There’s nothing like fresh air and a space of your own – two reasons why patios and balconies are so sought after in the city. Even the smallest space can be transformed into a little getaway. Hoboken and Jersey City residents have gotten creative with their outdoor spaces, despite the limited space. We thought it’d be fun for locals to share how they decorated their patio/balconies including the square footage, design inspo, budget, and more. Read on for the third installment of our Urban Space Series.
To be considered for our Urban Space Series, email hello@hobokengirl.com.
Stephanie Spear + David Shuffelton’s Patio
Stephanie is a program manager at the Federal Aviation Administration and David is a criminal investigator.
HG: What city do you live in?
SS: We live in Jersey City, in the Hamilton Park neighborhood.
HG: What type of building do you live in?
SS: Rowhouse.
HG: What was the design concept + goal of the space?
SS: To make an additional room in our home. Yes, it’s the walkway to the garage, but how can we make it inviting and pleasant to spend time here?
HG: Where did you pull inspo from?
SS: We both grew up in homes that have big screened-in porches. This experience of having a functional outdoor space as an extension of the ‘regular’ living area was what we kept in mind.
HG: Tell us about the furniture, where did you purchase each piece?
SS: Patio set, trees, and lights from Home Depot; rug from Target; Grill, planters and wheeled stands from Lowe’s.Wifi extender from Amazon.
HG: Any plants/decor/unique items there that you’re especially proud of?
SS: Putting the trees in planters on wheeled stands. The setup makes it easy to move them around to manage sun/shade, water them, and maintain the plants. The wifi extender makes it possible to work from home (from the patio) and listen to music. And the baby pool for our pup Jesse is critical in the heat!
HG: What challenges did you encounter, if any, when creating your space?
SS: Being deliberate about choosing pieces that were good quality but renter-friendly. Thinking about what it would be like to move or sell this item in the future. It’s easy to get distracted by all of the choices on the market.
Read More: How to Deal With Mold in Your Home + Who to Call
HG: Any other things you’d like to share or tips for people wanting to beautify their urban outdoor spaces.
SS: Keep it simple. Something beautiful that you can’t maintain won’t be beautiful next season. Buy a cover for anything you don’t want to get dirty or moldy.
Christiana Coleman’s Patio
HG: What city do you live in?
CC: Jersey City.
HG: What is the square footage of the balcony?
CC: 700 square feet.
HG: What type of building do you live in?
CC: Full-service luxury building.
HG: What was the design concept + goal of the space?
CC: I really wanted to have a clean, contemporary, and comfortable space. The goal was to have an “urban oasis” by incorporating a lot of potted plants. This is why I chose a black and white palette, so the plants could stand out.
HG: Where did you pull inspo from?
CC: From the apartment itself. It is a modern loft and has a palette of black, grey, and white. So I wanted everything to feel cohesive. I also wanted to have some fun with the design so I chose some palm pillows à la the Beverly Hills Hotel. I think the palm print is a fun trend and I have seen it a lot this summer in design.
HG: Tell us about the furniture, where did you purchase each piece?
CC: Since this is a rental, I didn’t want to spend too much money on the furniture. I found the couch set on wayfair.com and all of the pillows are from Amazon. I think the bold black and white stripes really tie everything together and I got the doormat and area rugs from CB2. The lanterns are from Pottery Barn, the black poofs are from CB2 and the cafe set is from wayfair.com. All of the planters and plants are from a garden center right next door in Jersey City. All of the lighting items, such as the outdoor candles, fairy and string lights, are from Amazon.
HG: Any plants/decor/unique items there that you’re especially proud of?
CC: I am very proud of all of my plants!!! We water them every day and I’ve even named them all. Yes, I am a crazy plant lady. I just love the size and movement of the palms in the wind and the purple color from my pansies. They all make me very happy. I also love the solar-powered LED lights behind each of the plants. It is such a cool touch and makes the space feel very fancy and romantic at night.
HG: What challenges did you encounter, if any, when creating your space?
CC: Just the size of this space was daunting. It was a huge expense to outfit it but it was honestly so worth it. We have been able to enjoy it all summer long.
HG: Share your budget for the space. How did you fare? Under/over budget?
CC: I didn’t have an overall budget. I slowly started to add things as the year progressed, not just all at once. That made it a lot easier to achieve my goals.
HG: Any other things you’d like to share or tips for people wanting to beautify their urban outdoor spaces.
CC: I definitely suggest having plants/flowers. They truly breathe life into the space! Play with trends and color. You can do so inexpensively with Amazon and Target. And just go with what you like. The outdoor space is really where you can go wild and really show your personality.
Catherine and Mike Zuppe’s Patio
Catherine is a Marketing Director at Chegg, running the creative and marketing teams for the Skill division. Essentially, she markets a product that helps people change their careers through boot-camp style, online courses. Her husband, Mike, is the financial controller for Met Life stadium.
HG: What city do you live in?
CZ: In Hoboken, on 5th and Madison.
HG: What is the square footage of the balcony?
CZ: 220sq ft.
HG: What type of building do you live in?
CZ: We live in a walk up, and we own part of the 4th and 5th floors.
HG: What was the design concept + goal of the space?
CZ: We wanted something that had a relaxed bistro feel. Ultimately, we wanted somewhere comfortable with lots of seating for all of our friends to be able to join us, whether that’s to have a beer and watch the game or enjoy the view with a cocktail.
See More: Where to Throw a Baby Shower in Hoboken + Jersey City
HG: Where did you pull inspo from?
CZ: Pinterest and Wayfair
HG: Tell us about the furniture, where did you purchase each piece?
CZ: All of our larger furniture (couches and chairs) were Sunbrella brand that we got for a steal at Costco! Not pictured, but we got an adorable bistro set that we hide under the couch that we got from Bed, Bath & Beyond. All of our plants are from Green Village in Chatham. Our TV is just a normal indoor TV – we looked for the lightest possible flat screen so that lifting it from the storage container to the mount would be easy. We also got an easy on/off mount. Our rug was from Wayfair. Our plants are a mix of Green Village and Threshold brand found at Target.
HG: Any plants/decor/unique items there that you’re especially proud of?
CZ: My husband is in love with his lemon tree – it’s his first baby for sure. The garden center staff told us it might be too young to bear fruit when we bought it, but we’ve had at least a dozen lemons so far!
HG: What challenges did you encounter, if any, when creating your space?
CZ: Storage and balancing all the ways we wanted to use the space. We needed some storage for our pillows and TV, but I didn’t want to lose the square footage. As a result, we got a large storage bin that sits at a fairly low level, which allowed us to use it as seating. My sister created a custom cushion that our guests can sit on, so that storage doubles as extra seating. Our bistro set is also great but we don’t need it for every day, so we had to purchase a couch that had room underneath to put things under. Basically anywhere I could store something I wanted to!
HG: Share your budget for the space. How did you fare? Under/over budget?
CZ: We didn’t have a budget per se, but with all the plants we have purchased I’d say we certainly went over!
Leigh-Anne Baragona’s Patio
HG: What city do you live in?
LB: I live in Hoboken on Washington Street
HG: What is the square footage of the balcony?
LB: I have a private backyard that’s about 20’x50′
HG: What type of building do you live in?
LB: I’m in a rowhouse style apartment building
HG: What was the design concept + goal of the space?
LB: To create a cozy space
HG: Where did you pull inspo from?
LB: Instagram! I follow a lot of fall-inspired accounts and fall themes appear on my explore page a lot.
HG: Tell us about the furniture, where did you purchase each piece?
LB: Mostly everything is reused and recycled! About 75% of my furniture came from the previous tenant. I added a hammock and a used RVC projector. Garden materials and planters are all from local garden centers in New Jersey. The Halloween decor is from CVS.
HG: Any plants/decor/unique items there that you’re especially proud of?
LB: My vegetable garden! I grow tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and zucchini. I usually get a good crop in the fall. My skeleton stays out all summer to scare the squirrels away.
HG: What challenges did you encounter, if any, when creating your space?
LB: I had to really clean up the yard when I first moved in. I didn’t put that much effort into it until quarantine started, since it was so time-consuming. Weeks of clean-up paid off though, after I was able to make the space my own.
HG: Share your budget for the space. How did you fare? Under/over budget?
LB: I don’t spend much on furniture and decor, but grass, mulch, and all my garden supplies run me about $60 a year.
