Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Walmart.  As always, all words and opinions expressed in this post are honest and my own.

There are a lot of sponsored posts I get excited about.  I don’t work with a brand if it doesn’t feel authentic and if I wouldn’t buy their products as a customer.  But, I am super, extra excited about this post because our pool and patio area has been completely transformed over the past couple of weeks.  There has been a lot of heavy-duty renovation work that has happened to get the pool up and running and we’ve put in a lot of sweat equity on the landscaping and overdue maintenance like power washing, but it’s been all of the furniture, plants, and accessories that have brought our outdoor oasis to life.  There still is more to do and I can’t wait to see how things look in 3-5 years as plants get established, the grass is revitalized, and other projects (like the fence) have been tackled, but this space is so beautiful and enjoyable even in its semi-finished state.

Before we dive into the pool & patio, I wanted to let you know it is Walmart Deal Days!  Now through July 13, in every department of their store.  Walmart’s prices are already great, but who would turn away additional deals? For the past three years, I have been a Walmart+ member (as a paying customer), and, even with tipping a driver or paying for an expedited order, I save so much money by ordering my staple groceries through Walmart each week.  If you aren’t a Walmart+ member and haven’t given yourself the gift of a Walmart delivery (or pick-up), you just might want to give it a try!  With the membership, we get early access to sales like Walmart Week, free delivery from the store, free shipping, a Paramount+ Streaming membership, and more.  You can get more details HERE.

Here is how the patio area looked when we bought the house.  We had the roof replaced in the fall (it was necessary due to old leaks and poor patching) and replaced the outdoor fixture to give it more presence.  We also had the cracked and sunken concrete replaced early this spring.  More recently, we removed the metal awning frame (we tried to make it work, but the awning we used filled with water and sagged when it rained, because it’s not installed at a steep enough angle) and power washed the old concrete.  We still need to patch and paint the trim and the windows will eventually be replaced, but you hardly notice the things left to do when it’s all dressed up!

Wow, wow!  Right? This patio is such a wonderful place to hang out now.  My parents gifted us the umbrellas and we found the teak loungers at a thrift store, but just about everything else is from Walmart!  We ordered the patio set for our new house from Walmart last fall and have loved it.  The chairs are comfortable and it’s a solid set that looks timeless and, I’m sure, will last for years.  This summer, we added the umbrella and the cushions to boost the comfort level even more.

umbrellas | patio set | Waverly Outdoor Pillows | BHG Beach Towels | Acrylic Goblets

I put a hobnail citronella candle on the table, so we can light it when we’re sitting around the table in the evenings.

And, since our patio is poolside, I ordered some acrylic goblets to use when we’re taking drinks outside.  (Broken glass and barefooted swimmers don’t mix very well.)  I searched around online for some (and these are carried on ), but I got to see them in person at the store and they are charming.  They feel like “adult glasses”, which I like because a lot of acrylic cups can look kiddish.  And, the bubbled detail makes them look like glass.  You don’t know they are acrylic until you pick them up.

As I said above, the lounge chairs were a thrift store score, but I dressed them with a blue & white Waverly bolster pillows from Walmart.

white Lancaster trellis

Not only do they look “bougie” (as one of my Instagram followers said), but they are comfortable to tuck under your knees or behind your neck when you’re lounging.  I like how they tie in with the navy umbrellas and blue pool tile.

Let’s talk about these pool/beach towels for a minute.  Walmart carried tons of beach towels online, but that is the kind of thing I like to feel in person to make sure the towel is thick and has a nice feel to it.  These BHG Beach Towels have the best texture of any of the pool towels I felt, so I bought four of them.  Based on their texture and thickness, they are a great buy for less than $14.

To keep the pool clutter under control, I bought an outdoor plastic storage trunk.

I typically don’t pick beige, but I like how this blends in with the color of the brick.  And it holds a ton!  I have pool cleaning supplies, pool noodles, toys, and floats, and a bucket for gardening tools and gloves, too.  When we have a bunch of people over, it can double as seating, a buffet, or a place to keep towels and dry clothes.

I also found this storage container to hold our robot pool vacuum.  I had to do a lot of searching and double-checking dimensions to find one that would be big enough for the robot, cords, and base, but this storage bin is perfect.  Some were just big enough for the vacuum, but would’ve been a tight squeeze for everything else.  Or, they were way too big and we would be tempted to throw other things in with the vacuum.  I really wanted to keep it in its own house, so it wouldn’t get inadvertently damaged.  This storage cube keeps the pool vacuum (which isn’t a small purchase) protected from the elements but easily accessible to throw in the pool when we need it.  It fits right next to the outlet, so we can plug it in, keep the base in the storage container, and put the vacuum in.  It’s quite handy and much better than hauling it to and from the garage all summer.

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We just let the vacuum drain and dry out before we put it in the storage box.  I read to store it on its side to protect the brushes, so I hope that was good advice!  THIS is the vacuum we purchased based on the positive reviews as well as favorable recommendations from my Instagram followers who own it.  It struggles a bit on our steps, which are oddly shaped and steep, but it does a beautiful job so far with the rest of the pool.  I’ll write a full review after we’ve used it for more than a few weeks!

I did want to find a way to screen the A/C unit without blocking airflow or impacting function.  I looked into a lot of different screen options and ended up getting this white vinyl fence-style screen.  I like that it’s very open, but still provides somewhat of a visual barrier.  As I was putting it together on the living room floor, Jeff and I were laughing at the idea that this would hide anything (it seemed so open), but once I put it in place, it looked great!  You can, of course, still see that there is an A/C unit there, but it provides just enough distraction to prevent it from being an eyesore.

I put it about a foot away from the A/C unit and left the third side open.  I probably could add two more, but once the landscaping matures a bit more, the A/C will continue to melt into the background.  I also put a large fern (less than $15 at the Walmart garden center) in the corner for some additional camouflage.

I planted some little limelight hydrangeas (they are actually “little limes” so they get about 3-5′ tall) to make a bit of a hedge around the patio area.

This isn’t a huge patio area, but everything seems to fit perfectly to make it an inviting and functional area for outdoor entertaining.  Our whole family has been in the pool almost every day or just sitting out on the lounge chairs together, talking and listening to music.

Now, let’s take a look at the other side of the pool.  Here is a picture of the pool from that angle when we bought the house…

And this is how that view looks now after a little sprucing up…

So, let me give you a little tour!  First of all, we had to build a new fence gate because the old one was literally falling apart and it got worse each time you opened it.  It was finally just a few boards barely hanging onto hinges.  We plan to replace the rest of that side of the fence this fall once the clematis finishes blooming.  We’ll cut it all back for next spring and rebuild the fence as a DIY project.  Yes, it is eating the fence and the gate, but I love the sweet autumn clematis.  I can’t wait for it to start blooming.

Obviously, the pool has been refurbished.  The coping was repaired, the tile was replaced, and the plaster was redone.  It now has a pump and filter and is up and running.  Sadly, they had to run a temporary line for the pump because, despite passing all of the line tests, the skimmer line has a crack in it and won’t work properly when hooked to the pump.  They’ll have to make a bit of a mess putting in a new line, but in the end, it’s probably worth it to know we have a new skimmer line that will last for many years.

We keep our grill in this area of the patio and it was a bit of a sore thumb on its own.  It was also a little lonely for the grill operator who didn’t have anywhere to sit and chat/relax while things were cooking.  So, as I was looking at some different options, I kept coming back to the comfortable outdoor glider chairs we had on our patio in Minnesota.  I sold them when we moved because they were bulky and I wasn’t sure we’d have a space for them.  Well, I regretted that when I saw our new outdoor space!  I don’t have many regrets about the things we sold when we moved, but I was wishing we brought those chairs along.  Since we didn’t, we replaced them!  I was so glad to see that Walmart continues to carry the River Oaks chairs.

They are comfortable, well made, have quality cushions, and even come with covers.  And, the covers aren’t flimsy covers that will fall apart after one winter.  They are thick and durable.  We cover them when not in use to extend the life of the cushions and the chairs.

The chairs themselves are made out of a woven all-weather material that looks like wicker.  To me, they give off a resort vibe without being super expensive!

I paired the chairs with this side table and a navy umbrella with solar-powered LED lights on the underside.  I didn’t know I would like the lights so much, but I love turning them on when we’re out there in the evenings.

And I bought THIS umbrella base to keep the umbrella in place.

Again, I added a couple of the Waverly blue & white pillows to coordinate with the umbrella and the prints from the patio area.

This pillow does have a geometric pattern on the other side, but I like the simple floral print.

If you look closely, you’ll also see how the garden areas have been cleaned out and revitalized.  I have spent hours out there in the evenings, digging rocks out of one bed and moving them to the other, weeding, planting, and mulching.  It’s been a lot of work, but it’s rewarding.  Between the newly planted liriope, I added THESE LED garden path lights.  I knew they would add a nice ambiance, but I had no idea I would love them so much!  They are only 8 lumens, so they put off a very gentle light, but it’s just enough to illuminate the garden edge and give a lovely reflection off the water.  I like that they are solar-powered and automatically turn on when it gets dark and shut off when the sun rises, so they are no fuss.

I have gotten some fun floats and toys for the pool, but our favorites are THESE pool loungers. I had no idea floating pool loungers could be so expensive!  I just want floats that I won’t cry over when they get a hole, which is inevitable at some point.  I want everyone to be able to jump on them, play rough, and drag them around the pool deck without me cringing and nannying.  There has already been a lot of great floating time in these.

The boys wanted a basketball hoop and, while we might add one on the side of the pool eventually, we bought for THIS now and it’s been a hit.  The boys have also like the water football for doing trick catches while jumping in.

We’ve always had lovely homes, but we’ve never had a backyard that felt like an oasis.  This one definitely does and it’s already drawn us outside more and has been a great place for spending time together.  We’ve even had the teenagers from our church over to swim and hang out, which felt like the realization of the vision we had when we bought this house.

And, in the end, that’s what decorating is all about.  It isn’t about photographs, sharing on a blog, or getting likes on social media.  It’s about creating spaces that bring people together and make life richer.  It’s just a patio and a pool, but it’ll also be the stage for great memories for us and our boys.  And that gives deeper meaning to something that can be very superficial.