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All Photos/outdoor/patio, porch, deck : small

1,166 Outdoor Small Patio, Porch, Deck Design Photos And Ideas

The main entrance to the property is on the lower level and leads directly to the living area of The House. The entrance is marked by a vintage rug, and the timber walkway shares the same material as the upper level deck that extends out from The Loft.
The House features a seating area and fire pit by the main entrance. "It’s a great way to experience the peace and serenity of the outdoors," says Tarah.
Initially, Tarah had wanted a backwoods-style path that felt less refined and more rugged. Drew, however, proposed a clean path that could be shoveled and provide greater clarity for guests. "In the end, Drew won, and I’m not mad about it," says Tarah. "It’s not as charming as I would have liked, but it’s very functional and so easy to plow during our cold, snowy seasons. We added some really lovely path lighting to give it a nice ambient evening glow."
When arriving at the property, a sign directs guests down one path for the workspaces (The Loft) and another for the guesthouse (The House). "We knew that having separate entrances and not connecting the spaces internally would be the trick to keeping each space separate and private," says Tarah. "We spent a lot of time thinking through the walking paths that led to each space and considering how to make them cohesive while serving different functions."
Exterior
The street front, on the south side of the property, is directly across from a busy intersection. “This problem resulted in the gable trellis balcony, one of our favorite design features,” reveals architect Nicholas Fiore. “The balcony serves three functions: as a headlight filter, as a subtle nighttime beacon when lit from within, and as a nod to a favorite Mapleton Hill historic detail—gable woodwork filigree, which is seen throughout the neighborhood.”
Acapulco chairs sit on the adjacent deck. The windows are by Milgard and the glass sliders are by Western Window Systems.
The side patio doubles as a parking spot for a custom-built 1970 Honda CB750.
In this home in Venice Beach, California, every interior space is accompanied by an outdoor room. The homeowners often dine on the patio adjacent to the kitchen. The rooms are intimately scaled but feel expansive due to their visual and physical connection to the environment.
Even a small patio can have a monumental effect. A green wall in this kitchen patio also brings views to the higher parts of the slender town house, located in the West Village in New York. The counter and floor, clad in gray honed slate, and the teak-clad walls and bench complement the greenery.
Work-at-home architect Oliver Dang, founder of Six Four Five A, built a cozy backyard studio with cedar panels and a vast storage system. Sunlight streams through the angled skylight, warming the birch plywood interior.
The decked patio and pool area is shaded by olive and pomegranate trees.
Verandas at both the front and back of the home create spaces to engage with the landscape and for "outside contemplation."
Stone steps hug the side of the home and lead from the street level to the entry courtyard adjacent to the dining room. “We loved the use of the Ceppo Di Gre stone for the two main stairs,” says architect Bronwyn Litera. “Visitors are drawn to its detail when climbing the stairs, and so they watch their feet!”
Fittingly named the Courtyard House, the residence features a large outdoor space tucked underneath the cantilevered upper level, providing a quiet and shaded area for Lalita to enjoy her coffee breaks. Rotated masonry blocks extend from the courtyard wall to create succulent planters.
Sheltered, second-floor balconies overlook the water, connecting the home’s occupants to the lake beyond.
Emily and Mike created a small courtyard behind the office with custom concrete seating, a stone patio, and a mature tree as the focal point.
Before tackling the house, the couple converted the garage into a separate work space with a long, linear window that echoes that in the main house.
A small deck and a custom concrete planter complete the seating area off of the main bedroom.
La Paloma Gaudi was selected for the exterior brickwork to foil the white-colored ones in the kitchen. Blackbutt wood was used for the decking.
They spent a couple months talking through ideas and sharing inspiration from Pinterest: Chris was looking for a muted, Australian-inspired sense of calm. In addition to a refurbished and more livable space, he requested a study, a guest bedroom and master suite, and a large indoor/outdoor space for grilling.
The back of the home and its soaring glass-and-concrete addition create a strong connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces, and the rear garden and the pool feel like "a secret refuge."
The “moon viewing” mirador porch sits off of the main bedroom and bathroom, framing the verdant countryside.
For maximum impact, the three designers sited the home adjacent to a lake, providing expansive views and heat reduction during the day.
A terrace covered by a pergola runs past the private volume (which contains three bedrooms of equal size and a bathroom on the ground floor) to the covered patio, and down the stairs to the pool.
To protect the home from the sun in the summer, the south facade has less windows and a pergola over the terrace.
“We took some pains to save the tree,” says Humble of the mature cherry tree that was preserved in the redevelopment. “We used it to focus all of our new openings.”
The original front porch swing inspired the couple to add one at the back. “We wanted to figure out how to recreate that hangout space in the back, where the kitchen and dining room were,” says Dean.
The screen of thin white slates also acts as a privacy shield, as the home is right on lot lines.
Windows open directly from the kitchen to the breezeway between the main building and the screened porch, making alfresco dining easy. When the sun shines on the breezeway, the family simply moves the table and chairs to the north patio.
Diane chose a metal cladding due to the risk of fire in the Ponderosa forest. As a result, the insurance costs for the cabin are very low compared to the neighboring cabins.
“We wanted low maintenance,” says Szczerbicki of the home’s exterior, which was clad in cedar and oiled once. “We’ll watch it patina and go gray with time.”
The downstairs patio is framed in bougainvillea and has two Boomerang Lounge rattan chairs with a mosaic-topped table, both from CB2.
“I designed the pool as a form related to the house, but almost stepping down in scale,” says architect Kirsten Johnstone. “Australia’s strict regulations around pools create challenges to achieve compliance. Here, we have used some timber battens and continuous bluestone paving to connect the pool to the entertaining area.” The garden is planted with drought-tolerant indigenous plants to support local wildlife.
A built-in box seat on the timber deck adjoining the dining area offers an outdoor space for an enjoyable moment in the sun. This area is shaded by deep eaves formed by the extension of the timber batten ceiling outside.
The timber batten ceiling in the living and dining area extends out over the timber deck and seamlessly folds up into the balustrade of the second-floor balcony. “I tried to use windows as transition elements between materials, such as the bifold glazing from the dining area to the outside that separates the different wall materials abutting it, but with the ceiling finish extending beyond,” says architect Kirsten Johnstone. “There’s an element of playfulness with the details.”
The oversized glass sliding doors open up wide to connect the open-plan second floor with the intimate patio space.
The unit’s open-air terrace provides views of the television tower at Alexanderplatz soaring high above the Berlin skyline.
Another one of Panorama Glass Lodge Iceland’s stargazing cabins is just a quick 30-minute drive from Reykjavík at Hvalfjörður (Whale Fjord). The glass-encased vacation rental includes a hot tub, so you can take your stargazing outside.
“Our home is only 234 square feet, but we utilize the great outdoors and rarely feel like it is too small,” Tina says.
The sunny deck features Palissade dining chairs by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for HAY.
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Whether it's a backyard patio, an infinity pool, or a rooftop terrace, these modern outdoor spaces add to the richness of daily life. Escape into nature, or get lost in city views. Wherever you are, let these outdoor photos take you somewhere new with inspirational ideas for yards, gardens, outdoor tubs and showers, patios, porches, and decks.

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