After a long winter, you’re probably looking forward to the summer. You might be hoping to create a perfect backyard oasis. But where do you start? Thinking about these ideas can help you make your dream patio a reality.
Choose Building Materials
Choosing theright building materials
is perhaps one of the most difficult but important steps towards creating your perfect backyard patio. As you start to plan out the design of your space, make sure that you get an expert’s opinion.
If you’re hoping to build your patio with wood slabs so that it has a wood deck vibe, make sure you get the right kind of wood. If you’re pouring concrete, make sure you get the right kind.
Include a Fire Pit
Not adding a fire pit
to your backyard patio space is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. A fire pit is not only functional, but it provides great entertainment. You can roast different food items on the fire, but it also provides a nice heat source that enables you to stay outside longer. There’s nothing more fun or cozy than gathering around a fire on a cool summer or autumn night.
Add Some Green
As you’re planning out your patio, make sure that you add plants to it. Maybe this simply means position your patio near already established trees in your yard. Maybe this means adding planters with different flowers or bushes around the furniture. Whatever you go with, adding green to the area will make it feel more inviting and relaxing.
Outdoor Furniture
As you’re thinking about your patio space, you must pick out the right furniture. There are a variety of factors that you should consider as you decide which furniture items to go with. First off, think of the function of the space. Do you anticipate using your patio to host summer dinners? Do you hope to entertain? Do you simply want a space where you can relax and read a book?
Depending on your answers to questions like those, you may want to invest in a solid outdoor table and chairs. Or, if you want space to prioritize comfort but you still want to have a place where you can eat meals, think more carefully about multi-functional furniture pieces. Maybe you pick more comfortable patio chairs, but you also add a few side tables for peoples’ plates.
In addition to thinking about the function of the furniture, you should also think about the durability and material of the furniture. Remember that certain materials are more prone to damage than others. For example, direct sunlight can damage wood furniture
and cause it to fade.
Lighting
One of the most important things that you need to think about when it comes to planning out your patio space is the lighting you want. Spend time outside in the area where you are planning to create your space and think about what level of lighting you would prefer.
Maybe you simply want a soft glow so that you can still make out the faces of the people sitting adjacent to you. On the other hand, maybe you want stronger lights so that you can play board games when it starts to get dark.
Regardless of the level of lighting that you prefer, consider adding
hanging string lights
to your space. Not only will they add a touch of charm to your space, but they also allow you to alter the different levels of light outside according to your preferences. On their own, they can provide you with a soft glow. In addition to other light sources, they can add just enough light to fully illuminate the patio the way you want.
Grill
Having a grill
in your patio space will make your patio space more functional. You’ll be able to not only enjoy your patio when you want to read a book, but it can also become a great space for entertaining.
Having a grilling space in your patio setup will also help you feel more like you want to be outside. Nothing beats grilled meat or pineapple on a cool summer’s evening.
Pest-Repelling Plants
As you’re planning out the plants and landscaping of your patio space, carefully consider adding certain
pest-repellant plants
. Plants like artemisia produce a strong antiseptic that repels insects though it smells relatively pleasant to humans. Other plants like basil also give off a nice aroma but similarly repel certain types of insects including flies and mosquitos.
Having a variety of different pest-repellent plants in the area around your patio will make summer nights much more pleasant. These natural repellents will help you better enjoy your time outside without having to put on inordinate amounts of unpleasant bug spray or constantly swat flies.
The Right Shape
As you’re thinking about creating a backyard patio space, you must nail down the right shape. Think carefully about the function of the patio space to determine how much surface area should be allotted. You should also think carefully about the already existing landscaping of your home.
Depending on the backyard that you already have, you may be able to simply build your patio symmetrical to your house. With homes that have big backyards, you can usually simply pour concrete right up against the backside of your home and extend that concrete space as far as you want or are able. On the other hand, if your landscaping prohibits a clean-cut symmetrical patio, think about another shape.
Slightly askew patios are definitely in style. Using curved lines in your patio space’s design could also help you fit all the different elements of your ideal patio into a tricky spatial layout.
Doing any kind of home renovation can seem overwhelming at first. Building a new patio can seem especially difficult. However, the good news is that thinking about some of these considerations can help you ensure that your future patio turns out wonderfully.
Need help keeping your backyard trees under control?
We can help
!