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On average, we spend 14 hours a week outdoors. Getting some fresh air and sunshine can do wonders for your spirit, especially if you’ve been cooped up all day. Having your own outdoor space can be a blessing. You won’t have to journey out to the local park; you can step out to your own slice of paradise. To make the most of it, you should spruce up your patio. If you need some help, then read on for some design tips so your neighbors will be envious of your yard.

Hardwood’s a Solid Choice

When most people think of patios, they’ll imagine a slick deck made of hardwood. If you want to keep things simple, then you can’t go wrong with this material. This is an especially good choice if you have a decked patio. Just make sure you get sustainably sourced wood to get the most bang for your buck. Some great hardwoods to pick include iroko, ipe, and teak. 

You should also opt for concealed milled joints for easier installation. Instead of tiresome surface-mounted screws, you can just slot these boards together, side by side. This means that installation is so easy, even you can do it!

Match Your Paving Material

You should consider your patio as an extension of your home. Too many homeowners treat theirs as a separate space, so their designs end up appearing disjointed and jarring. When choosing your paving material, take your house’s architecture and interior design into account. This creates a cohesive look when you go from indoors to outdoors, and vice versa. The pros at Land of ELITE Landscaping suggest using smaller paving units too. That way, you can create pretty designs out of the individual pieces.

Pick the Right Flooring

Earlier, we said that hardwood was a decent choice. However, don’t go for it straight off the bat.

Instead, consider the local climate and location, as well as your personal style. Besides, hardwood, you can get:

• Concrete
• Stones
• Tiles

If you’re having a tough time deciding, then discussing your needs and budget with a professional designer can help.

Mull Over the Layout

You might have a big area to work with. Even so, it’s easy to get the layout wrong. If you don’t maximize the functionality and flow, then things can end up messy and busy. Consider what you want to do on the patio and plan the layout around it. For example, if you want to entertain guests often, you’ll probably want a different layout than if you want to do solo relaxing.

In addition to traffic flow, you’ll also want to factor in things like the wind, sun, and rain. For instance, if you live somewhere that’s scorching hot in the summer, then you’ll want to put your seating area under the awning. Otherwise, you’ll need to place patio umbrellas throughout to keep everyone comfortable.

Don’t forget about the view either. After all, what use is spending time on the patio if your seating area gets a view of your fence or shrubs?

Define the Space

It’s true that a patio is an open floor plan, but that doesn’t mean you can’t define your space. Take advantage of various elements to create points of interest and little sections on your patio. You can use furniture pieces, planters, and outdoor rugs to achieve this. This can be a difficult task though, so get some inspiration from online pictures of patios. If you’re still struggling, then it’s best to keep things simple. Use minimal decor until you get a feel for things. Then, you can slowly add more.

Create Focal Points

Having a focal point and decorating around it works wonderfully. For example, you can have a dining set, coffee table, or fire pit as your focal point, then scatter chairs, side tables, etc., around it. Not only does this pull everything together, but it gives everyone something visually appealing to look at too. For instance, you might have some excellent conversations about a water feature you’ve set as a focal point in your yard. Or you can gather around your outdoor grill to shoot the breeze while you get sizzling steaks and burgers ready.

Add Privacy

It’s all too easy for nosy neighbors to see what you’re up to. This can quickly ruin the atmosphere. Creating privacy is a win-win situation for everyone. Not only do you shield yourself from prying eyes, but you also block out sounds better, so your neighbors won’t be bothered by your parties as well. You can purchase affordable privacy screens to section off areas of your patio. Or if you want a more natural look, use things like hedges and planters.

Take Advantage of Lighting

Not using your patio past sunset is a waste of your outdoor space. However, you don’t want to be stumbling around in the dark either. The obvious answer here is to add lighting. Hold off from the bright flood lights though. You don’t want to blind everyone, and you want to have a laidback and relaxed vibe. Softer lighting choices will keep things safe without burning everyone’s retinas. You can try wall sconces, string lights, lanterns, and candles.

Show off the Green

No, we don’t mean money; we mean your plants and greenery. The patio may overlook your yard, which has plenty of grass, shrubs, bushes, trees, and maybe even flowers. But bringing the greenery further in and onto your patio can make things more pleasant.

In addition to potted plants, you can hang up trailing plants. Think about planting a small herb garden too. Not only will it look and smell nice, but you can also use your own fresh produce in your cooking!

Design a Stunning Patio

You don’t need any formal training or education to design a patio that’s absolutely gorgeous. Think about your home’s current aesthetic, your location, the local climate, and your personal style, and you’ll have a fantastic start already.

From there, you can add more touches as you go along. And before you know it, you’ll have an Instagram-worthy patio that everyone will be jealous of!