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Even a small courtyard can be functional and stylish – the main thing is to plan its landscape without fear of bold decisions. Therefore, we publish ideas and tips on how to equip a small patio in this article.
Designing interior courtyards needs special attention to the vertical space to keep them from holding closed or boxed. Here are a few important tips to follow for creating the walls of interior courtyards.
1. Holding Place with a Gazebo
This is the most popular option for those who design a small plot. The gazebo provides comfort, shelter from the sun and rain. A lightweight construction without walls is suitable for a small courtyard: it looks more “airy” and does not eat up space.
The simplest and most budgetary solution is to create an awning with your own hands. Lining silk or even cheap burlap will do, and a fence or wall of the house will serve as support. Such an awning will give privacy, protecting it from prying eyes, and add an oriental flavor to the area.
A dining group or a comfortable sofa is usually placed under the gazebo. Garden furniture must be weatherproof. The most affordable option is plastic and artificial rattan, but you should choose furniture from trusted manufacturers for tables and chairs to last longer.
Wooden products look more harmonious on a small courtyard, but they must be cleaned in the autumn-winter period and renewed with oil or varnish. The most stable and expensive garden furniture is wrought iron. Thanks to its sophistication, it fits perfectly into a small resting corner.
2. Outdoor Patio
To have a pleasant time at lunch in the open air, you can make a special area for the dining room by laying boards impregnated with protective compounds.
Thanks to the variety of textures, the patio will look more interesting, and the wooden floor will add neatness and nobility to the landscape.
Usually, a table and chairs are placed on the floor, complementing a garden umbrella or a mobile canopy: they will save you from the scorching sun. If necessary, such structures are removed into the house.
A light pergola looks even more stylish, which makes the site complete. It is supplied with lighting, and on sunny days, covered with cloth, creating a canopy.
3. Mini Vegetable Garden
Connoisseurs of agriculture can use the modest territory of a small courtyard for growing garden crops. Of course, we cannot place a full-fledged greenhouse here, but how beautiful and neat the beds in the form of boxes will look!
They solve the aesthetic side and the practical: ease of use, minimum costs for watering, care, getting an earlier harvest, compactness, and mobility.
In a small courtyard for the beds, you can select only a part of the area: allocate one zone for them or concentrate around the perimeter, “pressing” against the fence. The second method looks very ergonomic, as it does not clutter up space. Moreover, in such boxes, you can grow greens and vegetables and flowers and shrubs.
We can plant the vegetable garden vertically, and we can take the usual harvest in a miniature area. And use the saved space for any other needs.
4. Pool or Pond
A small area is not a hindrance when creating a reservoir in the courtyard. And even if only a couple of people fit in the pool, it will add sophistication to the local area and create an atmosphere of carefree relaxation.
This can be a stationary water body built in the backyard or a mobile one designed only for the summer months. The first option is more solid and aesthetic, but it also costs much more.
A body of water on the site helps to slightly expand and complicate the space, acting as a mirror and distracting from the small size of the area. Both the pool and the pond can be equipped with a fountain or lighting, increasing its attractiveness.
5. Fireplace
The site where the hearth is located becomes a favorite place for the whole family. It can be a stone stove, outdoor fireplace, or barbecue.
Food made over an open fire tastes better, and the cooking process itself can be the reason for a party, meeting with friends, or family gatherings.
The hearth can be additionally equipped with a summer kitchen, including a mobile one. In addition, we should install a table with comfortable benches for convenience, and we should supplement the corner with sun loungers or a hammock.
An excellent focal point will be a round-shaped hearth: you can arrange furniture around it, form paths, and plant plants. If the courtyard is closed and narrow, designing a corner bench will harmoniously blend into the design, and the round hearth will smooth out strict lines.
6. Playground
If there are small children in the house, a playground mini-town will be the best solution. Children are on the move all the time, so that the playground will be a useful gift for them. In addition, games will keep kids busy for a long time, allowing adults to settle in the recreation area comfortably.
A bulky treehouse won’t fit here, but a small wigwam, sandpit, and table will fit perfectly into the landscape. Also, the playground can be equipped with a swing: not only children but also parents will be happy to spend time on them.
If the family loves sports, you can take out to the house area what does not fit: a horizontal bar, a basketball hoop, or a punching bag.
7. Useful Tips for Small Garden Decoration
Some owners of modest-sized plots mistakenly believe that the less land is occupied, the larger the courtyard appears. But in space, the eye has nothing to catch on – and a small area becomes the first thing that catches the eye. To increase the usable space and complicate it qualitatively, select several levels:
- Use steps, embankments, or decks
- Plant plants of different heights
- Put flowerpots
- Use the fence and walls of the house
Do not be afraid of rounded shapes – they add grace to the landscape and visually increase the area. The technique is that the gaze slides along smooth lines a little longer than straight lines.
Even a tiny space can become a true decoration of the entire site if you carefully think over its layout and heed the advice of professionals.
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