Clever but EASY tricks with paint have transformed this once ugly concrete patio

All it took was paint and imagination to turn this small patio into the most Instagrammable outdoor space – here's how it was done. AND it was done by one of the Real Homes team...

Garden transformed with paint
(Image credit: Emily Smith)

So we have gone on about how paint can transform your garden for most of the summer so far – we've told you to paint your furniture, paint your sheds, paint your walls, but one thing we have yet to advise you to do is paint you garden floors! 

It wasn't something we had come across before until we got a tour of our Art Editor's garden during a highly exciting Zoom meeting! And, wow, it looks amazing! Emily has created a terrazzo effect floor to cover up her concrete patio tiles, genius, and painted old furniture with bright exterior paint to add a splash of bold colour. Love it. 

Keep scrolling to find out how to recreate one of the most beautiful and clever patio ideas yourself. And, for more pics of Emily's garden project (and just gorgeous interiors in general) head over to her Instagram page @emilysmith30.

Garden transformed with paint

(Image credit: Emily Smith)

You will need:

  • Head over to our garden ideas hub page for loads more ways to spruce up your outdoor space.

Step one: jet wash your patio before painting

'I got the husband to do all the hard, boring work, jet washing the patio and giving the patio 3 coats of white masonry. We used GoodHomes Self-cleaning pure white.'

For the best patio cleaner, check out our buying guide. 

Step two: pick your coloured paints 

Garden transformed with paint

(Image credit: Emily Smith)

'You can get Valsper tester pots mixed in their masonry paint. The ones I picked are British Shorthair, Silver Bonnet, Bonjour, Eraser Pink and then I just mixed my own light grey with leftover paint. I still have loads left over, which I used on my plant pots.'

Step three: create your terrazzo pattern 

'I bought a pack of four paint brushes with different sizes heads. Find a very comfortable pillow to kneel on (wow I ached after). Then I added different colour splodges of paint while changing the brush size up all the time to keep the shape and size different. I found rolling the brush head on the floor gave a great shape.'

Step four: seal your patio tiles 

Garden transformed with paint

(Image credit: Emily Smith)

'Once it all dried I sealed the patio with Everbuild Water sealAmazon could deliver it the next day!'

Step five: add finishing touches in co-ordinating colours

Garden transformed with paint

(Image credit: Emily Smith)

Got leftover paint? It's easy to give garden furniture and paint pots a bright new look with just a few coats.

Hebe Hatton

Hebe joined the Real Homes team in early 2018 as Staff Writer before moving to the Livingetc team in 2021 where she took on a role as Digital Editor. She loves boho and 70's style and is a big fan of Instagram as a source of interiors inspiration. When she isn't writing about interiors, she is renovating her own spaces – be it wallpapering a hallway, painting kitchen cupboards or converting a van.

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