80 Sq. Ft Patio Planning

One of the biggest perks of our new apartment is the 80 sq. ft of covered outdoor patio.  I'm not sure how this compares to the rest of the country, but by DC standards, that is a lot of room!  I wanted to take advantage of the year end patio furniture sales and our new entertaining space by really making it fun and comfortable.  Most people in our complex have sad, sad patios with one or two lonely folding chairs or have tried to repurpose the area as an outdoor gym.  I wanted something a bit more decorated and ahem, appropriate, for the space like these patios:

Source: Better Homes & Gardens

Source: Better Homes & Gardens

Source: Design Sponge

However, this is what I started with...blah:

Upsides? (1) We are up in the trees so all we see is beautiful green! (2) We overlook the playground so when we sit outside we can hear the sweet sound of a child's laughter...usually followed by a blood curdling scream and a nasty squabble among the neighbor children.  However, we are high enough up not to be bothered by it. (3) The archway and the brick are really nice features.  (4) I'm super into really glossy black paint right now, so the railings and the storage/utility closet doors are something I can work with!

Downsides? (1) The concrete is gross.  (2) The patio will need a good bit of color to not be so drab. (3) Vertical blinds...which is actually an inside issue I'm still trying to decide what to do about...they are over all the windows!

Thankfully, I'm not afraid of dressing up drab spaces especially when I have such great trees!  My color scheme is a little bit out there for some: green, black, pink, and champagne gold.  I'm hoping to add a bit of glam with the gold choice so it will be a fun place to relax and have people over.  I want enough space to seat four people comfortably and a place to put food/drink on.  I'd also like to grow some herbs.  I know it's a tall order for such a small space, but I think I can make it work.

I've already bought quite a few things for the patio including an outdoor daybed, a coffee table, two chairs, toss pillows, and some outdoor cups and plates, but it hasn't quite come together yet.  I'll talk more about my purchases in upcoming posts.  However, we have bought enough furniture for Mr. 3 and I to enjoy every morning eating breakfast outside and enjoying a nice glass of wine before dinner.

What do you think of the space?  Got any ideas for me?  Let me hear them!