Outdoor Living Space Ideas on a Budget

For a small space, you don’t need a monster umbrella. The SimplyShade SSBU-5X7RT5T-P040 rectangular balcony umbrella measures just under 5’ x 7’, is constructed of an aluminum frame with a polyester canopy, has an infinite front to back tilt and comes with a protective cover for storage.

Forget your LED lighting, I’ll take a crackling fire that lights up the night anytime. There’s no denying that a roaring fire in the Fire Sense Lumina 62342 wood burning fire pit is as mesmerizing as it is romantic. With the included mesh screen (to contain sparks) and the multipurpose fire tool/screen lifter, you’ll have everything you need to keep your home fires burning long into the night.

Shade sails can be attached to trees, houses, garages, or poles you set specifically as a sail attachment point. With five different bright and fun colors, we like the idea of setting multiple shade sails together to create a shade canopy, and at these prices it’s hard to beat. We love that the Coolaroo 118IN Triangle Shade Sail provides up to a 90% UV block while allowing the ground cover to breathe, reducing temperatures underneath by as much as 32%.

If your backyard oasis includes a pool, there’s nothing like laying out on a gorgeous day, soaking up the sun’s rays and letting the rigors of life drain away from you. Getting a little too hot? A quick dip in the pool and let that evaporative magic cool you down. Still better, for a fantastic budget price add a SimplyShade Catalina SSUM92-0900-D2406 market umbrella to cool you and your chaise lounges as the sun becomes a little too much.

Some of our most savvy customers know that anywhere people hang out, they could use some shade. Nowhere is that more important than when your little ones are splashing around in the pool, as the water reflects UV rays, so they actually absorb more than if on land. Keep them safe by stretching a Custom Shade Sails CSS10RT-SS triangle shade sail (or two or three) over the areas where they splash the most.

Your pergola is fantastic – it provides a bit of shade to help keep the temperatures of you and your patio down… but is it enough? Adding a Custom Shade Sails CSS10-12REC-CP shade sail to your existing pergola not only dramatically increases the amount of shade (and decreases the temperatures on your deck), but when a light rain surprises you it’s literally got you covered.

As the evening looms ever closer, you’re going to need to add a bit of light to the festivities and with the right ceiling fan you’re good-to-go. In an outdoor space, our experts point out that the Craftmade Lighting Bellows II BW248BNK6 dual head ceiling fan is a perfect choice as you can set the angle of the fans, and they rotate around the motor to provide cooling to a wide area where a “normal” ceiling fan just pushes the air down.

This was a “aha” moment for me. We all know that patio heaters keep people warm as the evening sets in (or when you’re enjoying your early-morning cup of coffee in your outdoor oasis), I should have known that adding patio heaters to your umbrella is a perfect way to keep your guests cozy around an area you gather most (especially if your umbrella is in your dining area). The infrared heat from the Victory Heaters HLWA15-LV infrared patio heaters will warm your guests the same way the sun does, while requiring no special wiring (runs on standard 120v power).

Just a little press on the piezo ignitor will start up the Fire Sense 60262 tabletop patio heater, creating a blanket of warmth that provides up to 100 sq. ft. of coverage (at up to 10,000 BTUs). Using a standard 1lb LP gas cylinder, you’ll get up to 3 hours of coverage from a single refill. Light weight and super-portable, you’ll be able to place the heat exactly where you need it.

Perfect for warm and dry weather, a misting fan creates fine water droplets (so fine you won’t get wet) and blows them into the air, creating an instant evaporation that cools the air temperature by as much as 20°F. Fill the 2-gallon water reservoir on the EcoJet by Joape Bob LVP-020303 tabletop misting fan and you’re good for 2-4 hours of blessed cooling relief. As a bonus, the misting water creates a no-fly zone (or no-mosquito zone) making your guests extra comfortable.

The big plus about tabletop grills is that they provide the same charcoal-friendly functionality as their big brothers, while being highly portable at the same time. When it comes to portability, the Fire Sense Notebook 60508 tabletop charcoal grill is as good as it gets… it folds flat to 1” in thickness for easy transport. Unfolded, its 13” height and 13” x 18” size are perfect for grilling up burgers on the go.

Just because we try to get eleven dimes out of every dollar doesn’t mean we have to go without in our outdoor oasis. These low-cost ways to step up your patio game should inspire to you add a little… something… to make your space more useful or comfortable so you can spend every minute outdoors as you possibly can.

Here at Patio Heat and Shade our goal is to inspire you to spend more time outdoors – breath in the fresh air, feel the sunlight on your skin and create memories for your family that will last a lifetime. When it comes right down to it, in 30 years when your kids think of your time together, they won’t remember the huge theme park trips… they’ll remember lazy Sunday afternoons tossing the ball, grilling up some tasty burgers and just goofing around with your pack. That’s why it’s so important to us to make your outdoor space as comfy as possible – it’s all about family.