apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

My patio is small, but I do have a little bistro set out there. It's nice for evenings when the weather starts to cool (it's up in the 90s here in Phoenix). I also have some random plants around. The challenge has been finding shade-friendly plants, since my condo is sub-level, and the patio gets little to no direct sunlight.

Also, strangely, I get no comment posting forms for any of the posts older than this one.

Me too...what happened to the posting forms?

Mostly for eating supper, and drinking coffee on weekend mornings.

I am looking for some cute DIY decor ideas for my patio though...any suggestions?

Hey, I immediately thought of an article about a family in Geneva in the IKEA Family Live magazine -- do you people get copies in the US?. Unfortunately, the English version (UK based) and the German version in Switzerland have a time offset, so I couldn't find an English translation for you, but if you want to see the photos (perhaps you even read German?), this is the site:
http://ikeaeu.ecweb.is/08/FSUCHD/

It starts on page 16, is a bit unwieldy, but that's the best I can do. Hope it's of interest!

Right now I have an ikea chair and ottoman out there for reading, a birdfeeder, and our potted herb garden. Cute additions though would be funky colored old school metal lawn furniture, brightly colored flowers (both in containers at ground level and hanging from the ceiling), some hanging candles (could be citronella if you have a bug problem) and even a nice grass mat to add texture.

I love my little porch! It looks like it's about the same size as the one pictured. I've got a bistro set, a 2-seat bench, and a grill out there. I have some potted plants as well as rail planters. I painted an old chandelier John Deere Yellow and turned it into a flower vase-like thing that hangs from the ceiling of the porch. I've been thinking about making a larger, rectangular table top that can fit over the small round bistro table top so I can host dinners out there. For now it's a great place for coffee in the a.m. and unwinding after work.

I'm fortunate to have a deck almost as large as the house and I love it. I have tons of plants out there, a dining table and chairs, & a couple benches for lounging or taking naps. During warm summer evenings, I'll drag out the projector and hang a white flat sheet to watch movies. The deck is not covered so I have a market umbrella and DIY shade canopies.

If that picture is your "deck," I would be wary about keeping furniture out there. Rear porches like that are for emergency exits. City code is very strict on keeping emergency exits clear. I have porches very similar at my apt building, and I am constantly reminding the tenants to keep them clear.

Some time ago, an apartment-house deck collapsed under the weight of guests at a party. If I remember correctly, there were some deaths. Make sure the structural support for the deck you want to use is sufficient for the load.