Your Outdoor Oasis Starts Here: Outdoor Patio Ideas

Bring Your Indoors Out

A well-designed covered patio can become an all-weather, year-round extension of your home. An outdoor kitchen, seating for dining and relaxing, plus an outdoor fireplace for heat and a fan for cooling, all combine into one cohesive space. Consider using polished concrete flooring as it's both beautiful and durable.

Tailor Your Backyard to Your Needs

Give consideration to what you actually want to use your patio for. Do you want just a place to lounge and socialize or do you want specialty items, like wood-fired pizza ovens? By incorporating those backyard patio ideas and wants, you'll end up with a space you love.

Comfort is Key

When thinking about outdoor seating, whether at an outdoor dinning table or an outdoor lounge chair, you'll hopefully be sitting there for a long time talking with friends and family. So keep that in mind and look for pieces that not only are appealing, but that have a bit of cushion or ergonomic design that would make you want to sit there just a little bit longer.

And, Repeat

Create a consistent feel by defining a space using a specific repeated visual element. For example, a linear modern bar with horizontal screen backsplash plays off the lines of a long horizontal hedge and a large rectangular opening. The connection is subtle, but it gives a coherence to the space.

Pass On Through

If you don't have room for a full outdoor kitchen, a pass-through window with bar stools is a great option. It not only provides extra, casual seating , but it makes the kitchen area, and the cook, more accessible to what's happening on the patio.

Grab the Wheels

An outdoor bar cart is another great patio decor idea to add charm and function to your backyard. Its mobility gives it a lot of flexibility. The guests can either come to the bar cart or the beverages can come to them.

Fold It Up

You don't need a big space to have an outdoor kitchen and dining area. Cafe-style chairs and tables fold away easily, yet can be brought out quickly to seat more guests. A small kitchen can be tucked away in an alcove, perfect for a small patio space.

Find Multi-Use Furniture

A long table in an outdoor kitchen can be really versatile, serving as an outdoor party space, a work island or a serving table for a buffet. Simple modern outdoor dining chairs and clear deck railings also give clear sight to different areas, like a pool area, so parents can lounge but still keep an eye on the kids.

Make a Modern Retreat

Create a spa-like atmosphere by embracing modern minimalism. A neutral palette blends in with the landscape, and an open table and stools provide function but don't block the view. Low lounges provide places for relaxation while keeping the visual interest on the outdoors.

Burn It Up

Outdoor fireplaces and firepits are a fantastic addition to any backyard. They provide heat and a visual focal point to a patio. A freestanding fireplace also helps to define the patio space, though consider having a dual-sided or open fireplace you can still see the view beyond.

Bright Design

Having good outdoor lighting is important in defining a design aesthetic. Using the same modern wall light throughout, for example, creates a cohesion in the different outdoor areas. In addition, using clear or thin wire balusters lets the light shine through and gives the entire patio area a feeling of openness.

All in the Family

Statement chandeliers are a great way to draw visual interest in a outdoor patio area. Consider using lighting collections as well, such as matching accent wall sconces. They're a great way to add design cohesion to a space while providing practical lighting.

Defend Against the Elements

If your patio area is primarily uncovered, look for furniture and furniture coverings that are weather resistant. Using removable cushions that can be taken inside and stored during the winter months helps protect them and increases their longevity.

Big Design, Small Space

In a petite patio space you can add lots of charm with thoughtfully coordinated decor. Choose a design theme, like New England Nautical, and then select patio furniture that fits with that style. A repurposed lobster trap can double as an outdoor coffee table, while a nautical-style wall light and classic Adirondack chairs complete the look.

Maximize the Light

A large drum shade pendant can be a strong-yet-subtle statement piece over an outdoor dining room. A pendant provides soft, warm ambient light, perfect for evening meals outside. A bright white coordinating palette in the rest of the area will enhance the reflected glow from the lamp.

Shape Up

Play with contrasting and coordinating lines and shapes. Running ceiling boards at an opposite angle from the floor boards provides visual contrast, while a linear suspension lamp running the same direction as the ceiling emphasizes those strong lines. Use furniture to coordinate with other elements, like a square-framed chair with a sharp-edged pool, rectangular outbuilding and square pillars.

Embrace Open Air

In a particularly constrained space, play up the design elements by coordinating a statement accent light with the shapes and finishes of other items in the room. Look for backless lounges or ones with small lower backs to keep the space feeling open. Pillows and other small outdoor decor accessories add pops of color and texture.

Use What You've Got

If your patio area has a lot of structure, like linear beadboard or house siding, don't mask it—enhance it! Play off those lines with a striped carpet, for instance, but then soften it with natural woven chairs with softer corners and deep cushions.

Flex Your Versatility

Backyard patio space doesn't have to be defined by furniture alone. You can create a flexible outdoor relaxation area with all-season outdoor rugs and cushions and low-profile coffee tables. It creates a multipurpose, easily adjustable area—you can relax and read a book, have cocktails with friends or do yoga in the morning.

Paint the Picture

If you're surrounded by greenery, incorporate that as a primary element in your design. By keeping the rest of the palette neutral and the furniture low and simple, it draws the eye outward to the landscape beyond, as if framing a picture.

Soften the Harshness

If you want to use modern pieces, but don't want the patio to feel stark, start with some pieces that are stronger in shape, like a sharp edged table. Then, soften that with contrasting natural materials and rounded edges.

Make Your Own Color Rules

Have fun using color in unexpected ways; an easy way is to use a coordinated palette. A table, chairs and throw pillows all in a same level of color intensity lets the elements harmonize, but avoids them being matchy-matchy.

Blow it Around

A large statement outdoor ceiling fan can be a great addition to an outdoor patio area. It's dual purpose: It blows air on the seating area on hot days and circulates heat from the fireplace during the cold ones.

Delineate Your Space

Make the most of your patio space by segmenting it into rooms and areas. Defining it into functional areas, like a clear sitting area for socializing, or a table for dining, allows for easier use by multiple people at the same time and can help to make the space feel larger.

Keep It Low

If your patio area is gifted with a great view, you want to draw your eye out to the sights beyond. Keep open, low profile furniture to keep the eye drawn up and out. A little fire pit also adds a central feature in a furniture group for socializing.

The same elements that are important in interior design are true in outdoor design. What do you want to use the space for? What kind of exterior lighting do you need to allow that to happen? What kind of outdoor furniture will provide that functionality? But making those functional decisions helps you better choose how to incorporate design styles and techniques to give you your ideal backyard.