11 wonderful ideas for enhancing small, outdoor areas

No one would ever say that having a lot of outdoor space at your personal disposal is a bad thing, but it is true that not everyone can enjoy this luxury. More often, you are lucky if you just have a small courtyard. And furnishing these small areas can be difficult.

But with the right advice, even the smallest area can be enhanced: just avoid overdoing it and focus on only a few elements which will suit your home. You can find some inspiration from the ideas listed below:

A pergola to close off the space created within the bordering walls: it is less oppressive than a roof, even if it will not protect you completely from bad weather.

The pergola could also cover the exposure partially, providing shade in the sitting room, for example.

Since there are hardwood floors for outdoor terraces, and raised decks, why not use them to finish off these outdoor nooks as well? Adding sofas, or even a simple bench, will turn them into outdoor lounges!

Strings of lights, DIY furnishings made from pallets or reclaimed materials: there's charm even in slightly more rustic touches.

A small table and some decorations on the garden wall: it doesn't take much to create welcoming spaces.

You could indulge yourself with flooring, using decorative tiles that contrast with the rest of the space. And a trick to visually expand the environment is to make them continue on - at least on one side (perhaps at the back) - onto the wall (climbing vertically to a certain height).

If you don't like the floor of your patio, why not decorate it using outdoor rugs or raised floors?

For those who live without flower beds and are not satisfied with pots alone, can create raised ones either along the long sides or at the bottom of the courtyard. Or again, create a small "L"-shaped flower bed that occupies only one corner.

It can be very satisfying, from an aesthetic point of view, to alternate between two different types of flooring. Maybe wood and gravel, but other combinations can work too.

Flowerbeds on the sides and a wooden platform at the centre: modern and elegant.

If space permits, how about a fountain for a garden with classic European charm?

How would you like to design your small backyard?