It’s the place where you’ll spend most of your summer nights, entertain guests, and where you will relax on the weekends. It’s how neighbours judge you and friends become jealous of you. Yet it’s also the place where you need help with the design. Luckily, if you follow these steps you’ll have a welcoming patio that will become your new favourite spot.

When it comes to designing a patio it requires a lot of planning and patience. The first question to ask yourself is: what function will the patio serve?

• Will it be an ultimate grilling station?

• Will it be used as a dining area?

• Should it be a play area for children?

• Is it an area for entertaining guests?

 You want to make sure that you can make a space that can accommodate all of your needs while also being capable of evolving if your needs change. That is why your answers to those questions are the starting point for your planning because they will ultimately influence the design of your patio. However, regardless of the functionality of your patio below you can learn about design techniques that are essential for any successful patio:

Seating

When it comes to a patio you can never have too much furniture. In fact, you want to ensure that you do because once the grill gets fired up you’re almost guaranteed to have surprise visits. You don’t however, want to have too much furniture that it causes disruption in the flow of the patio. An easy way to ensure that you have suitable seating without going to the extreme is to have a variety of pieces that can compliment your main patio furniture set. For instance, use an ottoman that can serve a dual purpose as an extra seat, or choose stools that can be easily tucked away.

Tables

In addition to having adequate seating, you want to ensure that your guests have places where they can put their belongings and set their drinks down. How many tables you want to include in your patio space is dependent on how many guest you intend to entertain. As a general rule, you want to include end tables, a main table, and potentially a drink cart as well as your patio tables.

Lighting

It’s natural to want to stay outside for as long as possible when it’s a warm summer night. It’s not natural however to add flood lights just so that you can stay in denial of the fact that the sun has long past. Instead we recommend taking a more subtle approach. Use a combination of candles, lanterns, deck lights, and string lights to achieve a delicately balanced ambiance.

Highlight the Walkways

While a path overgrown by weeds may be attractive for the film set of a horror film, you don’t want to have that as your entrance to your patio. Instead you want to offer a clearly defined walkway that leads guests to your outdoor space. This can be achieved through landscaping around your paths and providing adequate pathway lights.

Add a Fire Feature

When people mention summer one of the first things that comes to mind is a campfire. This is why you must consider adding a fire feature to your patio so that you can enjoy the camaraderie and even enjoy a s'more or two. If you’re indecisive about which type of fire element you should add to your patio, you can learn more about the difference between fire pits and fire pots here.

Shade

While getting a little summer sun is welcomed, too much of it is a cause for concern. That is why it’s important to consider ways you can shade your patio.

Materials

Perhaps the most integral element to a patio is choosing the materials that you want to use. While some prefer stamped concrete, others may choose to use natural stone. Some may even choose to use a mix of the two to give their patio a unique look. If you want to learn more about paving stones vs stamped concrete, you can read up on it here.

Even with all of these steps readily available to help you with your design, it's most important to remember that designing a patio will require patience and dedication. If there's one important lesson to remember about patio's, it's that they are a task that should continuously evolve as your needs change. 

cover photo © Techo-Bloc