My Great Outdoors month is just kicking off here at Apartment Therapy, but we're already excited by what we've seen and are anxious for more. If you're gearing up to overhaul your outdoor area, be it a balcony, porch or actual yard, here are a few tips for creating a cozy space in which you'll want to spend the whole summer...
This balcony from Canadian House and Home may be small on space, but it still manages to feel like a true extension of the home. Here's our list of essentials for creating the same effect:
Seating
Take into account what you'd primarily like to use your outdoor space for before purchasing any seats. Will you be doing a lot of entertaining out there? If so, table-height chairs will be a must. We recommend a few folding ones (like Fermob) for a particularly small area, as they can be easily stored to the side when not in use. If you'd like to use your space primarily for relaxation, try creating a reading nook or lounging area with a nest of thick, weather resistant pillows. It'll be the perfect spot for napping or doing the Sunday crossword.
Ambient lighting Set the mood for a relaxing evening outdoors with some soft light. A few hanging lanterns (like in the photo above) are fun, or a few candles strewn about. We also like the look of a strand of white Christmas lights for a twinkling glow.
Plants
Even if your outdoor oasis is in the middle of an urban jungle, you can create a garden-like space with some well placed potted greenery. Work in plants of several different heights to create a more true-to-nature feel. We recommend potted dwarf citrus trees for taller vegetation that won't take up too much space - their blossoms smell beautiful, and you can harvest a few of the fruits for your cocktails.
Make it your own
We all know a few personal items can really make or break a room, and the same goes for an outdoor area. Obviously photos and art aren't going to hold up outside, but there are plenty of other options. Add a statue, like in the photo above, to show your interest in a particular area of art, or maybe a lawn gnome (or five) if you enjoy a dose of humor in your decor. Perhaps a handmade birdhouse to show your crafty or avian affinities? The possibilities are endless.
Care to add any suggestions? We'd love to hear them!
(Image: Janis Nicolay for Canadian House and Home)
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How about putting a rug on the balcony? That always makes it feel like more of a "room".
That's considered a small space? Wowie.
One tip I may suggest is putting down an outdoor rug. I live in a complex that has dirty concrete "flooring" and putting a rug down can make the space look like another living space, rather than just a patio/balcony.
Laura
http://www.grafxnerd.net
Yeah...I created a little oasis in the back of my townhouse. I'm limited with the amount of space and what I can do, but I dug up a little plot of land and amended the soil a couple of years ago. I've added some perennials and annuals, always evolving as I've made mistakes and took out some stuff. I've given away some plants that were too big for the space through 'Freecycle' and was glad to find them a home. I replaced them with more managible plants. Last year, I added some solar lighting to the garden. I have a couple of chairs and a little table. After work, I love to just sit out there for a while. It's so peaceful. I have woods facing me in the back and the sounds of the trees in the breeze and the birds melts any stress. It was well worth the effort.
Great tips Lily, I can't wait to start my little patio project over the coming weekend. I really like the oasis you had here last week:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/roundup/roundup-creating-an-outdoor-oasis-084242
and I'm going to try to create something similar.
I also saved a few other ones that i really like here:
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/3433/list/outdoor-spaces
My only concern would be the lights (can't find something that I really like) but I agree with you that it needs to be soft and relaxing.
Hope to finish this weekend and to post the photos next week.
Can anyone ID those chairs?
@quinnley
Chairs are the Philippe Starck Toy chairs, from Driade... not sure where they're available in the US, but they're mega-expensive bits of plastic here in Australia!
Yeah, something didn't look right about the chairs. I was going to say they DO NOT look comfortable. Icy & elegant, perhaps. Nicely staged, definitely. But comfy?
And to me, a "nest of pillows" sounds like an invite to all the creepy-crawlies in the neighborhood. How about a nice hammock?
I'm not much for outdoor rugs... what I've always wanted to do is what I found in an old Sunset book: they spread half an inch of potting soil on the floor, set pavers in it, and allowed a Baby's Tears plant and moss to creep over it. It was fab. I've never been able to commit to that, though, because I'd have to clean it up.
Pavers set in pebbles would be cool, too... I guess I want it to look more like a garden than a room.
I'm ambivalent to the chairs facing in toward the space, though... it certainly looks better from the inside, but when I'm using it, it just seems wrong not to face outward, even though I don't have much of a view.