Spring is quickly ending and summer is approaching fast! The next month will be filled with much busyness for my kids and I as the school year winds down.

It’s a perfect time for me to share the DIY Cement Pad Refresh details with you! Our tired looking cement pad got a much needed face lift. Why am I sharing this now? Because the kids will be home all day, every day this summer!

And, if we don’t have them occupied appropriately, it means they’ll be glued to their  devices for countless hours.

Each summer, I make a goal for that NOT to happen.

When I shared with  you on my Instagram Stories how we pulled off the DIY Cement Pad Refresh, you all loved it! So I am excited to give you a step-by-step here on the blog as well!

DIY Cement Pad Refresh

Just to give you a brief backstory, this cement pad was extremely worn when we first moved in 10 plus years ago. We lived with the depressing grey for a few years. Then, when I decided to completely re-do the yard myself, when Natalie was just 6 months, we painted the cement a golden hue.

It matched the beige stucco and it worked.

Was it my aesthetics? No. But it worked with the rest of the stucco and red brick borders.

Currently, I found myself looking longingly outside wishing for a nice, inviting outdoor space to reclaim.

We put our teak dining table on the right side of the pad. And the left was for traffic flow, walking and playing.

Honestly, there was no other functional aspects such as a lounge set. And that is a definite design goal for the refresh.

The girls are growing and we are finding that the interior space is getting a bit cramped. The guest room, aka Desert room, has become our second family room for  family movie nights etc.

However, it would be lovely to have friends over and entertain again. Ideally, not in a guest bedroom!

Our home backs up to a small street within our neighborhood. So, we are fortunate to have an open feeling outside and a larger yard. A small pool comes to mind, but honestly that is a large cost we would rather put into a first floor/kitchen renovation.

A fun feature like a fire pit would be incredible! I once was told that teenagers need to have a safe and fun home base. We would love to be that for our daughters and their friends.

S’mores by the fire pit on a summer night hanging out under the stars? Perf! I might even have a girls night in myself!

DIY Cement Pad Refresh: Steps to Prep

So, you say you want to refresh your tired old backyard cement too? This applies to any cement situation. Here are the things you will need:

1. Pressure Washer
2. Paint Brush and Tray
3. Paint
4. Blue Tape
5. Tarp

We didn’t opt to pressure wash the pad years back. But, I am so glad we did it this time.

Painting on a clean surface without old paint makes all the difference. Less coats and it’s very cathartic!

After we cleaned the surface and let it dry for a couple days (this is very important), we were ready to paint.

The weather wasn’t really cooperating with us and this project was delayed a couple of weeks because the wet and bleary weather made it hard to paint. You want the paint to be brushed onto a dry surface so that is absorbs correctly.

When it is wet, it can dilute the paint and also it takes forever to dry!

DIY Cement Pad Refresh: Paint Color

I am sure by now you are asking, what color did you decide Anita?

The wonderful thing about paint is that is can be a quick  design solution — even for outdoor spaces!

I wanted to shift from a Mediterranean transitional look to a modern Palm Springs hotel backyard feel.

So here are  two light greys that I tested on the previously unwashed cement pad.

The left grey was clearly almost white. The last thing I want to do is wash the cement pad daily! So the SW Front Porch was the winner.

I can’t tell you how much I love this color! I feel like it’s seriously the perfect light grey.

It is soft, soothing, inviting, yet cool. I don’t see an ounce of greige. Yet, it’s completely non- sterile like most cool greys can give.

f you want a nice grey for walls or cabinets, I would highly suggest this grey ! Just make sure you get the right base for where you are going to paint. We used the exterior paint that is water resistant.

Once the paint was chosen and the pad was clean and prepped, it was time to start painting!

Nothing is more cathartic than painting something old and refreshing it.

I had so much fun painting this pad! I practiced deep breathing exercises while painting and I felt one with nature and exhilarated to get a new space soon!

Once everything was painted, this is how fresh it looked!

I got so excited I put the  new Target rug on there!

If you are curious how long a project like this takes, I would advise giving it a full weekend. The prepping and taping took awhile. The painting didn’t take that long. We did about 4 coats.

Next up, I am excited to share how I transformed that basic,builder-grade red brick border into something elevated!

So happy I get to share all these ways to work with your home no matter what stage it is in!

Happy day!