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The patio can quickly look tired and boring so why not give it a new lease of life with these creative ideas?
#1 Paint it
Hop on down to your local hardware store, invest in the jazziest colour masonry paint you can find to give the patio – concrete or paving slabs – a new lease of life by painting it.
Avoid concrete floor paint as this can be slippery when wet but masonry paint is great for concrete and patio slabs.
#2 Add a rug
Some people use on old indoor rug for the summer on the patio to give it a new and appealing look for a few months. Come winter, they recycle the old rug.
Or, you can invest in one of the many outdoor rugs that are becoming increasingly popular. From fantastically bright geometric designs to monochrome patterns, there is also a choice when it comes to size.
Made from recycled plastic woven together, the rugs are long-lasting and perfect for any patio.
#3 Add shade
The patio is based on the idea of a courtyard – a flat, hard standing platform at ground level surrounded by high walls to trap the heat and protect the space from the wind.
Most us build a patio where it gets the most sun – which makes sense! – but it can mean it is such a sun trap that it is almost unbearable to sit there.
The answer is to add shade, of which we have many ideas:
- Pergola – add a permanent feature with a pergola. Giving you dappled shade, as the seasons roll by you’ll have even more from the climbers you grow up it. And they’ll release their beautiful delicate scent too.
- Sail shade – so called because they are a vast expanse of sail-like material, this can of shade can be put up in spring and left in place well into the autumn. Looks fantastic too.
- Parasol – simple, easy and moveable, there are all shades, colours and sizes to choose from.
- Gazebo – gain the courtyard feel back with a sturdy gazebo. Opt for the rood and four open sides or use the curtains to create a den-like feel to the patio for the summer.
#4 Upgrade the patio seating
If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to ditch the deckchair with the wobbly leg that traps your fingers every time you wrestle it open or closed.
The best thing about the patio in our eyes is its simplicity. There is no need for patio seating to be complex or overly fussy. Ditch the freestanding hammock or egg seats, opting instead for something simple yet stunningly stylish: a wooden bench.
Wooden benches are easy to keep clean and to maintain. Add a stash of outdoor cushions for softness and colour, and a throw or two for when the evening chill sets in on the patio and there you have it – simple patio seating with style.
#5 Give it a purpose
We all built the patio with us in mind… didn’t we?
The fact is, the patio is welcome in any garden but how many of us do anything more with it than a few chairs and a place to dry the washing?
The time has come to give your patio a new lease o life by giving it a purpose;
- Relaxing zone. Washing should be on the washing line and not hanging forlornly from an airer on the patio. Add soft comfortable seating, complete with coffee table and make it an outdoor ‘relax & read’ area.
- Play zone. If the patio is near the house, it’s in a great spot as an outdoor play area within ear and eye-shot. From sand pits to paddling pools, painting and craft areas, the patio is a safe space for your kids and their friends.
#6 An outdoor dining room
The patio is perfect for many things. But when it comes to extending your indoor living space to the outside, it is priceless.
Add a well-made, hardwood teak garden dining set – opt for the biggest your budget can stretch to and your patio can accommodate with ease – and make the patio the outdoor dining room.
Keep it well light with solar lights and pretty table candles – opt for citronella candles to keep the flies and midges away – along with a pretty outdoor dining set.
Leave the melamine plates and bowls for picnics at the beach, choosing bright and fun ceramic set instead.
Cook indoors and eat outside or cook outdoors too in the new garden kitchen you are about to create…
Anna is the marketing and office manager for Garden Benches – a premium supplier of high-quality wooden benches and other outdoor furniture.
