In one of the very first patio posts, I mentioned wanting to close in at least one side of the pergola. 3 years later we finally did it! Here's how:

This post is sponsored by Walmart. As Always, all opinions are mine.

We built our patio in 2020 and since then, it's been a place of respite and memory making. To continue making it the summer oasis we want, we decided to add a privacy wall to the pergola. Our neighbor's home is pretty close to ours and staring at their siding wasn't giving (as my teen would say). We also needed a place for Joe's new griddle. With a privacy wall, the griddle can live next to the grill without slipping off the edge of the patio. Testing out the new griddle was the perfect excuse to grab a few patio must-haves from Walmart. I purchased the griddle from Walmart in June for Father's Day but it's still on rollback! Walmart is always first on my list for affordable and pretty finds and when will I stop being surprised at the selection?! Their patio and garden section is FULL of things I wanted but I used some self control and limited my haul to a few fresh pots, outdoor serve ware, and pillows for our outdoor sofa. Here's how the privacy wall turned out.

We finally stained our DIY pergola! It was always our intent to stain it, but once it was finished, we found ourselves just wanting to enjoy it! As the months passed, we noticed the wood splintering and getting gray/weathered and figured it was time. It was a big job best accomplished in the spring before temps hit the 100s (hello North Carolina summers) but if it hadn't been for quarantine, we might have continued putting it off (we're ambitious like that). After trying a million different samples, I have some things to say hence an entire post dedicated to it, plus I haven't shared any patio photos since last July so now is a good time for an update. But first, when you last saw our DIY modern pergola, it looked like this:

I'm so excited to share our Patio Makeover with you! It's been a looong time coming! Last year we had a fence built. While that wasn't exactly a "fun" purchase, it created the privacy we needed before investing in a complete patio makeover. We wanted an outdoor spot that could accommodate our big family and reflect our style. We had a lot of issues to work around- very close neighbors/lack of privacy (welcome to suburbia), a slope-y yard, a huge swing set, and bright and harsh sun. Here's how we tackled the issues, infused our style without breaking the bank, and our future plans for the space.