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Patio Ideas and Designs

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Project of the Month: September 2017
Project of the Month: September 2017
TCP Custom Outdoor LivingTCP Custom Outdoor Living
This freestanding covered patio with an outdoor kitchen and fireplace is the perfect retreat! Just a few steps away from the home, this covered patio is about 500 square feet. The homeowner had an existing structure they wanted replaced. This new one has a custom built wood burning fireplace with an outdoor kitchen and is a great area for entertaining. The flooring is a travertine tile in a Versailles pattern over a concrete patio. The outdoor kitchen has an L-shaped counter with plenty of space for prepping and serving meals as well as space for dining. The fascia is stone and the countertops are granite. The wood-burning fireplace is constructed of the same stone and has a ledgestone hearth and cedar mantle. What a perfect place to cozy up and enjoy a cool evening outside. The structure has cedar columns and beams. The vaulted ceiling is stained tongue and groove and really gives the space a very open feel. Special details include the cedar braces under the bar top counter, carriage lights on the columns and directional lights along the sides of the ceiling. Click Photography
Saratoga Ave
Saratoga Ave
Creekside Outdoor LivingCreekside Outdoor Living
Small outdoor patio with firepit. Creekside Outdoor Living - Schererville, IN Patio: Unilock Brussels (Sierra) Walls/Pillars/Firepit: Unilock Old Quarry (Sierra)
Stone work
Stone work
Creekside Pool and SpasCreekside Pool and Spas
This is an example of a medium sized classic back patio in Orange County with a water feature, concrete paving and no cover.
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Custom Patio doors
Custom Patio doors
Wood Windows, Inc.Wood Windows, Inc.
Milgard Essence fiberglass clad / wood interior sliding door.Lifetime warranty that includes accidental glass breakage.
Design ideas for a medium sized contemporary back patio in Boise with an outdoor kitchen and a roof extension.
Wagner Residence
Wagner Residence
Urban LandscapeUrban Landscape
Jeri Koegel
Design ideas for a large contemporary back patio in Orange County with a fire feature, concrete paving and a roof extension.
Residential Glass
Residential Glass
A-1 GlassA-1 Glass
Photo of a medium sized traditional back patio in San Luis Obispo with concrete paving and a roof extension.
Private Courtyard
Private Courtyard
Highland Homes, Inc.Highland Homes, Inc.
Highland Homes is creating great outdoor living spaces!
Photo of a medium sized classic courtyard patio in New Orleans with brick paving and no cover.
Primrose Hill
Primrose Hill
Emma O'Connell Garden DesignEmma O'Connell Garden Design
Bespoke wooden circular table and bench built in to retaining wall with cantilevered metal steps.
Design ideas for a small contemporary back patio steps in London.
Large contemporary garden
Large contemporary garden
Christine Wilkie Garden DesignChristine Wilkie Garden Design
This upwardly sloping rear garden in Hertfordshire, measuring around 300sqm, was a relatively blank canvas. The brief was to create a garden with a distinctive, classic contemporary look using clean, formal lines that would complement the modern interior and exterior of the house. A large expanse of lawn was desirable however the design divided this into three separate green spaces that exploited the change in ground levels. A series of steps lead from the lower limestone patio to the main lawn. It was important to capture the afternoon sun so a second limestone patio/sun terrace was created on the upper level, edged with granite setts and surrounded by planting in raised beds. A key feature in the garden is an atmospheric pergola walk that straddles a pathway of stepping stones and granite chippings, flanked by architectural shrubs and low box hedging.
Matching a Modern Home in Richmond
Matching a Modern Home in Richmond
Outdoor DreamsOutdoor Dreams
Design ideas for a medium sized modern back patio in Richmond with a fireplace and natural stone paving.
Branagh
Branagh
Douglas Johnson PhotographyDouglas Johnson Photography
Douglas Johnson Photography Talon Architects
Design ideas for a traditional patio in San Francisco.
Garden Design Crystal Palace, South London 2
Garden Design Crystal Palace, South London 2
Kate Eyre Garden DesignKate Eyre Garden Design
This is an example of a medium sized contemporary back patio in London with no cover.
Garden
Garden
John Bynum Custom Homes, Inc.John Bynum Custom Homes, Inc.
Inspiration for a medium sized classic side patio in Atlanta with a potted garden, brick paving and no cover.
African Patio and Garden
African Patio and Garden
Earth Art LandscapeEarth Art Landscape
Mike Woodall
This is an example of a patio in Phoenix.
4-Season Roof Garden
4-Season Roof Garden
Chicago Specialty Gardens, Inc.Chicago Specialty Gardens, Inc.
Private, protected urban roof garden. Photography: Van Inwegen Digital Arts.
Photo of a contemporary patio in Chicago.
Modern Farmhouse Style Home Extends Living Space with AG Millworks Bi-Fold Doors
Modern Farmhouse Style Home Extends Living Space with AG Millworks Bi-Fold Doors
AG MillworksAG Millworks
A modern farmhouse style home enjoys an extended living space created by AG Millworks Bi-Fold Patio Doors. Photo by Danny Chung
Medium sized rural back patio in Los Angeles with a fireplace, tiled flooring and a roof extension.
Dark Stamped Concrete Steps
Dark Stamped Concrete Steps
TRU Landscape ServicesTRU Landscape Services
Dark stamped concrete steps down from the backyard patio area to the pool. Their curved design mimics the movement of the pool. TRU Landscape Services
Los Cerros
Los Cerros
Imprints Landscape ArchitectureImprints Landscape Architecture
This is an example of a classic back patio in San Francisco with a pergola.
An Estate to Remember
An Estate to Remember
Casabella InteriorsCasabella Interiors
Large coastal back patio in Boston with a fireplace, a pergola and tiled flooring.

Patio Ideas and Designs

Patios are the go-to solution for turning your garden, or part of it, into an outdoor living area. A well-laid patio will integrate your home seamlessly into your garden, providing a solid and level surface for garden furniture and potted plants. Well designed patios are about more than just paving slabs – its positioning and layout are crucial to how much you enjoy this space. Before you start picking out patio ideas for materials and laying your patio, ask yourself important questions such as what will you use it for? How many people should it accommodate? Which part of your garden has the best aspect and sunlight? Will the patio have enough privacy?

How should I position my patio?

If you are designing your patio as a space for entertaining then make sure it’s wide enough for the garden furniture you want so you haven’t got guests tipping over into the flowerbeds. Don’t be wedded to the idea of having your patio attached to the house; think about positioning yours elsewhere in the garden if that space doesn’t offer the best aspect or lighting position. Consider the position of the sun through the course of the day and depending on whether you are most likely to want to dine outside at breakfast, have lunch on your patio or host dinner outside, you may want to position your patio differently. You can connect patios to your house with a footpath or stepping stones to allow easy transportation of food and drink.

How should I design and lay my patio?

Rectangles are the classic shape for patios, not least because they make the most efficient use of space and can be softened with garden edging. However, a rounded patio or a paving circle can perfectly complement a garden which isn’t linear in design. Paving slabs come in an extensive range of materials and are the most practical surface for patios. Yorkstone has the most traditional appeal, whereas concrete blocks, granite and slate patio slabs have a great texture and colour for modern gardens. Natural stones such as limestone, travertine and Indian sandstone vary in colour and finish and are a great way to add shade and texture to your patio. For some patio ideas that offer an alternative to block paving, loose material such as crushed stone and wood chippings have a rustic and more casual feel; if there are specific materials that re-occur elsewhere in the garden, you could repeat this in your choice of patio materials for consistency. Finally, it’s not a British summer without the great British barbeque, so look at patio ideas that incorporate barbeques and think about how you could accommodate one on your patio.

What garden furniture does my patio need?

Rattan garden furniture is a patio favourite, offering a durable, attractive finish that blends well into natural surroundings. Metal garden furniture and wooden garden furniture are sturdy alternatives available in many styles. Weight is a good feature in garden furniture to stop it from being blown away, but if you want to be able to move your furniture around the patio and garden to follow the sun you won’t want to go too heavy. Browse the various patio ideas that include garden furniture to see what styles of furniture go with different types of patios. If you find a particular patio set you like, you may be able to ask the designer where the furniture is from so you can look at buying the same set for your patio. Good, outdoor patio furniture crafted in high-quality materials should withstand bad weather, but cold, wet British winters followed by strong sun in the summer will be enough to weather even the best furniture, so it’s important to have somewhere, such as a shed, to store it when not in use for long periods of time. If you don’t have the space to store patio furniture, make sure that at least the cushions and umbrellas are stowed away out of the elements, and consider investing in a waterproof cover. One piece of furniture that might be able to stay out for a bit longer is a patio heater; it will warm any brave patio users and most modern designs are built to survive the cold weather. If you prefer something a bit more rustic than a patio heater, look at fire pits instead which will add warmth and an attractive centrepiece to your patio. If privacy or shade is an issue, then covering patio furniture with a parasol or sheltering patios with a gazebo or pergola are both smart patio ideas – these can be covered in climbing flowers or even wound with outdoor fairy lights for romantic evening lighting.
San Francisco 2-Story Addition
San Francisco 2-Story Addition
JMJ StudiosJMJ Studios
View of rear yard included custom-colored concrete walls, pavers, riverstone and a built-in bench around a firepit. Sliding Glass wall system by Nanawall. All exterior lighting by Bega. Catherine Nguyen Photography
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