Maximizing small spaces

On spacious patios, the possibilities are nearly endless. But for apartment dwellers with just a small porch, balcony or patch of grass, options can be limited. As urban gardening grows in popularity, small-space gardeners are seeking ways to make tight outdoor areas more inviting with the right patio furniture.

Even the smallest patio deserves the basics: a pair of chairs and a table, at minimum. Obviously, smaller spaces call for smaller furniture. That makes simple bistro sets a good fit for most balconies.

“Having something that takes up less space is important for a small space because that way I can get a few more people there; maybe I can get three chairs instead of two,” says William Moss, a horticultural educator at Get Out & Grow getoutandgrow.com, who has a small rooftop garden in Chicago.

Dimensions are a starting point when selecting patio pieces, but furniture is more about function — especially in small areas. Choosing versatile pieces that serve dual purposes can maximize limited space.

Moss recommends benches, which are versatile enough to serve as seating or table space. Likewise, ottomans can be footstools or seats, or topped with trays to become tables. Some products are designed to be multifunctional, such as tables with rows of burners or planters down the center.

Gethsemane Garden Center in Chicago sells multipurpose pieces like Kettler’s Basic Plus Chair. It’s popular with small-space urban gardeners because it can sit upright or recline as an occasional chair. These versatile pieces are perfect around a chat table, creating a set that plays double-duty for dining or relaxing.
 

Material

Expansive patios may have room for plush, deep-seating furniture, but Moss says smaller spaces tend to be more utilitarian. Metal furniture, like wrought iron chairs, “seems to work really well in small spaces because it can disappear so you can enjoy more of the space,” he says.

He prefers metal for its durability. On a rooftop overlooking Lake Michigan, Moss’s patio furniture faces more extreme elements than, say, a ground-level patio in southern California.

Classic metal lawn chairs, like those made by Torrans Manufacturing Co., have been popular for generations — and last just as long. Also known as tulip chairs or bouncers, these stamped metal chairs occupy less than 4 square feet.

“As far as durability goes, everything is eventually going to degrade, to some extent,” says Louis Torrans, vice president and co-owner of Torrans Manufacturing Co. “The steel chair we produce is powder-coated, so it lasts a very long time and you can always take a can of paint and touch it up. If it’s a wooden chair, the wood’s going to shrink and draw up. If it’s a sling chair with stretchy mesh, the material is going to lose its tension. Even wicker starts to break.”

Metal is a sturdy choice in compact sizes, but other materials — like wicker and fabric — have advanced to handle tough conditions, according to Gethsemane’s furniture buyer, Paula Demas. She says outdoor cushions can work as well in harsh Midwest climates as they do in coastal zones — as long as customers choose quality fabrics such as Sunbrella, stand cushions up at night, and bring them in for winter.
 

Display

The key to selling patio furniture for small spaces is how it’s displayed.

“People like to buy what they see,” Torrans says. “You have to show people how they can use it in their home, so you want it in a small space. If you just set the furniture out on a bare floor, it’s hard to visualize. People want to know what it might look like on their patio or deck or balcony. Display it so customers can realize this furniture in their homes.”

He has seen patio furniture stores build mock fences to create small seating area displays, or block off areas with rows of potted plants to help customers imagine a spot in their gardens.

Gethsemane Garden Center arranges furniture in vignettes, placing two chairs around a low chat table atop an outdoor rug. Displays like these can be the best way to convince customers how multifunctional furniture can maximize small spaces.

“It’s really critical that, if you have a multipurpose chair like the Basic Plus, which can serve as either a dining chair or an occasional chair reclined, you need to show it that way,” Demas says.

Color

Moss sk CUSHIONS altogether and opts for natural-looking metal or wood furniture on his patio.

“Especially in a small space, I think natural color fits better because that allows you to bring the color with your plants,” he says. “It seems that in small spaces, the furniture’s not always the focus. The focal point may be a pot with some brightly colored flowers.”

Dark, neutral colors have long been the norm for patio furniture, while white is usually a tough seller — both for retailers like Gethsemane and for manufacturers like Torrans.

“Forever and ever, patio furniture people have been doing things in brown,” says Torrans, who recently wrote a book called “A History of the Metal Lawn Chair: What We Know Now.” “They might call it taupe or mocha or cocoa — it’s still brown. They’ve been trying to move away from that because people want more color. It doesn’t have to be a bright, vibrant color, but just something different — charcoal, greens, red, tan — to lend more color.”

Torrans’ retro style chairs are known for their vibrant colors. He notes that local color trends usually revolve around sports teams — making blue chairs with white frames especially popular for Dallas Cowboys fans around Torrans’ headquarters in Jefferson, Texas.

Demas usually orders furniture with neutral-colored frames accented with colorful cushions. Red is a constant best-seller with Gethsemane’s customers, as are tropical colors such as aqua, orange and kiwi green.

“They’re looking for that small space to look special, and you can make a small space look very special with a pop of color,” she says. “Another nice way of making a small space look special is outdoor rugs. Even if you do neutral furniture and neutral cushions, you can add a colorful rug and pull it all together.”

Brooke is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to Garden Center magazine based in Cleveland, Ohio.