I really have been enjoying my dining and patio area over the past few years. Now that summer has actually kicked in, I'm hoping to grill out some(fingers crossed the rain stops soon). I started with updating the kitchen with some better lighting. For those evenings that are still hot and humid, it's much nicer dining in the AC. I decided to go with two very inexpensive floor lantern lamps from IKEA for the corners surrounding the back sliding glass door. I went with the HOLMÖ Floor lamp for $7.99 each.
HOLMO floor lamp pictured here. I chose a soft yellow light bulb to help give the room some warmth and add a relaxed feeling. As you can see, Oppie is enjoying the new lighting as well!
The lamps were extremely easy to assemble too, and I also picked up a cute black lantern, BORRBY for $7.99 to help hide the cords. This lantern can also be used indoors or outdoors and there is a larger version available for $14.99 <Here>.
After assembling the lamp I decided to use staples to secure the cord to the wall. I then added zip ties to restrain the excess wire. This helped visually with keeping it from looking as messy. Especially because it's the first area you see when walking from the living room to the dinning/kitchen area.
I'm so happy with the results and it gives the dining room a restaurant type feel. No more harsh, unflattering overhead lighting at dinner time!
PATIO UPDATE....
I finally got around to updating my patio area as well, which has been pretty lame for some time. When I first purchased the house I chose a very affordable table and chairs from Costco. The thing with affordable is it doesn't always mean comfortable, so I went on a hunt for a comfort solution and found some basic cushions at target. They were NOT for the outdoors and I should have starched them. In time they have faded and were looking pretty sad. Additionally, my former roommate burned several holes in them from cigarettes, so it was definitely time to retire them.
I decided to go with green (big surprise), black, and white. For some time now I have looked for cushions that would fit my smaller round back chairs. I had found some on Home Decorators.com and a few other sites, but didn't really want to pay full price. In time I found almost the exact same product on Target's website! I was very excited because they also carried the throw pillows I wanted to use in the seats as well, which were also on sale. Overstock.com also carries them for a reasonable price.
In addition to the update to the chairs, I also purchased another KARDEMUMMA pot from IKEA and planted some petunias to add some color. This particular pot comes in several different sizes and designs. This is the second one I've purchased with the vertical stripes and I also have one with a diamond pattern in my bedroom. The pot is intended for indoors, so I placed quite a bit of gravel in the base again to help with watering, and so far so good.
Can't wait to enjoy the new and improved patio with my roommate and neighbors! I'm so ready for some sunshine, drinks, and KC style BBQ! Cheers!
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