Turn Your Small Patio into a Gorgeous Entertainment and Hangout Space!

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I’m a big fan of outdoor entertaining, but I lacked the space make it happen…or so I thought. While my patio isn’t one you’ll find in a lush Nancy Myers film set, it is big enough to have people over for outdoor dinner parties, grow a small garden, watch my pup and her friends get their zoomies out and enjoy a morning matcha in the sun. I didn’t have all the pieces to make it feel inviting and cozy but I’ve since found everything needed to make it perfect!

Now that I’ve updated it with a few Amazon finds and accepted my role as plant mama, I find myself sitting out here every morning, enjoying a refreshing lunch, hosting summer dinner parties, even writing this post. It took some time finding each piece to bring it all together but now I give you that list so you don’t have to search through all the hundreds of options that can quickly become overwhelming.

1. Wicker Conversation Set
   This one does come with a table but it’s coffee table height and I wanted to enjoy dining and entertaining outside so I did have to find another use for it and get a proper dining table instead. You could always offer the table up for sale on facebook marketplace or your apartment’s community page if you have one and make back some of your money

2. Outdoor Throw Pillow Covers and Inserts
   Tip: Always buy inserts a size larger than your covers if you want that plush & full effect. For example, if you have 18”x 18” covers you’ll want 20”x 20” pillow inserts

3. Acacia Wood Outdoor Dining Table

4. Outdoor Rug (6’ x 9’)

5. Outdoor Solar Floor Lamps with 2-Tier Plant Stand

6. Wooden Planters with 48” Trellis
   The one’s I got were their smaller size that aren’t made anymore but one of the planters linked above is the same depth and length as two of mine so you’ll only need two instead of four to get the same coverage as I have

7. Solar Fairy Lights
   I got 2 of these, one for my trellises and one to line my fence. You get two in each pack and they’re each 33’ feet long so you can do A LOT of interlacing and design with even one strand. The trellises are 48” tall and one strand was enough to go around the base of 2 planters and up along both trellises. This 2 pack was perfect for getting all 4 planters covered and for under $15 you can’t beat the price!

8. Solar Dining Table Lamp
   Sadly I must admit that the exact one I got is no longer available — apparently that “1 left in stock, order now” notice you see was actually telling the truth for once. These linked however I also have at my entryway door and hanging above my covered patio and they work amazing! You’ll get a similar effect with the cutout design and then you can have a second one for another area that needs some decor. I’ve had them for over 2 years and they haven’t had a single issue

9. Chinoiserie Planters

10. Gardenia Live Plants

11. Hydrangea Live Plants
    I recommend 1 gallon for these planters so they can grow into their space a bit. Also, if you’re not familiar with hydrangeas, you can change their bloom colors depending on the pH of your soil. More acidic pH will give you a blue bloom (4.5 pH), purple blooms will come from a more balanced level (5-6 pH) and neutral levels (6.5-7 pH) will change them to a bright pink bloom.
    TIP: an easy way to change the pH of your soil is with with coffee grounds. Mix 1 part coffee grounds to 4 parts soil. Once they’re planted you can keep the acidity lower by brewing coffee, letting it cool and then evenly diluting it with water (1 cup cold coffee + 1 cup water) and use this when watering to get those gorgeous blue blooms. If you water the others with just plain spring water the pH will stay neutral and give you the pink blooms

12. Artificial Grass Turf
    I’m not gonna lie to you, this was WORK! I am blessed to have a decent sized outdoor space, however everything in it was dirt and death besides a spiteful vine I fought for 3 years. I don’t have a faucet nearby so any real grass won’t thrive so I put artificial turf down myself and I couldn’t be happier! It’s always green, magically doesn’t smell like I was afraid it would with my dogs, and hasn’t faded in the 2+ years I’ve had it down. It’s not the cheapest thing to do in the world though, depending on the space you’re trying to cover. I needed to cover about 13’ wide by 34’ long so it was a bit of a splurge, but even so, I spent about $550 on the grass, weed barrier, grass tape to connect different pieces together, turf nails, the red river rocks that line the entry way to my uncovered patio and the white rocks along my condo down to my trellises. It was A LOT of work and components, but if it’s something you want to do I highly recommend it! If you have a smaller space then it won’t cost you as much as it did for mine but just mentally prepare yourself for getting it laid down properly (unless you pay someone to do it).

Thanks & Wish You the Best!
Let’s Do BetterTogether!