Maximalism Is Still Thriving. Just Check out This Bright, Sunny (and Affordable) Patio

Breegan Jane—the star of The House My Wedding Bought on Discovery+, celebrity interior designer, and a regular on HGTV—had a patio that was pretty blah. The turquoise day bed was pretty, but there was a hodgepodge of furniture that didn’t really go together and a dearth of accessories. So, she did a collab with TJ Maxx and Marshalls and turned the patio into a fresh oasis that’s brimming with texture and color—without breaking the bank.

To begin a full patio redesign like this, she kept the day bed and got rid of the rest. The first step, she says, is to measure for the big pieces like the dining table, chairs, fire pit, and bar. This way, she was able to fit an outdoor living room with multiple seating areas into a relatively small space. “Measuring [is key],” she says. “I would start by sourcing the biggest pieces that you want online. Those are your base pieces.”

From there, she recommends a trip to the store. “Nothing replaces touching and feeling products and being inspired. I mean, that’s what I get paid to do as a designer,” Jane says.

Charlotte Lea

“Maximalism is coming back and we’re seeing textures, bright colors, prints,” she adds. “Which means we’re adding those extra layers of personality and texture. So, I recommend really leaning big into color pillows and textured pillows.”

For the fire pit area, Breegan chose burnt orange pillows to create a cozy space. She describes the area as “very conversational.” The daybed and seating area, meanwhile, have a complementary color scheme of yellows and turquoise—with more texture brought in with rope chairs. These tie into the rope chairs she used at the bar, which fits just so. (Measuring really paid off on this part of the patio.)

Charlotte Lea

For both the bar and the dining area, she used melamine accessories. “Melamine works because it’s unbreakable,” says Jane. “That’s the stuff where I saw it in the store and was like, ‘Oh, these are great.’ They’re bright and add a pop of color, but also I have kids and friends and, you know—I don’t wanna worry. I wanna live in my spaces.”

Charlotte Lea

Charlotte Lea

Textured accessories and accents abound—the indoor/outdoor embroidered pillows have tassels, the gas fire pit is stone, a palm sits pretty in a matte pot. (And we at Sunset love a potted tree.) Meanwhile, it turns out even celebrity designers love a deal. “I brought in some solar lights—those gold lamps are $16.99 each!” Jane says. The melamine wine glasses, meanwhile, are $12.99 for four, and tasseled pillows start at $19.99.

To tie it all together, Jane picked not one but two area rugs—one in yellow, one in gray and white. “They set your space apart—and you can use them outdoors, even on turf,” she says. “It just helps ground the space and reminds you more of a living room. It gives you that social feel you’re looking for.”

Now, she has a patio space she can be proud of—a relief since you can see it when approaching her front door. “This summer I wanna live outside,” she says. “And now the patio is like this happy little oasis.”

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