A patio is a paved space for outdoor seating, often in close proximity to your home. Whether yours is small and intimate, or large enough for dinner parties, the right design will help you make the most of it. Whether it’s a slatted fence, lush green plantings, or a whitewashed pergola, a great design is key to enjoying your patio.
Having an area where you can relax, socialize and entertain friends in the privacy of your own home is an invaluable addition to any garden. And, if you do decide to sell your house in the future, a well-designed patio is one of the best ways to increase the value of your property.
In many cases, a patio is an extension of your living room or kitchen. That’s why it is so important to make it cohesive with the rest of your outdoor landscape. The good news is that there are many creative ideas you can use to create the perfect patio for your garden.
Patios can take on a variety of shapes and sizes. While square and rectangular patios tend to work better in smaller plots, curved designs can be equally as effective. And, for free-standing patios that don’t abut a building or other straight feature, a sinuous edge provides a more subtle, less formal changeover from the geometric geometry of your garden to the more organic paving materials on the patio itself.
Patios are also an opportunity to experiment with a wide range of garden paving materials. In fact, larger spaces usually look better when several different types of paving are used together. Gone are the days when only concrete paving or very expensive natural stone were available, now there’s a mind-boggling array of choices to suit any budget and style.