How To Maximise A Small Garden Or Courtyard

Having a small garden doesn’t have to mean your outdoor space should be made redundant. With some simple design hacks, you can easily transform a small garden or courtyard in order to maximise the space you have.

With our tips and tricks, you will soon be utilising your outdoor area and entertaining friends and family in no time!

Create An Illusion

A simple and cost effective way of making your garden look or feel bigger is the art of illusion and tricking the eye.

If you are looking to transform the space on a smaller budget then accessories like a garden mirror or lighting are a quick and easy way to instantly give the illusion of a bigger garden, while adding ambience and a contemporary touch.

Refreshing your fence panels with a coat of paint is another quick fix to elongate the garden and draw the eye up. Don’t be afraid to go dark either; a black painted fence will make a striking feature that will compliment any greenery, without making the garden feel smaller.

Go Vertical

Bring greenery and life to your garden without using up valuable floor space by planting vertically. Perfect for city or urban gardens, vertical planting is a simple but effective way to update a small garden, balcony or courtyard.

By creating a vertical garden, you can camouflage any unsightly walls or fences that would otherwise get ignored. Use hanging baskets, trellises or plant shelves & ladders to achieve a beautiful backdrop for your outdoor space, not matter its size.

Add Levels

From raised beds and decking to sunken patio, adding levels to your garden will instantly make it appear larger, whilst creating new spaces for planters or furniture.

A raised decking area is an innovative way to utilise space that would usually go unused, such as sloped areas. By creating a raised, level area you can create a space for a lounging or dining area.

Create Zones

By creating different zones in your garden, you will create the illusion of a larger space. It would be easy to assume that an open plan garden will look and feel bigger, but by dividing the garden into sections you are obscuring the actual size and giving the sense of a much larger setting.

You can create sections using arches, garden screens or even hedges and shrubbery to make different zones for seating, outdoor cooking or even small play areas.

Modular & Space Saving Furniture

With a smaller outside space, it doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to what furniture you use. By choosing your furniture carefully, you can still ensure you have plenty of seating to accommodate friends and family, without compromising on style.

Purchasing practical furniture will ensure it will be suitable long term; look for chairs that can be folded or stacked and stored away when not in use or modular sets that can be rearranged in different ways to suit the number of guests.