Furnish Your Small Deck On The Cheap With These Clever Furniture Ideas

Looking to furnish your petite patio or compact balcony on a tight budget? With some resourceful thinking and savvy sourcing, you can style a small outdoor space without breaking the bank.

Upcycle Found Items into Stylish Furniture

One of the most budget-friendly approaches is upcycling items you already have or can source secondhand into unique deck furniture. With a little elbow grease and creativity, you can give tired pieces new life.

Old wooden chests or cabinets, for instance, can become weatherproof coffee tables. Add some color with a coat of outdoor paint or weather-resistant stain. Or think outside the box by repurposing a ladder as an unexpected bookshelf against a wall. Other upcycling ideas include using metal buckets or barrels as side tables and outdated benches or chairs dressed up with paint or colorful cushions.

Scour Flea Markets and Garage Sales

Keep your eyes peeled at garage sales, thrift stores, and flea markets for potential furnished finds. An old trunk could double as a coffee table or seating storage. Mismatched chairs are easily unified with a fresh coat of paint. Secondhand furnishings can add character and save you money.

Refurbish Discarded Wooden Pallets

Wooden pallets are inexpensive and can be upcycled into almost any type of furniture. Make a table by fastening pallets together and adding legs, or lean pallets against the wall to form improvised shelving. Painting or staining pallets can dress them up. Get creative remixing castoff pallets!

Opt for Multi-Functional Furniture

When space is limited, it pays to choose furniture that serves more than one purpose. Nesting tables stow away neatly when not in use. Benches with built-in storage offer extra capacity beneath the seating. Look for pieces like stools that flip over to become side tables or chairs that fold flat for easy storage.

You can also DIY clever multi-functional furniture. A small wooden crate topped with a rigid foam cushion instantly becomes both extra seating and a side table. Or attach folding brackets to a salvaged pallet to make a handy wall-mounted drop-leaf table.

Attach Wheels for Movable, Storable Items

Adding wheels or casters to furniture is an easy upgrade that pays dividends on a petite deck. Ottomans and side tables on wheels can simply be rolled out of the way when not in use. Investing in a wheeled outdoor cart provides both extra storage and mobility. Even large pieces like benches can be made portable by attaching heavy-duty casters.

Incorporate Vertical Storage

Take advantage of vertical real estate with space-conscious solutions like wall-mounted shelving, overhead hanging racks, and multi-layered plant stands fitted with surfaces for decor. You can also install wall-mounted rods or tracks to hang folding chairs, hammock chairs, or a pulley table that lowers when needed and stashes overhead when not in use.

Embellish with Affordable Textiles

You don't need to splurge on cushions and rugs to add comfort and visual interest to a humble deck. Outdoor blanket throws from discount shops make great stand-in area rugs. Remnant carpeting, sisal rope, and outdoor woven mats are other options for covering floorboards affordably.

For cushions, recycle old pillow inserts or foam and cover them in inexpensive outdoor fabrics like canvas drop cloths or oilcloth tablecloths. Don't overlook tablecloths from the thrift store as makeshift table runners.

Display Potted Plants

Plants are a budget-friendly way to spruce up a small deck. Pick up discounted pots and containers from thrift shops and garage sales, or repurpose all kinds of vessels from buckets to bowls. Arrange grouped pots of flowers, succulents, and greenery around the deck for natural color and texture.

String Up Outdoor Lighting

Set the mood on your petite patio with a collage of inexpensive lighting. String lights or solar-powered lanterns overhead create a festive feel. Line the deck perimeter with votives nestled in upcycled glass jars or cans punched with holes. Outdoor lighting adds ambiance on a diminutive deck day or night.

Apply finishing touches like decorative throw pillows, salvaged paintings or wall art, and thrifted mirrors to complete your space without draining your wallet. Repurposed wooden ladders, arbors, and trellises also add vertical interest while hiding unsightly views.

You can make a small living area on a budget. Upcycling found items, choosing multi-functional furnishings, and embellishing with affordable accents allows you to maximize a modest deck without breaking the bank.