We think it is a big shame to overlook the many things that can be achieved with your outdoor space. There are various ways that you can turn your patio into an area just as comfortable and relaxing as your living room in the warmer spring and summer months. This post will give you some tips about how best to decorate your patio, so that it becomes a welcoming spot. Whether you want to enjoy a calm moment during the day or you are hosting friends for dinner and drinks.
Planning Your Patio Space
Take a moment to plan! You might be keen to dive in and start decorating your patio straight away. But taking a moment to think about your space can really pay off.
Styles & Themes
There are a number of styles that you could consider when thinking how to decorate your patio. However, you can shift your approach to suit your own situation. Have a think about the size of your patio first. Then consider how you want your patio to look in relation to your interior décor and the rest of your garden. You might, for instance, want to be inspired by themes or styles such as Mediterranean courtyard, urban chic, calming Japanese garden or British coastal. Do you want the style of your decorations to effortlessly match the rest of your home? Or be something completely different, like you are stepping into a different place?
Create a Feeling
Connected to the idea of the overall theme, is the feel that want to create when people enter your patio space. There are all sorts of beautiful patios out there and the furniture and decorations chosen offer a variety of different atmospheres. Some of them might offer a cosy secluded feel. This is especially the case if you have a small, rustic garden space which already has a tucked away feeling. However, there are other patios that are just as impressively put together, but which approach things from a different angle. These patios may look out onto an open space, and so minimalist and contemporary calm might be their main vibe.
What Do You Want to Use the Patio For?
When you are considering different approaches, think about the patio space and the kind of events you foresee taking place. If it is a family space, this might change how it is decorated. Children should feel comfortable playing without having to worry about there being too many decorations that are breakable. Or you might be planning on creating a space which is summer BBQ and drinks HQ. Or again, the patio may need to be catered more towards those relaxed weekend mornings. Where you can quietly catch up with a friend or chill out with a book and cup of coffee. If this is the case then softness and calming cosiness will be the order of the day.
What is Practical?
Finally, in terms of planning how to decorate your patio, it is always important that you keep in touch with the issue of practical limitations. Although at the start of any decoration project it is great to feel like the sky is the limit, you will always end up with a better end product when ambition and inspiration is directed towards a clear and achievable goal. For instance:
- Which direction does the sun rise and set and where will natural shade will be cast?
- Are there any uneven areas of patio and can they fixed or worked around?
- Where is the kitchen / back door in relation to your patio dining or bar area?
- Is there a view or existing focal point in your outside area that you want to highlight?
Steps Before Decorating
Ok, so you have started to put together a plan of attack in terms of thinking about themes, purposes and practicalities. The next thing to do is to prepare your patio for decoration. Now, we know how much can be done to an outdoor area by picking out some choice furnishings and accessories. But this is not going to change the underlying feel of the space if it is not clean to begin with. That’s right: the first job is a good old cleaning session.
Clean Up Your Patio
For dust, twigs, leaves and other loose detritus, a simple sweep will be a good place to start. If you haven’t cleaned your patio in a while, it is likely that it will have discoloured from picking up a layer of grime. This, thankfully, is not a big problem, as you can sort it out relatively quickly with the right cleaning weapon to hand. Specifically, we would thoroughly recommend a jet wash for the patio, as it will get that layer of griminess off in no time.
Tidy Away The Bits & Bobs
Once cleaned, there might just be a bit of tidying up to do. If there are any spare bits and pieces from the garden which have made their way onto the patio area, such as soil bags, wheelbarrows, or anything else like that, then do try to clear the patio area as best you can. You don’t have to completely clear the space to enjoy it. But with just a little bit of tidying, it will make the space feel more like it is intended to be relaxed in, rather than being nothing more than a space for a short break before gardening jobs recommence.
Weeding & Repair
Final touches in terms of cleaning and tidying might also include weeding between the gaps in your patio slabs. Getting down and intimate with the patio stones as you weed the area will also give you an opportunity to check out whether any of the stones are damaged and need repairing. Once this is done, it will be the perfect opportunity for you to sit back – tea and biscuits are recommended – and have a proper look at the space now that it is spick and span. You may be surprised now that the space is tidied how there is more room to work with than you initially thought!
Creating Patio Zones
Now you will be able to get a true sense of what the space offers and finalise your plans for how to decorate your patio area. For instance, you might want to think about creating multiple zones, such as a dining area and then a cosy corner that you can reserve as your chilled out space. If this sort of zonal structure would work for you, then put your mind to how you will create those separate zones.
You can create zones in a subtle way using greenery and colour. For example with artificial outdoor plants or natural flowers and trees in pots. You might even think about how a gazebo could be used to define the areas on certain large patios. These structures will of course also allow for al fresco dining even when the weather is not behaving. Find out more about the clever roof and side panel features in our contemporary gazebo range.
Selecting Your Outdoor Furniture
You will at last be able to get to the part where your vision of how to decorate your patio starts to become properly realised! How you wish to use your patio will guide your choice of outdoor furniture. With that said, it is important that you balance the amount of chairs and tables with the amount of space you have. It is of course a good thing to be able to host a large group, but it might be worth cutting down on a chair or two if it means that the overall feeling of spaciousness is protected for those that use it most of the time.
Get Some Inspiration…
You will be able to find lots of inspiration in our collections when it comes to patio furniture. There are plenty of outdoor dining table and chair sets, bar sets, corner sofas, coffee table sets and more. Some of them will be ideal for those who envisage summer drinks parties on the patio, as the tables even provide a built in ice bucket. Others will provide you with that gorgeously relaxing and comfy spot, with luxuriously soft padded seats and fire pit table features! Explore our fabulous outdoor furniture range here for more ideas.
Take a look through the options and you start to be able to get a sense that the patio furniture plays a big part in creating the ambience. Consider the style and material of the furniture. For a minimal and contemporary look there are chic metal and wood patio furniture sets. Or the stunning luxury rattan furniture offers a modern yet homely feel. For something trendy and fun there is our range of wicker egg chairs that either hang or stand, providing a delightful cocoon seating option. Or if you are after a more rustic or traditional look, then classic solid outdoor wooden furniture will hit the spot.
Outside Cooking Space
Your choice of furniture should also take into account the amount cooking space that you need. If you are just planning on bringing out food from an adjoining kitchen, then you will be free to take up more of the patio room with your furniture. However, if there is a BBQ to be factored in, then you will want to make sure that the furniture is arranged so that guests won’t be sitting too near the heat and smoke of the cooking area if possible.
Decorate Your Patio With Lighting
Lighting is also another important aspect of getting your patio’s ambience just right. This is especially the case if you imagine the patio as place of parties or dinners which will go on into the night. When dining goes on into the evening, lights are also not just a case of ambience, but also of safety. With some well placed lights, the journey from the table back into the kitchen will not be such a journey of blind faith! Setting some lights up to mark the boundary of the patio will also make the space still feel cosy and welcoming when it is darker.
Outdoor lights do indeed also help the mood of the evening as the natural light fades. We have many stylish options which will help to create cosy, convivial, intimate or energetic vibes when you decorate your patio. From lanterns to smokey grey lightbulb strings, there are many different avenues to explore. As well as decorating the patio itself with these lights, you can also putting some of the LED microwire lights in trees or bushes which surround the patio. Even creating a feature with them. You might also think about placing some of the stake lights in the lawn itself, so that the garden comes alive with these beautiful lights as the sun goes down.
Features & Talking Points
If you feel as though the space is still a little bit bare or lacking in character, this is just the right time to explore decorating with some striking feature accessories. You could create decorate your patio with eye-catching focal points such as a statue, statement planter or a water feature. With some strategical placements, these kinds of decorations are perfect for hiding those little cracks in certain patio slabs or enhancing a dull corner!
Many of the potential talking point features are not just to look at, but they also serve a practical purpose, such as ice bucket or fire pit tables. These kinds of features always draw attention, whilst they increase the fun of entertaining guests. Even something like a hanging egg chair can also work well as a feature item. Not only will it be your comfy haven when you are enjoying a bit of peace and quiet on your own, but it will also be a point of interest and a conversation starter for those who are visiting for the first time.
Decorate Your Patio With Comfort in Mind
What with patio slabs, statues, water features and lighting accessories, there can be a build up of stone and metal in your patio area. You can counteract this hardness by adding some soft and comfort accessories. Try some choice accessories such as outdoor rugs, throws and scatter cushions. They don’t always have to be out, but they will make things welcoming and add texture when the opportunity is right. This might be in the evening as a chill starts to arise. Or it might be one of those bright, sunny, fresh spring mornings when some coffee and juice outside marries perfectly with a few throws to keep you feeling warm.
Speaking of feeling warm and comfortable, you might also want to think about adding an outdoor heater to the mix. This really is a game changer for so many situations. The fact is, once you have your patio all kitted out, it will be an appealing place to sit, eat and entertain even outside the warmer months. The outdoor heater will allow you to make use of this comfortable and relaxing space all through the year.
Bare or Unsightly Walls?
We have mentioned the ways that you can add a layer of interest and character to your patio space with some feature decorations. Well, what about the issue of bare walls? If your outside walls are detracting from the mood, then it’s worth looking into artificial green living walls and flower walls. These require nearly no maintenance and they are long lasting. Also many varieties are available as UV resistant artificial plants. Meaning that once they are set up, you will be able to bask in their colour and detail without adding yet another gardening based job to your list. These features are great for hiding an unsightly wall or fence, whilst they will also make those group photos look that much more vibrant!
Also, you can achieve a lot with some well placed artificial foliage as it doesn’t have the same needs as real plants do and is far more versatile. You can add little details of greenery to areas such as doorways and window sills, creating a further flow of conversation between the indoor and outdoor space.
Finishing Touches
It will then be time for those little finishing touches to decorate your patio. These can make all the difference in terms of drawing out character and creating the right impression. Finishing touches might include those items that you will need to set the table. Pick some place mats and napkins which go well with the style of the furniture you have. We would recommend you consider the place of artificial flowers or plants as centrepieces.
These easy to maintain accessories will create a special mood for dinners parties and other celebratory occasions, connecting the patio a wider feeling of nature’s most glorious colours. In this vein, you might also like to make use of wall hanging planters in your patio space to tie the whole area together with a green fingered burst of vibrant colour.
We have talked a lot about dining table setups, but your finishing touches might involve bringing in some coffee tables and other smaller individual pieces of furniture which don’t take up much space but which add another layer to the arrangement. These table and chair additions will allow you to have an extra space for ones and twos to sit apart from the larger central furniture when they are grabbing a quiet tea, coffee or pre-dinner drink.
Good luck with your patio planning, prepping and decorating!