Tips & Trends for Jazzing Up Your NYC Apartment’s Outdoor Space

Even if you feel like you have a drab apartment space, anyone who can score a balcony, garden, or patio in New York City has won the apartment jackpot. These multifunctional outdoor areas can easily make your NYC apartment stand out from the rest while functioning in ways you may have never dreamed of.

Turn your outdoor space into a kitchen

When you look out at your apartment’s outdoor space, you might just see a plain balcony or a small patio, but some renters see a potential cooking space. Whether you love to grill or serve up drinks on a dry bar, any outdoor area just begs to get turned into a space to serve up food and drinks. Off The Mrkt found that you don’t even need that much space to start cooking outside — with a bit of DIY counter space, you can transform any balcony into a small kitchen area. Just check with your landlord before you start cooking over open flames.

Use lights to show off your balcony

Nothing attracts buzz and attention like a good light show, and the same holds for any NYC apartment. According to Off The Mrkt, anyone needing to jazz up their living space just needs to make a quick run to their local big box or home supply store to pick out a few packs of globe or fairy lights in order to make a quick impression. By decorating your outdoor space with these fanciful accessories, you can evoke dreamlike nights even if you live in the middle of Midtown.

Find a new use for fabric

Creating an outdoor space that gives you a bit of privacy is essential for anyone living in the city, and if your home comes with a street-facing balcony, it can feel like pedestrians, passersby, and cabbies are always peeking into your apartment. By lining your outdoor space with a privacy barrier, you can easily set up your own oasis from the rest of the world. The Spruce recommends draping fabric over railing or even getting a privacy screen for your patio or balcony in order to truly give you a break from the hustle and bustle of city living.

Mix and match furniture

If you have accumulated a ton of furniture over the years but have really started to feel the clutter, you can’t go wrong by repurposing some of your treasures into outdoor furnishings. If you live with roommates, The Spruce even recommends going in on “friendship furniture,” aka furniture you buy as a household, to decorate your outdoor space with if you want to go for a new look. Otherwise, feel free to mix and match your decor as you please, as long as you follow one integral rule.

Stick to a theme

Whether you mix and match furniture in your NYC outdoor space or create a whole new succinct environment, make sure to stick to a central theme. The New York Times found that this NYC apartment rule particularly benefited patios and gardens where you can evoke Japanese gardens or English landscaping to really make your outdoor area come to life. With a bit of vision, any outdoor space can breathe new life into a New York City Apartment.