Small Patio Decorating Ideas On A Budget

91+ Small Patio Decorating Ideas On a budget

An outdoor patio can get a lot of use in warm weather. Using decorative patio tile to create the patio design can make the patio as beautiful as it is useful.

An outdoor patio can become for some homeowners, an extension of the living space, particularly in warm weather. Homeowners who live in warm climates can make use of these areas year round, while homeowners in areas with more variable seasons can still find the outdoor patio a wonderful place to dwell in the summer months.

Designing an outdoor patio requires the homeowner to consider the climate they live in, the use the patio will get, and the landscaping of the surrounding yard and area.

Patio Tile and the Climate

There are many types of patio stones, pavers and tiles that can be used to complete the patio design. From slate tiles, to concrete pavers the choice of material may seem abundant. To help make sure that the patio design will continue to look as good as it does the day it was installed, it's important to consider the climate of the area when making the tile choice.

Homeowners in warm weather climates can make use of nearly any type of patio tile on the market. This includes slate tile, travertine tile and bluestone pavers, as well as concrete or brick. In these cases, the homeowner can select tiles that complement their landscaping, home's exterior or personal taste and style.

Homeowners who live in areas with frost heaves, or in areas that are subject to frequent freeze/thawing in the winter will need to be more selective of their material.

Porous materials, such as slate tiles or travertine tiles absorb moisture during rains and snows. When this moisture freezes, the water inside the tiles will expand, which can result in the tiles cracking or coming loose from their foundation. To help prevent this from happening, non-porous materials, such as bricks or concrete pavers should be used.

Homeowners who choose to use natural materials, such as slate or bluestone, should select pavers that have been produced specifically for outdoor use. This may mean that the stones have been selected for their strength, mineral makeup or composition, and that they have been manufactured to a thickness that can help reinforce their strength against cracking.

Related: 19+ Types Of Gravel For Driveways and Landscaping

Patio Designs

There are several ways for a homeowner to tile a patio. Homes in a rural setting, with a great deal of trees or stones nearby, can make use of rustic pavers in multiple or random sizes to complement the setting.

Modern homes can use geometric patterns of interlocking patio pavers, large, oversized pavers with clean edges, or pattern concrete pavers that can complement the home. If gardens surround the patio, using concentric rings of pavers, moving from a central point outward can help to delineate the patio design and set it apart from the garden, while still directing the eye outward to the plants.

Garden paths, pool patios and walkways can all make use of the same material as the patio itself. Using the same material in different sizes and patterns as the area changes, or the use of the pavers changes, can help keep the design consistent, as well as complimentary to its surroundings.

Outdoor patio designs should complement the surroundings or the style of the home for an effect that does not appear jarring or out of place. Always be sure to use materials rated or constructed for outdoor use, as setting materials and tile thicknesses can vary widely.

Design an outdoor patio that suits the home, the surroundings and the homeowner and gain additional style and space in the home today.

In case you have a tinier patio, at times it can think you simply don't have sufficient room to stretch out and relax. Instead, if you've got a present concrete patio that you want to fix up, decorative concrete overlays can be done in order to make it resemble a completely new patio.

Related ideas:50+ DIY Patio Decoration Ideas For Spring & Summer

1.Consider built-ins

Consider built-ins. Obviously, space is at a premium with a small patio. In this modest courtyard, the raised garden bed serves as the back of a built-in bench. This adds room for a generously sized table in the space. Tall trees and slatted trellis walls keep the building walls around the courtyard from feeling oppressive.

2.Integrate local materials

This large stone slab table coordinates with the surface underfoot, making it look as though it emerged from a rock ledge.

3. Go large scale

You may think you should put only small things on a small patio, but that's not the case. Look how well this oversized urn creates a focal point on this modest-sized patio. Another clever trick here: The raised bed walls serve as extra seating.

4.Think creatively

5.Go tall in a sunken space.

In an urban setting, any outdoor space is a luxury, even one below street level. You just have to make the most of it. A high-top table and tall planting bed complement the scale of this space. Leaves add softness and create a garden feel.

6.Play off an outbuilding

Patios typically are located off the house, but if you don't have room to expand there, a detached garage or shed can provide a nice anchor for an outdoor living space. Here, a wood-burning fireplace and window boxes off the garage add warmth and charm to the patio, and the structure also provides a place to anchor a pergola.

7.Embrace a water element

You'd be surprised how well a small patio can take on water features. This urban garden in Washington, D.C., has a wonderfully scaled, stepped-down narrow trough fountain that hugs the perimeter of the patio and helps to mitigate the city noise.

8.Add landscape lighting

Nothing ruins nighttime patio enjoyment like turning on the lone, way-too-bright spotlight you have in your backyard. Softer lighting on the ground and off the house can create a more pleasant mood. If you're ready to invest in lighting, collect a few hurricanes and lanterns to keep the flames from blowing out in the breeze.

9.Introduce a cafe table

An idyllic French patio with fragrant wisteria and old stone walls — it's as if the bistro table and chairs were made for this spot. This outdoor furniture set is compact and portable and can fit on the smallest of patios. And of course it brings that French country magic along with it.

10.Take it to the edge

A small brick patio provides a level surface for iron patio furniture. Now seating is part of the shade garden.

11.Create eye-catching details

A monolithic wall topped with a picket fence-like border of reclaimed wood changes the feeling on this small patio. Note the way the lighting helps as well.

12.Mix materials with thought

This patio sits in the back corner of the yard. A custom concrete and stone bench, coordinating concrete fire pit and flagstone floor tie it to the yard and the house.

13.Show off a sculpture

On this Tucson patio, a playful red chili pepper draws the eye out to the landscape, adds bright color and most certainly sparks conversation.

14.Create continuity with paving

In this Spanish Revival home, tiles play a primary role. Extending the same tiles under the loggia and out to the small patio lends a feeling of expansiveness. Using the same material from the floor inside to the patio outside creates an easy transition between the two areas.

15.Go vertical with plants

Trellises, narrow planting beds and containers are good ways to bring life and height to a small walled-in patio.

16.Bring in bright color

Make the most of the small space and add color to the garden with brightly colored furniture.

17.Carve out a lounging space

A simple grid of pavers set in gravel provides a flat surface for these two loungers and an umbrella to nestle into the garden.

18.Leave room for two Adirondack chairs

Sometimes all you really need is room enough for you and a loved one to sit together and enjoy the sunset. Here, the pavers extend out just enough off the porch to accommodate two Adirondack chairs.

19. Cozy up with larger pieces.

Tiny patios don't need to be full of tiny things. Four comfy chairs nestle into an arrangement that encourages hours of alfresco conversation.

20.Push a table up against the wall

On a narrow patio you may not be able to have a larger table surrounded by chairs and still be able to pass through. But if you consider shoving it to the edge when not in use, you can have the best of both worlds.

21.Go for a casual, natural look.

By using log seats, lots of plants and a lovely pea gravel, this small patio blends in well with the landscape and the home. The space is a rustic little secret garden.

22.Make the most of walls

23.Use scale wisely

For this long, narrow patio, a long, narrow dining table and built-in benches are just the right fit.

24.Integrate with the architecture

This modern pergola connects the patio to the home while providing wonderful dappled shade.

25.Play up surfaces

A plain concrete slab certainly has its place, but the surface of your patio is a big opportunity to add color and texture. Here, pavers and individually placed stones create a tactile checkerboard effect.

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25+ Backyard lighting ideas

Think greenhouse here, and your small patio space will get magically larger. You don't require a huge space for a fire feature. It is totally feasible to create a gorgeous and inviting outdoor space on a little patio, or maybe a small apartment balcony.