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Let’s Celebrate Fall With An Outdoor Living Area Reveal!

September 17, 2021 by Kimberly Snyder 12 Comments

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By combining old & new outdoor furnishings with a new pool addition,  we expanded our living area !

How the Lanai Looked When We First Purchased the House in Feb 2018

Lanai at the Florida House March 2018

A little bit of background : when we first purchased our Florida home from my Great Aunt in February 2018, the house had a screened in lanai that measured 10 x 16.  Our original plan was to use the home as a vacation home and to continue living in Illinois.  About a year and a half into this plan, I changed my mind and we started the process of moving to Florida full time.

We moved to Florida full time in the Fall of 2019.  Below is some of what I brought along to use in our screened in lanai.

Lanai before fall 2019

Fortunately we also had a small screened in area in the front of the house, so a few pieces ended up in there.  A few pieces had to “live” outside until we had more room in the lanai. I was able to set up a few pieces of my vintage wrought iron furniture.   More about the original lanai can be found here:

wrought iron furniture on lanai

One of the major perks of living in Southwest Florida is the ability to enjoy the outdoors almost year round.  We knew that once we were living in Florida full time, we would want to add a swimming pool to our backyard. However, we weren’t prepared for all the decisions that went into adding a swimming pool!  Shape, size, material, salt water vs chlorine…. the list of choices was overwhelming!

Dave & I started seriously talking about adding the pool in the Spring of 2020.  The subdivision we live in has certain rules regarding pools and pool enclosures that we knew we would have to abide by.  The pool would need to be an inground pool with an enclosure over it called a pool cage.  We knew this would be a major investment but since the Florida home was to be our forever home, we were willing to make the investment.

More about the decision process can be found here:

The Final Drawing From the Pool Company

lanai closeup from east

We approved the drawing for the pool/lanai/outdoor kitchen addition almost a year ago.  We chose Superior Pools of Southwest Florida to do the work.  They started in mid December and the project was completed by the end of March.  We had sod put in early in the summer .  I still haven’t decided whether I want mulch or rock around the perimeter of the area.

The lanai faces north.  If you are wondering what the difference is between a lanai and a sunroom, please check out this post!  

A Few In Process Photos

Guys working in the hole for the pool

and finally…. almost finished!

Outdoor addition almost finished

How It Actually Turned Out (Picture Taken Looking East)

pool withh travertine deck

It isn’t Just a Pool, It is An Outdoor Addition

Early on in the researching process, I decided that we needed an outdoor kitchen in addition to the pool.  Well, actually I just wanted a fancy brick pizza oven. I thought I  didn’t need a grill or a sink or storage…. just the pizza oven, please.  it wasn’t long before I discovered that my dream pizza oven cost over $12,000.  So, I found something that would work for about 1/10th the price!  And then we found something that would do several cooking jobs for almost as much as the 2nd choice pizza oven!  More about the discovery  of the Big Green Egg is in this blog post!

If you are just starting to follow my blog, you may be curious as to why I need a pizza oven.  I was a pizzeria owner before I became a Floridian!  More about my pizza exploits can be found here:

and here:

Pizza ready to be cooked on the Big Green Egg

The Outdoor Kitchen Area

waiting on cabinets to arrive for the outdoor kitchen

From the original 10 x 16 footprint of the lanai, we expanded the deck another 14 feet out and had a composite roof put over it to make the outdoor kitchen.  Technically it isn’t a real kitchen since it doesn’t have a sink but I still refer to it as an outdoor kitchen.

You may have realized by now that I like my “stuff” and I needed somewhere to put all my “stuff” like craft supplies and entertaining accessories.  Because we live in a hot, humid area, wood cabinets weren’t really an option.  After a lot of research, I found these amazing cabinets.

storage cabinets by Challenger Designs

These cabinets are Made In The USA by Challenger Designs, located in Indiana.  I ordered them from Family Hardware in Cape Coral, FL.  They are available in several different color combinations.  I chose Cappuccino for the frame and Copper Vein for the top.  Each unit is 48″W x 35″H x 24.875″ D.  Now I have plenty of room to work on projects and for storage!

Ideally, I would have centered them under the window.  However, that would have blocked the outlet so I have to live with them placed the way they are.

up close picture of solar lantern

The Copper Vein top reflects the light from this battery operated hanging lantern at night.   The color is just perfect!

Let’s Celebrate!

Autumn display in the outdoor kitchen

Pumpkin themed vignette

lidded ceramic pumpkin pie holderautumn wreath with battery candles

I was trying to cover up the outlet with the architectural piece!  Wasn’t quite successful!  The wire basket that the candle arrangement is sitting in is actually the front off of an old fan!  It makes a great basket!

Our First Guests

Back in late March, my friend Glo Ann and her Dad came to visit.  You might have heard of Glo Ann…. I have a table I call the Glo Ann table because she was going to paint it and I threw such a fit about it, she gave it to me for Christmas one year.  All the details are here:

While we were relaxing in the pool, we were discussing how to decorate the lanai.  This picture was before the walls had been power washed.  We still need to paint and do some spackling to cover up where the existing lanai was taken down.

friends in the pool

Vintage Wrought Iron on the Lanai

Vintage wrought iron chaise lounge

This is a wrought iron chaise lounge that I found on my parents’ deck when I was working on the downsizing/moving project.  I have no idea where it came from!  It was green and now it is painted black.

custom painting on wrought iron settee

I have two of these settees.  My dear friend , Lisa , hand painted the flower detail on them before we moved to Florida in the fall of 2019.  The paint has held up amazing well!

hand painted accent flowers on black bench

I may have a pillow addiction!  I have so many pillows, I have two deck boxes to store them in when they aren’t in use.

pair of vintage ice cream chairs

wicker chair with pillows

These vintage wrought iron ice cream chairs belonged to my Mom.  I paired them with this wicker coffee table to make a sweet area to drink my coffee in the morning.

vintage white wicker table

In the evening, we can break out the tabletop fire pit and roast some marshmallows for s’mores!

tabletop fire pit

Dining Area

I made this European Dish Garden in a square dough bowl .  I love the bright yellow mums combined with the red and yellow petunias.

European Dish Garden as a centerpiece

I plan to use it with this runner .

Cream & Red Runner on Outdoor Dining Table

I inherited my Mom’s California Farmhouse dishes.  I think this condiment holder is just the cutest thing!

I recently added even more pillows to my every growing pillow collection!  Feel free to check it out here! 

outdoor pillows on the settee

Save This Pin For Later!


 

Now It Is Thyme To Relax & Enjoy!

battery operated lights as a centerpiece

To see how the lanai went from Autumn to Holiday in the blink of an eye , please see this post:Let’s Refresh The Lanai for the Holidays with a Retro Feel

 

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Filed Under: Blog Post, Decorating & Design Tagged With: "Kim" Style, Autumn, entertaining, lanai, outdoor living

European Dish Garden For Fall
Happy Heavenly 93rd Birthday, Mom!

Trackbacks

  1. How to Create an Autumn Thyme Silk Hand Tied Bouquet - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    September 22, 2021 at 11:31 am

    […] We recently completed an outdoor addition to our home which has helped with my storage challenges and giving me a place to spread out and design. […]

    Reply
  2. How To Repurpose Your Spring Containers for Fall - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    September 24, 2021 at 3:40 pm

    […] To see other decorating ideas for Fall , please go here: […]

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  3. I Won Some Home Improvement Items! - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    October 1, 2021 at 9:04 am

    […] gray stripe down the wall is where they took down the existing lanai when we had our lanai expanded earlier this year.  We still need to do some painting and patching on the […]

    Reply
  4. Let's Cozy Up the Lanai For Autumn! - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    October 20, 2021 at 3:47 pm

    […] See that rectangle box in the background?  It is full of pillows and pool toys.  It even has a slightly larger “twin” box in the opposite corner of the lanai!  I briefly addressed my pillow addiction in this post: Let’s Celebrate Autumn With an Outdoor living Area Reveal! […]

    Reply
  5. A Look Back - Autumn in the Garden - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    October 21, 2021 at 2:11 pm

    […] If you have been following me for awhile, you know that creating patio pots/outdoor planters as well as European Dish Gardens are two of my very favorite things to do.  Unfortunately, this fall I haven’t been able to spend much thyme working on potting and planting. To be completely honest, I have spent the majority of my thyme this fall concentrating on finishing up our outdoor addition.   […]

    Reply
  6. Let's Refresh The Lanai for the Holidays with a Retro Feel - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    November 18, 2021 at 10:30 am

    […] I briefly addressed my pillow addiction in this post: Let’s Celebrate Autumn With an Outdoor living Area Reveal! […]

    Reply
  7. The Farmhouse Fireplace Decorated for The Seasons - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    November 20, 2021 at 9:31 am

    […] and also here:Let’s Celebrate Fall With An Outdoor Living Area Reveal! […]

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  8. "Kim" Style - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    November 21, 2021 at 2:47 pm

    […] Now the challenge really began.  I had to downsize from a 3100 sq ft farm house with multiple outbuildings, a storage unit full of primitive antiques, and a business full of flower design items .  Our Florida house  was much smaller at only 1700 square feet. The subdivision did not allow us to have a storage unit on our property, not even a garden shed!  Hopefully by early 2021 , we will be able to add an outdoor kitchen, pool and expand the lanai.  In the meantime, I needed to really downsize my collections and stream line my furnishings.  update:  We did get our outdoor living area expanded and that has helped ALOT!  This post, Let’s Celebrate Fall With An Outdoor Living Area Reveal!   […]

    Reply
  9. Autumn Garden Style Decor For the Entryway - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    July 14, 2022 at 11:58 am

    […] Now we are ready to turn attention to the other side of the entry way.  I normally keep a metal cart in this area but it was looking a little sad.  The screen does allow a little bit of water to get in if the rain is coming from  a certain direction.  I love this cart but it is thyme to give it a new coat of paint.  I wheeled it into the garage until I can get around to painting it.  After it is painted, it will probably go out on the lanai. […]

    Reply
  10. More Summerthyme on the Lanai - From Farmhouse to Florida says:
    July 30, 2022 at 6:11 pm

    […] I briefly addressed my pillow addiction in this post: Let’s Celebrate Autumn With an Outdoor living Area Reveal! […]

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    May 24, 2023 at 9:00 am

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Hello! Kimberly (Kim) Snyder and I'm glad you're here. An entrepreneurial spirit, I've owned a flower shop and antiques store, a pizza parlor and now we're in Florida living a new adventure. Join me as we downsize into our new digs and continue the adventures! WRITER & BLOGGER

Kimberly Snyder shares the adventures of moving to Florida and beginning again in a new space as a herbalist, a creative, and a serial entrepreneur

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Pretty in Pink for Spring! Thinking about layering Pretty in Pink for Spring! Thinking about layering in some aqua for Summer. What do you think? #kimstyledecor #coastalfarmhouse #coastalfarmhousestyle #fromfarmhousetoflorida #decoratingwithshells
Summer thyme is just around the corner! Let’s re Summer thyme is just around the corner! Let’s refresh your outdoor area! #fromfarmhousetoflorida #kimstyledecor #outdoorlivingspace #summervibes☀️ #coastalhomedecor #coastalfarmhouse
It is so easy to refresh a wicker basket with a co It is so easy to refresh a wicker basket with a coat of chalk paint! I used some left over chalk paint for this project. After the basket was dry, I filled it with a couple pots of blooming plants! #chalkpaint #wickerbasket #basketmakeover #basketlover #gardenstyledecor #kimstyledecor #fromfarmhousetoflorida
We had the house painted last fall. I finally got We had the house painted last fall. I finally got the vintage urns out of storage and added white mums.  #brocantestyle #brocante #gardenantiques #gardenstyle #kimstyledecor #whitemums #fromfarmhousetoflorida
Instagram post 18044738081437452 Instagram post 18044738081437452
I love to use my Mom’s vintage Hamilton Beach mi I love to use my Mom’s vintage Hamilton Beach mixer! It still works after all these years. I did have it re-wired several years ago because the original cord was frayed. #hamiltonbeach #fromfarmhousetoflorida #vintagekitchenwares #mothersday #farmhousekitchendecor
Not sure if I ever shared this version of the pott Not sure if I ever shared this version of the potting bench. I started decorating it with a lavender theme. I must have gotten distracted before I finished it! It just needs a few potted lavender plants ti finish it! #lavender #farmhousedecorating #gardenstyle #fromfarmhousetoflorida #pottingbench
Simple Summer sugar mold idea! I made the flower o Simple Summer sugar mold idea! I made the flower out of the trim from an old pillowcase.  #sugarmoldcenterpiece #sugarmolddecor #fromfarmhousetoflorida #farmhousedecor #fauxhydrangeas #gardenstyledecor #cottagedecor #kimstyledecor
Mother’s Day week is here! If you have been foll Mother’s Day week is here! If you have been following me for a while, you know I can’t resist filling a dough bowl (or2) with blooming plants! I designed this one with a combination of vintage garden tools, an old book and a selection of plants.  It would make the perfect gift fire that special Mom in your life! #mothersdaygifts #mothersday #mothersdaygiftideas #gardenstyle #farmhousedoughbowl #doughbowl #kimstyledecor #fromfarmhousetoflorida

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