Homeowners who are trying to come up with a design and color scheme for a small outdoor living space should take a page from those who have been challenged with decorating a mobile home. 

Trying to make the best use of a small space, keeping clutter to a minimum and creating a cozy atmosphere that doesn't feel crowded are similar concerns for mobile homes and patios or decks, according to DecoratingYourSmallSpace.com. 

For instance, a lengthy, narrow patio is similar to the long expanse found in mobile homes. Creating zones with patio furniture sets - a couple of outdoor chaise lounges in one area, a patio dining set in another spot - is one way to overcome this design dilemma.

"If you have a long room, you can give it a balanced look by painting one of the walls at the 'long end' a darker shade of whatever color you choose for the room," the website recommends. "It will bring that one wall closer in, and make the space seem more uniform in shape."

Outdoors, the darker color could be replaced with a "wall" of arranged greenery, which could bring about the balance that a deeper hue would create inside a mobile home.