Light it up
Lighting plays a major role in how a space feels, so incorporate both task and ambient lighting to create the mood you want and to provide the amount of light you need.
Money-saving tip: Rather than purchasing expensive lighting that requires installation, light your deck with affordable candles, torches, or solar lights. You can tuck them into planters, hang them from latticework, or install them around the perimeter of a deck so they won’t take up much space.
Add a change in elevation
Steps or small platforms are a subtle way to create multiple outdoor rooms in a tight space. Increase the visual separation by changing flooring materials between rooms.
Create ambiance
You might not have room for a fire pit, but you can still give your outdoor room a cozy ambiance with a tabletop fire bowl.
DIY Project: To make this bowl, place a 13-ounce can of clean-burning gel-alcohol fuel in a 10-inch-diameter terra-cotta container. Surround the can’s bottom and sides with recycled glass.
