Trade Secrets: How to Make a Narrow Patio Work

€œWe wanted it to feel like an extension of the inside.€

With its smooth yellow-cedar plank decking and furniture that echoes the modern design just inside, it’s almost hard to tell where the living room ends and the patio party begins. “We wanted it to feel like an extension of the inside,” says Chad Falkenberg, one half of interior design team Falken Reynolds. The long Kettal outdoor sectional offers ample seating space—“People will cozy up together on a sofa,” says Falkenberg—but there are also plenty of alternative places to perch, thanks to a low concrete surrounding wall that functions as a built-in bench.

They’re anchored around a boxy Paloform Fold fire table, with a generous surrounding surface area that leaves enough room for one’s feet or for setting down a wine glass. “It’s somewhere between a coffee table and a fire pit,” Falkenberg explains, the perfect fit for a space that’s somewhere between inside and out.