Decorating & Design
25+ Small-Space Balconies & Patios To Covet
Updated on November 28, 2023
With spring in full swing, now’s the time to capitalize on enjoying your outdoor space. Don’t worry if your balcony, patio or even backyard is less expansive than you’d like. Even petite alfresco spots can become mini outdoor retreats. From compact sectionals to functional decor, take inspiration from these small spaces, and transform your own balcony or patio into a perfect place for enjoying the hot weather!
Keep patios warm and welcoming well past sundown with an enclosed firepit that’s compact and safe for small spaces. Matched with natural elements like rattan and wicker furniture, this combo makes for a cool, boho hangout.
Patchwork deck tiles can enhance an outdoor space with European flair (especially when you can’t go IRL). Match it with bold accents and greenery for a stylish and summery escape.
Mouthwatering sorbet hues mix with warm woods and crisp whites to create a fresh, Palm Springs-inspired look. The delicious colors were pulled from the condo’s interior to create a seamless transition from indoors to outdoors.
Elevate your patio with a modern lounger and string lights for drinks after sundown. Patterned pillows and lanterns will have you feeling like you’ve escaped the city for a beach town vacation.
Tucked into a corner, the all-weather sectional seats five and feels like a built-in. Throw pillows, a brass-topped coffee table and decorative elephant sculpture add a modern-zen vibe.
Using a stunning Corten steel outdoor fireplace, design team Nicholas Ancerl and Tara Finlay created a compact and cozy patio vibe in this Toronto home. Its grand presence exudes luxury and the finish only gets better with age.
This small screened porch is comfortably furnished with wicker chairs and features a graphic rug. From here, landscape architect Inese Bite has a lovely view to the garden where she can enjoy the summer breeze while being protected from the bugs.
A jug of fresh-cut fragrant peonies on the table is a perfect complement to the verdant hues of the grass, hedge and plantings.
Designer Colette van den Thillart’s contemporary Bajan beach house is dressed in coral-pink hues. A small patio off of the bedroom is the ideal spot for a hammock, where swaying the day away is encouraged.
Pack a punch on your balcony with outdoor floor tile, a wood-framed chair with graphic strapping and a DIY hand-painted stool. Potted plants complete this fun and inviting look.
Designer Joel Bray transformed his drab apartment balcony into a sophisticated urban retreat with a blue and white palette, painted garden trellis for privacy and a tall pedestal urn of pothos. A marble-topped table and retain chairs finish this elegant space.
See more of this DIY balcony makeover on H&H TV.
Arounna Khounnoraj and John Booth created a beautiful outdoor space in their family home, just above their shop, Bookhou. Clad in Douglas fir and filled with a plethora of plants, this is one of the family’s favorite places to share a meal.
All a petite deck really needs is a table, a couple of handsome bistro chairs and a view to the outdoors. This diminutive space makes it easy to step outside for a tea, coffee or glass of wine in the fresh air.
A palette of black, white and green ups the drama on this small upper deck. Bench seating is comfortable for lounging, while white throw pillows and pots — filled with delicate plantings on the coffee table — bring the color scheme together.
If your outdoor space is limited to a front porch, take a page from country singer Johnny Reid’s book and install a porch swing. Add a couple of chairs and a coffee table and you’ve got a perfect spot for making music and enjoying a glass of lemonade.
See more of his dreamy farmhouse on H&H TV.
Creating an entertaining area is a simple as reserving a corner of your backyard. In the garden of her Boundary Bay, B.C., home, photographer Tracey Ayton enjoys lounging with friends on the black Muskoka chairs around the fire bowl.
Pavers, comfy furnishings and an abundance of foliage take Jennifer Stewart’s small city yard on a European adventure. A combination of sunny and shady spots ensure that everyone’s comfortable — even Spike the cat.
In one corner, vintage zinc planters, a maritime-style pendant and folding café chairs add French character and charm.
Toronto scenemaker Jeff Stober’s quaint Prince Edward County porch is furnished with leggy chairs and a pair of accent tables. The charming front door beckons you in.
If your patio is tiny, make a huge statement with a crocheted hammock. It won’t take up any floor space, and you’ll be able to sway the time away in bohemian style.
This upper-level enclosed cedar terrace is a safe haven for the owners’ kids. A floor mat and simple table and bench are all that’s needed to furnish this compact — and charming — play space.
Landscape designer Meredyth Hilton’s patio begins with a backdrop of tall cedars that sets the stage for an intimate conversation area. Instead of a coffee table, she added a vintage stone trough and filled it with plants. Genius!
This balcony corner is filled with flowers and plants in pots of different colors, shapes and sizes. In addition to affording the space more privacy, all the greenery makes lounging on the chaise that much more enjoyable.
If your diminutive patio makes fitting a dining table and chairs a challenge, try incorporating a banquette. The bench seating has built-in storage, and the table and chairs fold away when you need more space.
Eschew a flimsy plastic table and chairs on your apartment balcony for an eclectic mix of wooden and metal pieces. Here, a vintage teak bench, Parisian park chairs and an antique farmhouse table create a refined yet inviting look.
A small Asian-inspired balcony becomes an extension of this Vancouver condo’s living room. Enveloping foliage and charming lanterns create an outdoor oasis.