Anyone who says, “size doesn’t matter,” has never had a patio or balcony with the square footage of a postage stamp. For those of us who have (or still do), patio space savers can keep guests from feeling like sardines stuffed in a can. Here’s how to give your guests enough room to raise a toast to your sense of proportion and style.
With its chic cabana stripe sling seat and pillow, this classic beach folding chair looks great on the patio, too. Made of sturdy teak and fade/stain-resistant Sunbrella fabric, these chic seats are made to last and fold flat for storage. That makes them perfect patio space savers.
Classic beach folding chair, $269.10; Ballard Designs
Crafted of solid acacia wood (with a weather resistant, UV protective coating), this 5-piece outdoor dining set is as space-savvy as it is pretty.
All four chairs nest compactly within the folded table, which has two wheels for easy portability.
Natural Hexagon Holcut folding dining set, $549; World Market
This petite carbon steel charcoal tabletop grill is small-space perfect. It fits two burgers and six drumsticks, and has a cork lid that doubles as a heat trivet.
Users say that it’s well-made, and they like that it uses traditional charcoal briquettes and has an adjustable airflow.
BergHOFF table grill, $249.95; Crate and Barrel
As patio space savers go, this compact cart is one rocks…and it rolls. It has a removable galvanized metal bucket and tray, plus a wagon-style pull handle and wheels. During cold weather, try it inside as a farmhouse chic tea trolley or as a home office organizer. Or deck it out for the holidays with a mini tree in the bucket and gifts on the tray below.
Galvanized Metal Wagon Party Bucket, $200; Pottery Barn
What sets this folding garden bench apart from others I’ve seen is that it’s made of strong, sturdy acacia wood. It won’t blow over in the wind and will hold up to 705 pounds.
Giantex folding acacia garden bench, $189.99; Amazon
Inflatable solar lights provide up to 12 hours of illumination (in three settings) and are made of PET 100% recyclable water-tight sailcloth. Users say that these patio space savers give out a lot of light for such small devices, holds their charge for a long time and are also great to use indoors during a power outage.
When inflated, these lights are just 4.5 inches square. When deflated, they’re small enough to fit in a car glove box.
SolarPuff collapsible light, $30; Uncommon Goods
Each of these items fold flat for storage, or can be wheeled inside and used in another way when cold weather hits.