When looking for a place, I knew I absolutely had to have some sort of outdoor private hang out space. I think after months of being locked in our houses, a place to get some fresh air, and sun on my skin felt mandatory. Luckily, I found a place that allowed me to do just that. Albeit, small and confined to a basic step out balcony, I was determined to make use of it. It is a very simple setup, but I couldn’t be happier. The space has evolved a bit over the past two years, especially with the addition of our fur baby. But here is the progress, and what it has become. Hope you enjoy, and can get some cute ideas sparked for your own space!
BEFORE: simple walk out (24″ W x 8′ 8 3/4″ L) (roughly)
CLEANUP & PREPPING: we made sure to give a good power washing and cleanup. There’s small and mighty power washers that are perfect for our condo. There was also an old satellite dish we remove, just with a wrench we had part of our tool kit.
DESIGN & DECOR: 1st! We found a balcony table extremely quickly and jumped on the chance, since they seem to sell out of certain colors/size. Couldn’t be happier! Really well made, and has survived the 2023 SoCal out of character rainy season.
2nd: We installed the interlocking patio floor tiles! We thought it would give our tiny space more of an elevated look, and help with the indoor/outdoor flow. These seem to be catching on a lot, so there are so many brands and designs & colors to now choose from.
3rd: Took some research, but found the correct height of barstools to match and fit the small area we have
4th: Locating the perfect size outdoor shelving was a nightmare. But, finally found this one from Ikea that was easy to put together myself and housed all the plants I had, plus offered me space for organizing my Condo “gardening” items. Delivery was also affordable so I didn’t have to find a way to get it from my car all the way to the second floor by myself.
FINALE: We have since added a puppy pad to help potty train (small adjustment for our fur friend) And that completes the small outdoor condo living!
ADDITIONAL IDEAS:
- We have thought of doing a doggie door! One that can be simply added to the sliding door. So our pup can enjoy outdoor time!
- We also at one point had hanging planters that we LOVED! But had to remove due to HOA regulations. So make sure to check your HOA or renter restrictions before adding anything your patio space!
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