Semi-DIY Black Adirondacks~Sophisticated Summer Decor

I'm not sure how I did it, but this weekend I was able to fit in some quality family time, a few ball games and a couple quick outdoor projects. They were very simple "Semi-DIY" projects that were easy on the budget and add a ton of style to our back yard.
The first project was a set of stylish, comfortable, "summer time chic" Adirondack chairs...

We plan on spending a lot of time outside this season. I'm making some improvements in our backyard that will make it more conducive to entertaining. Starting with this new set of comfortable chairs that are stylishly "summer chic". I began by purchasing un-finished Adirondack Chairs from Home Depot for $38 each (that is a great price!)

At first I was bummed that I had to put them together until I really thought about the logistics of this project. Since they were purchased in nice flat boxes, they were easy for me to bring home in the trunk of my car in one trip. The fact that they came un-assembled also made the painting process a little less painful. I was able to easily paint areas that may have been tricky to reach if they had been completely put together.

I decided to go with black for the finish to give me a sophisticated look. The trick to using black paint on outdoor furniture is achieving a nice saturated, smooth, satin finish that will last. To accomplish that I lightly sanded the wood and applied several coats of paint. I started with a coat of Black Satin Enamel applied with a brush. Once it was dry (overnight), I assembled the chairs and finished them with two coats of Krylon spray paint (Color Master Black Satin).

I took advantage of our drying time and had a little fun in the backyard with the kids. We attempted a mini-family photo shoot with my boys and nephew. We had this great idea to have them lay in the grass while I stood over them to snap the photo. Looking up into the sun doesn't make for the best expressions, but we had fun.

During the dry time I was also able to knock out a quick flower project. I bought pre-made hanging baskets filled with wave petunias. To make them extra special, I nestled a sweet potato vine in the top, center of each basket. The pop of vibrant green looks beautiful with purple flowers and will really look amazing once it starts to grow and cascade from the basket.

By the time my photo shoot with the kids and simple flower project were complete, my chairs were dry and ready to be put into place. I can't wait to show you where I am putting them. They are part of a really fun project that is about to begin, I'll tell you about it soon.

Until then, a few toss pillows and a blanket borrowed from the living room make our new chairs perfect for summer evenings.

I'll be back with more details on the fun projects going down in our back yard. My plan is to bring some of the style from inside the house outside for the summer.
Thanks for stopping by.

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