If you live in an urban area, turning your empty, whitewashed patio into a lush lounging and entertaining area can be easy if you're imaginative and put in a little elbow grease. While lack of space, weather and city ordinances veto some decorating ideas, many more options can brighten up your city patio and transform it from a wasteland to a wonderland. Does this Spark an idea?
Choose a Theme
Pick a style for your patio. Do you like retro '60s look? Then outfit a small sofa with a tie-dye blanket and throw pillows. Add brightly colored plastic flowers and old board games for a vintage look. If you want to replicate a country setting, find wicker furniture, wooden geese and other homey decorations. Silk flowers in baskets, gingham table covers, and old-fashioned house or cabin-style bird feeders will give your patio a rustic country look. When choosing furniture and decorations for your urban patio, consider how much maintenance and cleaning will be required. If you have an uncovered patio, you'll be better off choosing wrought iron furniture and small waterproof cabinets to stash any small items so they won't fall victim to inclement weather.
A Garden Oasis in the City
Visit your local garden center to find herbs in containers, small flowers and vegetables for a city patio garden. Place them on a wrought iron or other decorative shelving unit. Depending on how much space you have (and your city's climate), you can include hanging plants or potted cacti. Set up a temporary lattice fence to grow vines or simply decorate the space. Use muted light globes or black lights for fun effects at night. Water fountains, made from ceramic, copper, glass or stone, can be found in all shapes and sizes, accentuated with miniature sculpted fairies, animals or tiered waterfall designs. You can even add a small birdbath or a tiny aquarium tank or fishbowl, if you don't mind the upkeep.
Make It Musical
Hang wind chimes from the roof of your balcony. Chimes can be simple or elaborate and many resemble Native American dream catchers, butterflies, hearts, teardrops or other enjoyable designs. A spiral wind chime made of teardrop crystals adds a light and lovely touch to any patio without making loud noises even during the heftiest of breezes. If you prefer a more musical chime, a percussion harp wind chime produces a clear, melodic sound. Decorative wind chime hooks of various lengths secure the chime to your roof or enclosure, or apartment window just outside your patio. When purchasing wind chimes for your apartment or condo patio, be aware of how your neighbors will respond to loud chiming on a windy night. Always check with your landlord or condo association about rules regarding the use of outdoor wind chimes, as some buildings place restrictions on their use.
Design for Outdoor Dining
If your building allows barbecues on outdoor patios, choose a compact portable grill with a sleek casing, like the Weber Smokey Joe or the Firestone Legacy Electric Grill. A glass-topped patio table, padded wrought iron or rustic wood chairs and colorful striped melamine dishes add a breezy, festive touch to any meal served on an urban patio.
Tags: wind chime, wind chimes, wrought iron, your patio, city patio, urban patio, your city
