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Home » DIY Projects » DIY Outdoor Bar Cart

DIY Outdoor Bar Cart

October 3, 2014 | By Jenna Sue DIY Projects, Seasonal

Happy Friday! Today I’m sharing a new space—well, I’ve shown it once before, when our furniture arrived…

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This past summer we added a TV and a grill, and have been entertaining quite a bit so it was time to step things up.

I found this bar cart plan from Ana White and knew it was exactly what we needed:

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If you follow along on instagram you may have seen the construction in progress:

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There were a few hiccups, but thankfully my dad was there to come to my rescue, so it all worked out in the end.

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My first thought was to stain it, but the deck has so much brown tones and it would’ve been too much. I had some black exterior paint leftover from our front & kitchen doors so I knew that would be really sharp looking.

I took my time with this one—patching every hole and sanding it all down…

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Then gave it a few coats of paint and added hardware:

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And I just love it.

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My family was headed over for an evening BBQ shortly after these were taken, so I decided to have a little fun decorating (seasonally appropriate, of course—even though it was 85° yesterday)

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I love that the tray is removable, and that the cart is on wheels so we can roll it right up next to the grill if needed.
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Form & function at it’s best.

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And while I was at it, I couldn’t help but have a little fun with the rest of the deck…

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When the sun sets, temperatures cool down and we break out the blankets and lanterns.

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Even little Biscuit wants in on the action.

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I ordered the striped pillows from Target for a steal—$54 shipped for all four, and love the pop of color and pattern they bring to the space.

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I still have a few more plants to add but it’s almost there.

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We’ve only had our grill for a month or so but it has been put to good use already (another flea market score!)
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To get a better sense of layout, here’s looking towards the deck entrance (from the living room and kitchen):

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The TV is on a swing arm and can be adjusted for viewing (it was used on our patio in Florida and works great here, too). It’s connected to our main system inside so it can play any TV, music, etc on the same channel as the rest of the house.

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Outdoor living is huge in California, especially in the transitional seasons when the temperatures consistently hover in the 70’s and 80’s.

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The outdoor space is the reason we bought this house—thankfully we didn’t need to do any major renovations out here.

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These mountains, cozy furniture and good company are all you need.

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Cheers to fall…

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Aside from a few more plants, I ordered some cafe lights to string above the deck so I can’t wait for those to arrive. Just those couple additions and we should be all set!

Meanwhile, the living room is a different story. Our tile guy bailed on us at the last minute so we had to scramble to find a replacement. Reliable and reasonable contractors around here are hard to find apparently, so we ended up going with Lowe’s for the installation. Hoping to get the ball rolling on that next week!

I’m still keeping busy with projects, though. Putting the finishing touches on one wall in our living room and building an end table this weekend. I’ll have more to share on Monday, so check back then! Enjoy your weekend…

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Previous Post: « A vintage glass doorknob DIY for under $14!
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. hollysharon says

    October 4, 2014 at 8:24 pm

    Great view! I saw this online & thought you might want to check it out!
    https://www.dotandbo.com/collections/mountain-retreat?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MCM%20-%20Organic%20Modern%20Dining&noo=1&c3ch=Email&c3nid=2965

  2. Jenna Sue says

    October 4, 2014 at 3:24 pm

    Thank you Ashley, that's so sweet! I'm not an interior designer so I don't offer any services, it's all just for fun 🙂 But thank you for asking!

  3. Jenna Sue says

    October 4, 2014 at 3:22 pm

    Thanks Julie! I borrowed (stole) it from my mom a while back… no idea where she got it though, sorry!

  4. Julie says

    October 4, 2014 at 1:22 pm

    Your house is seriously stunning. Loving your design choices!

    Where did you get that woven tray you gave on your side table? Im looking for something similar and looks like the right sz i need. Thx!

  5. Laura Lynn says

    October 4, 2014 at 11:16 am

    I love this space! I'm completely inspired to finish our outdoor space! I started on it earlier this year and just lost steam. Thank you!!! This is just what I needed! Have a wonderful weekend with your family!

  6. Ashley @ Life on the Parsons Farm says

    October 4, 2014 at 4:01 am

    Gorgeous!! Your styling and photography is impeccable. I wish you were my neighbor so I could check this all out in person! Do you do design consults??

  7. Kathleen Jaworski says

    October 3, 2014 at 6:47 pm

    Beautiful space! Love the bar cart!

  8. marty (A Stroll Thru Life) says

    October 3, 2014 at 5:50 pm

    Oh wow, what a fabulous space. I love your new bar cart, it is the perfect accessory for the deck and such a great view too.

  9. Jenna Sue says

    October 3, 2014 at 5:00 pm

    Hi Dara, we have a custom waterproof cover for when it's not in use. It's also underneath the overhang so it's protected pretty well from the elements (the temperatures don't hurt the electronics). And it rains only a handful of times every year 😉

  10. Jenna Sue says

    October 3, 2014 at 4:57 pm

    Hi Kathy and Dave—it's great to see a local! We just love Lake Tulloch—we were looking to buy there originally but it's a bit of a drive to my parents and the convenience of town so we stuck with Sonora. It's my dream to own a house on the lake one day though 🙂 Glad you were able to discover Deutschman. Thanks for commenting and I hope you'll stick around!

  11. inspirationincreation says

    October 3, 2014 at 4:57 pm

    I'm curious how you keep the TV safe from the weather elements (such as they are out there in beautiful Cali!). I love outdoor spaces for the fall- those blankets look so cozy!.

    Dara

  12. Kathy and Dave says

    October 3, 2014 at 4:49 pm

    I found your blog recently just by accident from another decorating blog (not sure which one) and I really love what you've done with your home! We have a home not too far from you, along Lake Tulloch, and you can see some of our stuff on our family blog: https://kathyanddavebayly.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Lake
    My husband is reading your blog too as well as my daughter in law who is a graphic artist in San Francisco. She and my son just bought a house and she loves what you've done with yours! Unfortunately, my son is not too handy so we'll see how that goes 😉
    We also just went to Deutschman Lumber to look for old wood for a shelf, after reading your post about it. What a great find. My husband grew up on his uncle's lumber yard so he loved chatting with the owner.
    Anyway – great job and we enjoyr reading!

  13. Anonymous says

    October 3, 2014 at 4:37 pm

    What an amazing view!!!

  14. Jenna Sue says

    October 3, 2014 at 4:31 pm

    Thank you Amy, and welcome! I do find myself getting distracted at my desk quite often, but it's not a bad problem to have 😉

  15. Amy Johnson says

    October 3, 2014 at 4:20 pm

    I'm new to your blog (found you on I Heart Organizing), and am really enjoying going back and reading all your posts about this house. The view that you have is incredible! I don't know how you get anything done…I think I would find myself staring out the window all the time!

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Hi, I’m Jenna and I’ve been designing and DIY’ing my way through homes since 2008. Join me as I learn, share my experience, and hopefully encourage/inspire you along the way!

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