Backyard Patio Design The First Step to Your Outdoor Room
Great patios begin with a great backyard patio design. If you want to expand your entertainment area for evening dinner guests, define an intimate nook for a secluded cup of coffee, or create an owner's retreat off of the master suite, a patio is a great idea. A patio design is the first step to creating a patio with pizzazz!
First think about how you're going to use the space, then plan your furniture and size requirements. When you've got the technical stuff out of the way, decide what style and materials you want, and you'll be on your way to a great space.
If you have the furniture for your new patio already, great. Place your furniture where you would most like to use it. How does this affect your traffic pattern? Will your family be in danger of falling on the furniture right outside a doorway?
When you're designing a patio, traffic flow and size are important considerations. Where your patio is built is also an important factor. Placing it near a deck area easily expands entertainment possibilities. A patio in a secluded part of the garden is a pleasant getaway on summer afternoons.
TIP
Sit in the furniture in the patio area. What are you looking at? Where are the views?
This also may mean that you need to block a bad view with plantings or fencing.
Traffic flow (either vehicles or people) is something that is easier to see on paper. If you can map out the area where you want your patio, some simple lines on your backyard patio design will show you where the highest traffic flow is.
If you place your patio outside some sliding glass doors, part of a traffic pattern is already in place. Does your family use this door a lot? Pay attention to where people walk when they use this area.
The overall size of your patio is determined by a few different things. Traffic flow is one of them because your guests and family will need to be able to walk around the furniture and whomever is using your patio. If your patio is too small, it will feel cramped and uncomfortable.
The FUN Stuff
When you've decided the size and location of your patio, you can get to the style, materials, and accessories of the patio. (The FUN stuff!)
In Wisconsin I use the sand-set installation method instead of mortar because of our freeze/thaw cycle. If a paver is cracked, you can remove that paver and replace it.
A backyard patio design can become a work of art with different colors of brick pavers. Watch out, though -- If your design creates a lot of curves or requires a lot of cuts, the cost of the patio will go up.
Traditional not quite what you wanted? Stamped concrete with a custom center medallion is a great look. On your backyard patio design, make sure that a beautiful medallion won't have furniture over the top of it.
My favorite use for this is to create a stone slab look. Talk about a 'wow' factor! If there is a down-side to stamped concrete it is the possibility of cracks in our northern climate. To prevent this, create expansion joints or concrete cuts in the concrete. Also, extra reinforcement will help.
Still a third material for patios would be crushed granite. Crushed granite is definitely easy on the budget, and it can look really great when done right. The down side to this material would be that it can track a little bit so would not be a great idea right outside your door.
Crushed granite surrounding a fire pit works (and looks!) great.
Flagstone
Flagstone is a good choice for a relaxed backyard patio design. The wide range of colors available will dazzle you, so come prepared with color ideas before you visit the supplier. Like pavers, flagstone can also be sand-set or mortared. Don't forget that you can plan to have grass or groundcover between flagstone, also.
When looking for supplies, take your backyard patio design with you. Make sure you have all of your notes on one sheet, and take along any color samples that you may want to match.
More Ideas
Other thoughts for a backyard patio design? Well, have you thought about how much sun you'll get on your patio? If it's south-facing or already hot, you can be sure that you won't spend very much time out there in the heat of summer. Plan some shade for the area with a pergola, umbrella, or roof extension over part of the patio.
Are you going to be grilling on the patio? If so, this will affect your space needs and your traffic area. A person at the grill will need more room behind them because of the hot area in front of them. You may want to place the grill closer to the door, so that food can be handed more easily to the chef.
An enchanting addition to a deck or patio is light. Overhead outdoor patio lights on a dimmer switch or outdoor rated 'twinkle lights' can create an air of intimacy for a late-summer dinner party. Landscape lighting around the patio will highlight your favorite plant or statue and give it a whole new look in the evening.
Patios are a great home addition and a good investment. I hope that these ideas and thoughts will help you to create a beautiful backyard patio design (and patio!) for your home.
