eclipse today. I have it cued up for when it goes dark.)

It’s a true toss-up.

I mean…solar eclipses are amazing and a natural phenomenon that’s kind of awe-inspiring.

But just between us?

The entire eclipse will last for about four minutes.

And this pea gravel patio?

It’s here for the rest of the year.

This patio is my favorite kind of project—where you take a space that’s underused and forgotten and generally unremarkable. And you create a project that makes the space live so big it ECLIPSES the ECLIPSE.

Because now?

The space looks like this.

I found this picture of the house from several years ago so you could see the area I’m talking about.

So you can see where it all started.

If you ever drove by our house and blinked? You would have missed it.

The house is a four square and in the 1950’s an extension was added on to one side. There’s a row of Nandina bushes in front of it and some yard.

That was it.

But now?

It looks like this.

// black and white striped cushions // black and white pillows // scalloped umbrella (similar) // set of four chairs // metal table (similar) //

Can you believe it?

(Oh, good. Me, either.)

It’s like an oasis and outdoor pea gravel patio where there was just grass and Nandenias.

Who would have thought this neglected corner of the yard could look like this?

I have to give credit where credit is due.

I did NOT think this up.

Truth?

I was actually a little skeptical if it would even work (yikes).

But my husband had a vision for this. He’s been working on it for a while. He laid out the metal edging to form the patio and created a border with two rows of edging surrounding the center patio. Then he laid down a weed barrier in the center similar to this.

Then he added mulch around between the two rows of metal edging on the outside and added pea gravel to the center.

You can see the edging and pea gravel in the photo above.

// scalloped umbrella (similar) // set of four chairs // metal table (similar) //

Then?

We just added this black metal table with a hole in the center of it for an umbrella.

I LOVE this scalloped umbrella (you can see a super similar version here). This version tilts which I love even better.

I also found this amazing striped umbrella, too, which is so cute (and a little more affordable).

I got the table years ago at Walmart. I couldn’t find it in stock, but I found a super similar table at Walmart here.

The chairs are still in stock and have held up SO WELL over the last two years (don’t they look like new).

You can see the chairs here.

// black and white striped cushions // black and white pillows //

I just ordered these black and white striped cushions for the chairs.

They tie on the back of the chairs and they are SO well made and tufted and cozy and come in a set of two. The chairs are metal, so if I’m going to sit for a while, I like to have something that makes them a little cozier.

You can see the cushions here.

These black and white pillows are also well-made and perfect for the outdoors.

You can see them here.

And the outdoor inserts I use here.

I think I need to add a monogram? Maybe? Too much? Calm down with the monograms?

// black and white striped cushions // black and white pillows // scalloped umbrella (similar) // set of four chairs // metal table (similar) //

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I LOVE this space and how much we’ve already used it.

We’ve eaten dinner out here two nights in a row.

I brought out the fancy wine glasses and filled them with water and added lemon and we bring out our plates and watch the sunset.

And because the pea gravel patio and the table are in the front yard? Something amazing happens. All the neighbors walk by—some of them with their dogs or others just strolling down the sidewalk. We sit out as the sun sets and wave and chat with the neighborhood and discuss the day.

The little space in the front of the house that was just a little piece of the yard now is a party waiting to happen.