5 Tips for Designing Your Patio

Whether you’ve just moved into your home or you’re looking to rejuvenate your old patio, things can be a bit more complicated than they look.

The key to pulling it off is to have a solid plan before you get started. We’re here to make sure you’re successful in your venture so we’ve taken it upon ourselves to gather our personal experiences along with some DIY pros to give you the top 5 tips for designing your patio.

1. Keep Space in Mind

We have to be realistic when designing any space. While you may want to fit an inflatable swimming pool and a huge trampoline, it may not be feasible if you have a smaller-sized patio. If you’re limited on space, then you need to start thinking about what you absolutely need or want most, prioritizing certain pieces of furniture or accessories.

2. Positioning is Important

This may be a bit tougher if you’ve just moved into a new space and don’t know exactly where the sun sits on your patio at certain times of the day or during particular seasons. Consider which parts of the backyard or area you’d like to look at or place special focus on.

For example, if you have a garden on one side of the yard, you’ll probably want to place seating facing that side instead of a boring old fence.

If you’d like to add a TV or a projection screen outside, you have to know where the sun hits so it doesn’t create a glare on the screen and ruin the viewers’ experience during the daytime.

3. Create Different Zones or Areas

If you have the space for it, try to create different areas on our patio. For example, if you’re big into entertaining guests, then you may want to create a seating area where guests can sit down and enjoy some refreshments, and an open space with a patio heater where they can roam around and mingle amongst themselves while staying warm during chilly nights.

We also like patios which incorporate fire pits or chimineas which are a lovely way to get people to gather around, or for couples to enjoy a romantic view with some comfy seating. While they’re hanging out by the fire, you can fire up the grill too, and get some tasty creations ready for them.

Some guests may even have fun grabbing sticks and roasting their own hot dogs, chorizo, or bratwurst on the fire. The possibilities are endless!

Just make sure that you have some tables and proper seating around so no one has to awkwardly try to balance their plate on their hand while eating. If you’re going for a more relaxed, low-key space then picnic tables are cool additions that offer seating to quite a few people simultaneously on a low budget.

4. Think About the Vibe You’re Going For

That brings us to our next point. What kind of style or mood are you aiming for? Do you want something more upscale where you’ll host dinner parties that are a little more dressed up? Then get out a Kamado grill and a retractable awning to keep everyone well-shaded during the daytime.

Maybe you’re looking for tranquility and to create a kind of getaway right there at home. Then you’ll need to create a more relaxed mood. Outdoor water fountains are perfect for doing just that as the sound of running water will instantly melt away stress and boost your mood.

If you like the sound of birds chirping away, then you have to add in a bird feeder as well and keep them nearby. Hammock chairs are not only Instagram-worthy, but are little pods for you to unwind in. They can be placed pretty much anywhere but we recommend keeping yours in the shade.

5. Consider Weather Conditions

What kind of weather does your area receive? If you live in Southern California, for example, you’re not going to see too much rain or snow, typically. In fact, it only really gets cold during winter nights and even then, it’s not often below 55 degrees. If that is your situation then you can go ahead and get out the pools, the hot tubs, and not have to worry much about cold weather affecting your plans.

However, if you live in a place that gets cold weather then you’ll need to plan accordingly. Fire pits are great if you’re only inviting a few people over at once. If you like entertaining larger groups of people, then patio heaters are the way to go as they can cover larger areas at once.

Summary

Now that you’ve read through our top 5 tips for designing your patio, do you have a better idea of how you’re going to lay everything out? What helps us is also grabbing a pen and piece of paper and drawing it out. You don’t have to be an artist or professional to do a good job – just measure your patio area and draw where you’d like certain pieces of furniture to go.

We hope our guide has been able to help you plan your future patio and provide you with years upon years of fun and memories. Thanks for staying tuned with us, and we’ll see you again soon!