Are you living the small-deck life but have big-deck dreams? Your choice in furniture, décor, and accessories can help you maximize your existing space so it doesn’t feel small and can serve a variety of needs.
Match Your Deck Furniture to Your Lifestyle
To determine what type of furniture to get for your space, first consider how you’ll use your deck. The good news about furniture is it can be easily swapped out as your living needs change. Families with young children, for example, may opt for comfortable, low seating with a low coffee table to provide little ones a spot to eat, lounge, or play board games as a family. Durable—and removable and washable—fabric cushions will help withstand use and spills or messes.
Do you love to entertain? A pair of sofas positioned to face one another will offer ample seating while encouraging conversation and often consume a smaller footprint than individual chairs.
Looking for more of a quiet retreat? A hammock or comfy chair is the perfect lounging spot. Add a water feature, plant, candle, and cool- or neutral-colored textiles to make your oasis complete.
Get the Right Size Deck Furniture for Your Space
Your furniture shouldn’t under- or overwhelm your outdoor space. To select the right size furniture for your deck, use the 2:3 rule, which recommends that furnishings be roughly two-thirds the size of the deck. This provides necessary space for movement and traffic flow while feeling cozy and livable.
Incorporate Multi-Functional Elements
To make the most of a smaller outdoor footprint, find furniture and design elements that can serve double duty. Consider furniture with built-in storage, a coffee table with a lift that can serve as a desk or dining area, a side table with an umbrella, or a fire pit table that can also be a coffee table when not alight. See our blog post “Tips for Creating an Outdoor Office Space” for examples of how an outdoor bar can also be used as a home office.
In addition to multi-functional elements, avoid any permanent fixtures that may be costly to take out or limit how you use the space.
Keep Your Design Style Flowing
Treat your deck as an extension of your indoor living space, aligning your interior design with your outdoor décor. Feeling confident about the look and feel of your outdoor living space will encourage you to leave the door open so guests can easily flow between spaces. You might consider incorporating design elements into the deck itself, such as a picture frame around the deck perimeter or an inlay for visual interest. You can also make your outdoor space more comfortable year-round with additions such as lighting, outdoor heaters, umbrellas, a pergola, outdoor rugs, and other textiles.
Don’t Forget to Account for Storage
While some outdoor furniture can withstand the elements, many are not designed to be left out year-round. In addition, properly storing your furniture and décor will lead to a longer life and more use. For example, wicker or stone furniture may crack with expansion and contraction from temperature changes; certain metals may rust or get tarnished. Be sure to check furniture care, maintenance, and storage requirements before you purchase to make sure you have space to store it when it’s not in use.
These tips are helpful for maximizing existing space but can also be applied if you’re building a new deck. If you’re starting small but know you want to add on to your deck in the future, talk to a contractor now so you can plan for it in your deck design.
