Today I’m sharing how we transformed our small balcony space into an Italian-inspired outdoor dining area. This concept is great for small patio areas and small balcony areas. All links for furniture and decor are below!
When we first bought our house a little over two years ago, one of the areas we loved most was our upper balcony area. It’s a small 5×7 space that overlooks our front yard. Now, I am terrible at making decisions, so I haven’t been able to commit to a concept in two years and the space has been left empty. The other day though, I saw lemon trees at Home Depot and immediately I knew what I wanted to do with the space. We decided to do an Italian-inspired patio makeover. We have a blue house (that I love) so the pops of blue and white with lemon accents would be perfect in that small outdoor space.
Outdoor Balcony Makeover: Italian Inspired
Here is what it looked like before! It was just a blank space with a few dead flower boxes that belonged to the people that owned the house before us.
And here is what it looks like now! Keep reading to learn more about our Italian-inspired balcony makeover!
Check out our gender-neutral nursery reveal here!
The Bistro Set
The first thing I wanted to finalize was the outdoor dining space. I found the perfect bistro set for under $300. It was the perfect size to fit on our small balcony. I loved that it already came with the white cushions to go with the blue and white patio furniture. So this bistro set was the first thing I purchased for the space.
The Outdoor Rug
Next, I purchased this 4×6 blue and white outdoor rug. I felt like it really tied the concept together. It complemented our blue Hardiplank and tied in well with the white cushions. This rug was on major sale at the time of purchase. It was originally $177 and I got it for $65!
The Outdoor Bar
I knew I really wanted an outdoor bar on our patio. I wanted somewhere that I could easily make an Aperol spritz or lemon cocktail! I found this narrow outdoor console table for less than $200! It was perfect for the outdoor bar and also housed all of my plants.
The Plants
I previously mentioned that I wanted a lemon tree from Home Depot so I started with that! Then I added some mint, basil and rosemary to sit on the outdoor bar. This way, we could have fresh herbs in our cocktails and on our homemade pizzas. I also added some salvia because I loved the purple with the Italian theme.
I put all of these plants in terracotta pots. I also purchased some woven baskets to make them fit my theme a little more. Since I am not terribly gifted when it comes to gardening, I also purchased some faux plants. I found the perfect faux olive tree for $40. I was so excited to find an affordable faux olive tree. Some of the others I really like are like $150-$200 or more. So I was very excited by the $40 price tag!
I also purchased some branches and a small plant for under $5. Finally, I added a little faux floral arrangement with a citrus accent.
Italian-Inspired Decor
I added some other Italian-inspired decor throughout the space. I added these blue and white outdoor lumbar pillows to our bistro set. I think they complimented the outdoor rug nicely. Then I added a battery-operated lantern, some woven baskets, a few terracotta pots, a Tuscan-style watering can, some blue stoneware dinner plates, a few $3 blue plastic tumblers, and some bar decor.
I also added some lemons, Pelligrino water, Ketal One botanicals, and limoncello to the bar. I also added this great wooden board to hold our pizza. We are really lucky to have an authentic Italian pizza restaurant right around the corner. The owner flies his tomatoes in from the base of Mt. Vesuvius in Naples. So our new balcony is the perfect place to enjoy some delicious, authentic Italian pizza.
We are so excited to have the space completed now that the temperatures have warmed up! This is the perfect spot to enjoy a glass of wine after the baby goes to bed too. We plan to be out here all summer!
