Making the Most of Your Small Alfresco

Most newly built houses don’t have the space to accommodate a large alfresco area, particularly those that are located in metropolitan areas. However, with a bit of planning and creativity, your small alfresco can be practical, comfortable and most importantly, full of plants. This isn’t a council requirement or anything, but we think it should be.

The first factor to consider is the layout of your alfresco. If you have a rough idea of what you want to include and what you can do without, it will be much easier to plan and design a space that is both aesthetic and practical. Ensure to measure the area before purchasing any furniture, as you don’t want to end up with a space that feels cramped and congested. Bunnings suggests using painter’s tape to indicate where certain pieces of furniture will be placed, so you can get an idea of what the completed alfresco will look like and how much space you will have to move around. Investing in large pieces of furniture tends to make a small space look even smaller. We suggest focusing on incorporating various smaller pieces instead.

Chances are, you’re not going to host a party with 100 guests in your small alfresco, so don’t try and cater for them. Opt for a couch and table that accommodate 2-4 people, which will give you enough space to entertain without feeling claustrophobic. While it can be tricky to keep clean, purchasing glass or acrylic tables and chairs can help to create the illusion that your space is much bigger than it is. If you want more seating space, then consider lining your walls or fences with benches. You can also build storage into your benches where you can store comfy pillows and blankets in the winter.

If you’d like a BBQ, then we recommend finding a compact, portable BBQ that can be moved and stored elsewhere. If you’re regular grillers and can’t imagine having a small BBQ, then consider moving yours to the side of the house where it will be out of the way. Plus, this way, whoever is on the grill won’t be able to yell at you for the salt, water or tongs, because they’ll be too tucked away for you to hear them… just saying.

Depending on the layout of your home, you might want to add a glass sliding door or glass bi folds that you can open up to combine your indoor and outdoor areas, giving you ample space to entertain. You can also consider extending your interior flooring outside to your alfresco, to tie the two spaces together even more.  

You can build a beautiful space by thinking creativity. For example, if you’d like to add some kind of water feature, try and find one that will sit against the wall or fence without taking up too much space. Also, instead of large garden sculptures and bulky plants, consider installing a vertical plant or herb garden, or hanging plants that won’t take up any floor space. Keep it simple and reserve the larger plants and trees for your front yard. If you don’t know where to start, The Spruce has some wonderful suggestions for vertical gardens. There are also plenty of beautifully fragranced plants and flowers that make the perfect addition to any alfresco without taking up too much room. We recommend looking at lavender, scented geranium or gardenias (or all three…). Also, consider a flowering honeysuckle vine that you can position around your walls or fences. Ok, ok, we’ll stop talking about plants now, but we’re not happy about it.

If you’re stuck for ideas on what to do with your small alfresco, all it’ll take is a bit of research – scour articles, social media and Pinterest for inspiration and to get a feel for what you like. When doing so, you’ll see that there’s no reason that your small alfresco can’t be practical, aesthetic and beautifully designed.