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5 Small Patio Ideas to Create an Outdoor Oasis

Patio season is upon us and it’s time to set up your outdoor spaces for all of the entertaining that will be taking place over the summer months. It’s a great plan to utilize your outdoor areas to the best of its potential, especially if it is a smaller space, like a few of my patio areas! My name is Deborah, also known as B Vintage Style. I’m an interior designer and I own a website called Vintage Society Co. This year, I have partnered with Crate and Barrel to decorate my front porch! I was able to achieve such a beautiful, versatile space using all Crate and Barrel items. Take a peek below at my top five tips to decorating an outdoor oasis and some great small patio ideas.

Woman walking outside her front door with glasses on a tray.

Thinking BIG with a small patio space.

Our front deck wraps all the way around the front portion of this 116-year-old home! It always amazes me the way things were done back in the olden days. This small town was all about community and a big front porch to lounge on was so important! So much time was spent visiting with friends and family right here! There are several distinct areas on my porch but the space in the front window seems to have been purposely put there with a sitting area in mind. My husband and I often sit here with our kids to have a glass of lemonade, tea time or an evening glass of wine! This space is not huge but can have so much impact if it is thought through properly. It is important to me to have certain elements in an outdoor space and Crate and Barrel had the perfect pieces to help me achieve a day or night outdoor living area for my front porch

Woman watering plants on her front porch.
The front steps coming up to our home were also well thought out by the original owners.

The entrance is quite grand, and the steps always look so beautiful when I line them with décor for the season! I love how beautiful my hydrangeas look in the Campana White Planter! Hydrangeas are one of my favorite patio plants to grow through the season and I have a whole blog post on how to care for these big beauties here.

Ideas for a Patio Space Big or Small

 Gardening tools.
TIP 1 – Incorporating a garden station is a great way to display beautiful plants while keeping all of the garden tools organized!

It’s no secret that surrounding yourself with plants can be good for your overall health and wellbeing, gardening can be like a form of therapy for some people! I love this gorgeous garden station and how much it displays all of my favorite gardening goodies, like these adorable plant markers and the beautiful Dewit garden tools !! It makes it so easy for me to garden my front beds and to grow my herbs in a protected area. The open concept of this garden station helps to make this small patio area feel airy and big. I also added some beautiful heliotrope to the Dyp White Planter’s I have on the second shelf. Flowers and greenery are a must for me in any outdoor living space, small or large. The lavender, thyme and other herbs I have potted here love the south facing light and it makes for such a lovely space to sit beside when having an afternoon glass of lemonade with the kids. If you want more details on my favorite types of patio plants, you can find them here.

Plant stand next to a metal chair and a white pellow.
TIP 2 – Use pillows and throws in your front porch space to bring an instant cozy hangout to your space!

When you are decorating for both indoor or outdoor spaces, it is so important to make your space comfortable! You need to have a place to relax and recharge! The use of pillows and throws can make a space feel so much cozier and more comfortable while also adding a pop of color in the mix! I love both these beautiful pillows I used this year. The simple Sunbrella white sand 20” outdoor pillow has such a classic look, I actually think I am going to get a few more of these for other spaces on my patio and the Notch Outdoor Lumbar pillow allows a very slight pop of color that complements the plants I have used in the area.

Two metal chairs with different oclores pillows and bewtween them a small textured table.
TIP 3 – The more versatile, the better! These metal dining chairs can be used both indoors and outdoors, plus they are stackable for easy storage!

It is SO important to add different finishes and to mix textures in a good outdoor living space! I am so excited about adding these Lyle Metal Dining Chairs into this space as it adds an element of texture on my front porch! These chairs are so simple yet add so much style to the space and I love that I will be able to use them in other areas of my home too at some point, like my salvaged brick patio space! They are durable, practical and stylish which are all great features for patio furniture! I paired these with the Madura Woven Outdoor Side Table!

White flowers on a vase next to a set of clear glasses and a pitcher with water and lemons.
TIP 4 – Adding lanterns to your outdoor space are not only chic but can allow you to enjoy your space both day and night!

A good patio idea is to make the space useable for both day time and evening use. Adding good lighting will do just this. I love the look of patio string lights, like the Vintage Edison Bulb Outdoor String Lights or the Twinkle Gold 50’ String Lights! I also LOVE adding lanterns in all of my patio spaces! I love the look of the small and large Crosby Grey Teak Lantern’s by the front door and I also added the Recycled Glass Hurricane Candle Holders on the top shelf of the garden station! These ones come in two sizes and are so versatile as they can be used as succulent terrariums, flower vases or lanterns. I absolutely love the vintage blue glass look to them!

Woman holding a tray with a glass pitcher with water and cut lemons next to three clear glasses.
TIP 5 – Be guest ready with outdoor glassware and a pitcher for casual, yet beautiful entertaining!

It’s always a good idea to have your space ready when guests arrive for a visit! Having a beautiful, easy to grab a tray of lemonade and treats on hand make it that much easier! I am so excited to host friends this summer with my Miguel Recycled Glass Pitcher and Pop Aqua Acrylic Drink Glasses you can see here on the beautiful Decker Galvanized Tray. Once again stylish and practical!

I hope you have enjoyed my five tips on creating an outdoor oasis! All of these ideas can be used on any size of patio but they work extremely well on a small patio. I love all of the Crate and Barrel items I have used this year and can’t wait to sit out here all summer long! For more outdoor living space ideas, you can head over to my blog and check out our latest patio post!

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