Dreaming Of...A Patio Makeover

{This Is Brick and Mortar}

There are only a couple of spaces from our Philly house y'all haven't seen on the blog yet - one of them is the 12'x12'-ish square of outdoor area we have out back. Our row house is sandwiched in the middle of a group of adjoining houses {#citylife} so the patio consists of a cinderblock-walled space with neighbors on both sides. I love having this space and we spend a lot of time out there in the warmer months. We have a couple of chairs and a bench that have lived outside, but after a really harsh winter, they're in pretty terrible shape and I think they'll be headed to a new home via free craigslist.

I think this space has so much potential and if we owned the place, I'd be planning a serious makeover to turn it into a beautiful outdoor oasis. Since we don't, in fact, own this place and will likely not be here longer than another year, I'm dreaming of a more budget-friendly, easy makeover that will make the patio into a comfortable hangout space. Being able to use that area basically doubles the size of our living room, so I'm eager to get it up to snuff.

I don't have any solid plans in place yet, but I have been gathering lots of small outdoor space inspiration. Here are some of my favorites:

*if you pin these images, PLEASE click the source link below and pin from there...give credit where credit is due! :)

{Ikea Catalog via My Paradissi}

{House and Home}

{Ikea via PopSugar}

{Jacquelyn Clark}

{Ikea}

{Oh What A Room}

{House and Home}

{Apartment Therapy}

Takeaways from these inspiration photos?

• Form and function are both important. I'd love to incorporate comfy lounge seating as well as dining space, which could be tough with the size of the space, but many of these photos show it's possible!
• Many of these spaces have rugs. It really warms up and gives personality to the space. I'm not sure I'm interested in adding another thing to maintain out there (somehow that area gets filthy super fast), but I love the look.
• Plants. Preferably ones I can't kill easily.
• Lights. We have a couple of strings of globe lights out there and I can't wait to use them more often! Ambiance, people, ambiance.

Now that spring is finally here, are y'all planning any outdoor makeovers in your homes?

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