Patio Renovation with IKEA RUNNEN Decking Tiles

I’ve lived in my current apartment for over 2.5 years now. I have an enormous amount of outdoor space, which is a hot commodity in my community, but I’ve been grossly underutilizing it. My patio is the entire length of my apartment, and you know what? Before this spring’s reno, I’d only really sat on my porch (outside of small patio crafting stints) a handful of times. After a little patio renovation with IKEA RUNNEN decking tiles, I can’t get enough of my outdoor space and am really looking forward to entertaining on it in the near future!

Patio Furniture

When I decided to start searching for furniture, I knew I wanted something I could lay down and lounge on. Something more than just a bistro set and chairs (which I have and love for outdoor craft projects!)

I wanted something that would be perfect for Friday night happy hour, Saturday morning coffee, and weekday lunch breaks!

Originally, I had my eye on a few daybed options, but then I found this conversation set at Home Depot and was sold! One standout feature of this set is that the cushions come with removable slip covers. My Parky boy has black fur, constantly sheds, and likes dirt and mud. Something easily washable was a must!

Additionally, this set comes with two chairs, a loveseat, and a coffee table all for an affordable price. (Happy pup not included!) They’re made of solid wood too!

My dad helped me put everything together. With a power drill and the correct bit, we were done assembling everything in about 30 minutes. It would’ve taken me HOURS without his help. Thanks, Dad! You rock!

IKEA RUNNEN Decking Tiles

Now for the showstopper! When I started my patio renovation, I thought I’d get a nice outdoor rug to pull everything together. But then a friend of mine mentioned IKEA RUNNEN Decking Tiles. After taking a look at the IKEA website, I was SOLD! The total cost of the decking tiles and accessories was very similar to what I would’ve paid for a rug, so the swap was a no-brainer for me!

Prior to purchasing the tiles, I mocked up a rough drawing on my iPad with layout options and how many sets of each product I would need. In the end, I decided to add one more set of grass tiles to make an 11′ by 8′ rectangle.

Talk about a game-changer. The artificial grass and wooden tiles are ten times cooler and more interesting than a plain, ole rug! I’m not the only one that thinks so either. I took four trips to IKEA over the course of five days to gather everything I would need for this project.

Now, you might be thinking, “why didn’t you get everything at once, Natalie?!” Well, IKEA was sold out of half the items I needed when I first went, then they got the third item the very next day. and the fourth item in two days after that. I miscalculated how many edge pieces I would need during my third trip, which made a fourth trip necessary! Anywho, enjoy this selfie of me walking out victorious after my fourth and final IKEA trip.

IKEA RUNNEN Decking Tiles – Installation

While the IKEA RUNNEN Decking Tiles are absolutely gorgeous, they are not the easiest to install. IKEA will tell you that each tile “clicks” together and has several videos of people seamlessly connecting the tiles without the use of force or any tools. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that’s simply not possible! However, with the right materials, you can totally install these tiles and avoid any of the discouragement and frustration that I encountered.

Parker got a little discouraged too with our lack of progress in the beginning.

After failing to install more than six tiles the first night I started this project, I took to the internet for answers. My secret (and I say secret because this information was seriously hard to find in all my online searches) weapon? A rubber mallet!! Yes, a $6 rubber mallet will make all the difference in the world, especially if you’re trying to install the grass tiles.

The wooden tiles are much easier than the grass because they’re hard on both sides, where the grass is much softer. You really need to be able to apply pressure and force the pieces together, and that’s largely impossible with your bare hands.

With your wooden mallet in hand, all you have to do is line up the tongue of one tile with the groove of another and hit the edge a few times. You’ll hear or feel the tiles snap together.

Once you successfully connect four or five tiles, you’ll get into a groove and can go to town. I think it took me about an hour or so to put together an 11′ by 8′ space. The mallet will also come in handy as you install the edge and corner pieces.

Another pro tip from me to you? Don’t forget that your corner tiles will require two edge pieces instead of one. Yeah, I didn’t realize that at first, which I why I had to go back to the store for the fourth time. #whoops

After installing the final tile, I laid down and Parky gave me lots of kisses! After all my hard work, I deserved a little love!

Patio Accessories

With my furniture and flooring assembled, it was time to decide on accessories! The first place I went (and the place I’ve gone to at least five times since) is Home Goods! I knew they would have a fantastic selection of cute and colorful accessories to choose from!

The first thing I picked up was a light blue, ceramic accent table! I had no idea what would go with it, but I thought it was cute and couldn’t leave it behind. What if I had left it there and someone else bought it before I could go back?!

I can’t link my exact table for you, but here are some other fun options I found: wicker, turquoise, faux concrete.

Next up, I went to Lowes, where I found the accent pillow of my dreams! This colorful, leaf pillow looks nearly identical to the acrylic painting styles of two of my favorite artists. I obviously had to get it! PLUS, it coordinated beautifully with the light blue accent table from Home Goods. If you like this pillow style but want a different color palette, here’s a two-pack in blues and greens.

After grabbing the floral pillow at Lowes, I went back to Home Goods and picked up a pair of light yellow pillows (that I’d had in my cart with the blue table but put back because I didn’t know what they’d go with.) Well, those yellow pillows go perfectly with my leafy accent pillow and light blue table. I also love these pillows and definitely would’ve picked them up too if my store had them in stock.

Next up, I went to Target! While there, I found some sweet and simple chambray lumbar pillows and a scalloped glass lantern. I toyed around with a few LED outdoor candles for the lantern but ultimately decided to use these twinkle lights inside it instead.

After a total of 10-15 trips to Home Goods, Target, Home Depot, Lowes, and IKEA, my patio is complete, and I can’t get enough! Every time I step outside, I’m tickled by the decking tiles and the way everything came together!

Interested in other home renovation and inspiration content? Check out this post: WFH Office Inspiration.

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