Though tiny homes are all the rage, sometimes you can’t exactly choose your living space dimensions — especially if your apartment or home is in a crowded urban area. While it may seem impossible to decorate a small patio or deck, we’ve got you covered — even if your outdoor space is uncovered. Read on for small patio ideas and inspiration!
Plant Flowers in Pots
You don’t have to have a huge backyard to create a flower garden. Use hanging flower pots or planters that can be attached to a railing, or you can grow a beautiful mini garden that you can enjoy right outside your door.
Utilize Stairs or Steps
Where some people see living on the third floor of a three-family home as a major pain, those stairs can also become a whole new world of space. Using small pots, stack flowers or other plants on the stairs (tucked safely to the side, of course), you can alternate your flowers with statues or other outdoor decorations. If your porch is indoors, you can attach hooks to the wall running alongside your stairs for storage space for cleaning supplies, coats, and other items.
Create a Vertical Garden
If you’ve always wanted a vegetable garden but you’re finding your planting space lacking, consider planting vertically. You can get upside-down or hanging tomato planters as well as patio-friendly pots for fresh herbs, strawberries, and more.
Maybe you’ve always been interested in succulents. Did you know that you can get plants that only require biweekly overnight soaks? Tillandsia, also known as air plants, can be used to create living framed art or just to decorate. Just make sure that, wherever you set them up, they’re not in direct light.
Get Café Style Seating
What’s the most charming thing about bistros or cafés? Their cute outdoor seating! You can find bistro style seating such as high tables with barstool-like chairs and tuck it into a corner of your deck. Voila! You can now enjoy your morning coffee on the porch. Score your table and chairs at any store that carries outdoor furniture, or keep an eye on local tag sales. You may even be able to find secondhand freebies posted in online groups and message boards. Add a small citronella candle or pot of flowers as a centerpiece.
Decorate with Soft Fairy Lights
Nothing makes a space as romantically relaxing as outdoor string lights. Available in styles from eclectically industrial to twinkling, string lights set a calming mood for a fun hangout space or a place to cuddle underneath the stars. You can find outdoor lights at most stores (especially during the holidays) or online. If your patio has posts, add a cozy hammock or porch swing for luxurious lazy nights. Outdoor lights can be used to create a subtle look by stringing them around your deck. Or you can string up a twinkling wall as a backdrop to your seating.
Think Outside the Box
Speaking of seating, you don’t have to sacrifice a place to get off your feet just because you have a small outdoor space. Repurpose pallets into a custom built-in or standalone low couch and coffee table. For a more laid back look, paint milk crates and cover them with a throw pillow or seat cushion. Scatter them across your patio for casual seating.
The ideas don’t have to stop there, though. Turn a crate onto its side to create an instant accent table. You can also attach crates to build shelving that can hold knick knacks or house your vertical garden.
Take Advantage of Railings
Railings can be the perfect place to wind string lights along your stairs, or even hold a flower box. They can also serve as the back to your built-in pallet chaise lounge or couch. If you’re feeling more adventurous, you can plant ivy and coach it to wrap around the rails as it grows.
Do you own your own home? Try replacing your standard railings with more modern designs, such as zen-like lattice railings or contemporary opaque glass. You can also add solar-powered deck lights to your railings as caps and, if you’re a renter, you don’t even have to get ones that attach to the railing, potentially damaging them.
Open Up Space with Paint
If you’re feeling especially cramped, open up your space with a light paint palette. Use a light stain on wood decks or paint the wood flooring or accents with pastel colors. Be sure to stick to just a few colors, though, and make sure they complement each other.
Not able to paint? No worries! You can coordinate your furniture and accessories such as throw pillows. Decorate in all white to reflect natural light from the sun (or the soft light from string or solar lights).
Frame Space with Curtains
Urban living can often feel cramped, and you may feel like you have no privacy in your tiny outdoor space. By hanging some lightweight curtains, you can keep prying eyes out and section off your own oasis.
To open up space, choose a light color such as white or pastels. If you’re a renter and unable to hang curtains, you can find Asian style partitions or panels — or even create your own using pallets.
Maybe you just want to prevent a relaxing night outside from turning into a bug’s buffet. Keep bugs out with hanging mesh screens.
Accent Coziness with a Fire Pit
Most people picture fire pits as bulky hulks that take up entirely too much room. If your space is an open area that allows you to safely have a fire pit, you can actually find them in a wide range of sizes. If you can’t find the right size, you can do it yourself and assemble your own outdoor fire pit.
Now that you’ve got plenty of ideas, you can design a gorgeous outdoor living space — no matter how little room you’ve got.
