Before and After: 10 of the Best Small-Space Outdoor Makeovers We’ve Ever Seen

As the days get longer, the weather warms up, and green starts to appear, you may be itching to get outside. Creating a comfortable outdoor hub is relatively easy for those with large yards. With all its square feet, it can easily fit in a dining area, a place to prepare meals, a garden, etc. But even just having a small outdoor space to yourself can be a relaxing and cozy hangout. can.

Need proof? Check out these 10 small but mighty outdoor makeovers. They all feature fun solutions for packing a lot of style into a small area. Learn how they did it and see what you can recreate for yourself in time for summer.

Apartment dwellers Sierra and Evan loved using their outdoor space for everything from eating together to taking work calls, but the exposed balcony wasn’t exactly the show-stopper. . ‘It was like a regular bagel,’ says a friend of theirs. Elizabeth Van Lierde, a food and lifestyle blogger. “It had a great base, but it lacked a lot of character and functionality.” So Elizabeth helped couples design an outdoor escape that really had the charm they crave. , used lots of neutral colors and natural textures, including wooden furniture and woven baskets as pendants, to create the feeling of having stepped into a vacation. I loved being there and spent too much time on this patio and it didn’t feel beautiful,” says Elizabeth. And with her change, now it is!

Honolulu resident Beth Pateman had picture-perfect views from the patio of her apartment, but the actual perch didn’t have much to offer. To make it the right place, she purchased sleek black patio chairs by Design Within Reach and a table by Target. But what really feels totally stylish is the 20-plus potted plants scattered all over the place: “We’ve taken a little-used space to get a new outdoor room to enjoy.” ‘, she says Beth. “I can’t believe we waited this long to make this part of our living space.”

naveen shakir The Design Souk I have a friend who desperately needed help designing her awkwardly shaped outdoor space. “Christina’s L-shaped her 180-square-foot patio is part of a very small rental home that was built in the 1980s,” she says. “So every little part of the living space, inside and out, counts big time!” Christina is a renter and doesn’t want to break the bank, so all the changes Naveen has made can be undone, It had to be budget friendly. Naveen provided one side as a dining area and the other as a living area. A black painted wooden pergola throughout the patio adds a touch of luxury and also provides a bit of shade.

Blogger Laura loves decorating, but her patio has been neglected for years. It’s in front of her house and faces the entire neighborhood, so Laura felt it needed a little TLC to reach its full potential. I couldn’t fully enjoy my new home,” she says. Laura bought her favorite patio set and added a cozy touch with outdoor rugs, simple lanterns and potted plants. “Once I found a seat that fit in the space, everything else was easy,” says Laura. In just her two weeks, she turned the patio into an actual hangout. “Every spring and summer you’ll find us there!” she says.

Saima Sharov and her husband hired a contractor to renovate the interior of the 640-square-foot Fixer Upper, while leaving the backyard pristine and unused. “It was her little 1930s wooden back porch, old and rickety,” says Saima. She and her husband didn’t have any other outdoor space on the property, so they decided to take advantage of this. We built a new deck on top, offering a mix of vintage finds and pieces we already owned.

Bev Wilson (of room source) and her fiancé were able to score the top two floors of Brooklyn’s Brownstone, which features a beautiful modern balcony. An outdoor space like this was a huge bonus, but it didn’t look very appealing as a couple’s hangout because it faces a busy street. It was to surround it with a bamboo fence and artificial greenery. This only took a few days. Then I combined the new background with comfortable furniture. “This simple project completely transformed our patio,” he says. “By blocking out the view of the busy street, our outdoor spaces have become more peaceful and now feel very private.”

Jessica Elyse shares her apartment with three roommates, so it was especially important to make the patio a usable area for more living space. Previously, the small patio was pretty empty, but it was clean and well located, so there were a lot of possibilities. Lush plants hanging from the ceiling give the patio a tropical and relaxing feel. “Having lots of plants makes the space feel more private and natural,” says Jessica. “And I love having a comfortable spot outside to eat breakfast in the morning and enjoy a glass of wine at the end of the night.”

Sabrina Sosa (@sabrinalsosadesigns) lived in a modern apartment in downtown Vancouver where the small balcony was “dark and boring” and “used only to dry clothes,” she says. Sabrina decided to create a relaxing hideaway, even as a renter. She has done so on several small projects. First, Sabrina laid out removable turf to create a cozy and cozy base. She then set up a small piece of furniture on the balcony with two chairs, a table and some potted plants and flowers. “If you’re wondering about making changes to your rental, just remember that there are many small details you can add to create the perfect place without making permanent changes,” Sabrina said. say.

Shannon Bowen (@themodernspeakeasy) says her balcony was a “forgotten, avoided, monotonous, dingy and dirty space.” So she and her partner spent her month and her $500 doing a much-needed balcony makeover. Once the floors and walls were clean, Shannon painted all surfaces white and stenciled a blue-grey pattern over the floor to mimic the look of tile for much less. she says. Shannon also created floating flower boxes from recycled wine crates and painted the metal furniture bright blue. “The finishing touches were adding pots of different heights, plant stands and decorative tables to bring the space to life,” she says. I wake up every day in a lush oasis teeming with water.”

Liz Ferguson The previous owner of her home said she thought of the balcony as an “afterthought,” but she was ready for it to turn heads. Liz created a three-piece dining setup with Target furniture I ordered a comfortable rocking chair from Amazon. All of this turns the balcony space into a true fresh air living room. String lights hung by Liz also create a cozy and romantic atmosphere. “It feels very special to step into this little oasis,” says Liz.