The patio is often one of the most used areas when enjoying the warm summer months. It’s true that patios are usually reserved only for sitting outdoors, but with a little effort and creativity, you can use this area in any way you want.
Besides just sitting outdoors and enjoying the weather, here are some ways you can get the most out of your patio area.
Arrange Your Patio Around a Fire Pit or Fireplace
A fire pit can take your patio from ordinary to extraordinary. A fire pit can be as simple or as complex as you want, and it can give you many different options regarding how you use it. Here are some great ways that a fire pit can create ambiance for you on your patio:
- Plan a barbecue and enjoy your food sitting around the fire.
- Use it as a campfire so you can roast marshmallows with your family.
- Have small gatherings around the fire pit with some candles or string lighting for ambiance.
- Don’t forget to add music! A phone app and a wireless speaker can add even more ambiance to your gathering.
If you have a fireplace, this option is just as viable as having a fire pit. Staying warm on chilly nights during the spring or fall months is great fun, and there are many ways that you can do it on your patio area. Start with some cozy blankets and pillows!
Create a Reading Nook on Your Patio
When the weather is nice, everyone wants to spend time on the patio. If you’re like most people, you probably have a book or magazine that has been calling your name for a while now.
An outdoor reading nook is where people can relax with a cup of tea and enjoy the warm sun on their face. The best place for this would be somewhere that has some shade to protect you from the harsh UV rays during the middle part of the day but still get plenty of sunlight in the morning or evening.
You can turn your patio into a mini reading nook with some pillows and blankets. Here are some great ways that you can do this:
- If you don’t already have an awning or other type of cover over the patio, use a patio umbrella to keep the sun’s glare off your reading material, especially if you are reading on a tablet or other electronic device.
- Put up walls made out of room dividers or blankets so it feels more enclosed.
- Use a bookshelf along one wall for your reading materials.
- Place a small table in front of the blanket “room”, or beside your chair, for drinks, snacks, etc., but make sure that the table is easy to move so you can put it away when you’re done.
- Add a plush throw rug to go under your feet. This will give more of a cozy feel to the area, and it’s easy to pick it up and take inside out of the weather when necessary.
- Make and add framed pictures or wall hangings from old book covers. It’s an inexpensive way to decorate without using too much money and taking up too much time!
By adding cushions, blankets, or pillows, these DIY tips should get you started on creating your own reading nook on your patio. When done right, it can be a great place to read any books that have been waiting for their turn during nice weather.
Add a Hammock or Hanging Chair to Make a Peaceful Sleeping Area
By hanging a hammock on your patio, you can create a peaceful area where you’ll want to relax after a long day. Just as with the reading nook idea, this can help turn any ordinary time outdoors into something extraordinary!
Besides relaxing or just taking a nap, who wouldn’t want to sleep outside during a beautiful night? With the right hammock and some cushions and blankets, you’re on your way to a great sleeping area.
- If you have trees or other study items in the right places, you can use them to set up your hammock on your patio. Use rope to secure it so that it is high enough off the ground but low enough for you to get in and out of easily.
- Otherwise, there are hammock stands designed to be used on the ground or concrete. You can also make stands out of PVC pipes, wood, and a few other supplies, so your hammock can be free-standing.
- If you’re concerned with bugs, hang mosquito netting around the whole thing. This will keep away mosquitos and other types of insects that could be troublesome at night while you’re trying to sleep.
- Use string lighting around the location of your hammock so you can read before bed or use it as a nightlight for that extra special ambiance that only patio lights can create.
- Put a throw rug under the hammock for coziness.
If you like to sleep outside during the summer, take some tips from these ideas and turn them into your perfect sleeping area. With comfy pillows, blankets, lights, and maybe even some music playing softly in the background, you will never want to go back inside!
Add Solar or String Lights Around Your Patio
Solar lights are one way to light up your patio, without spending a lot of money. For the holidays you can use fun colored Christmas string lights as well. This is an easy way to create ambiance without having to throw around too much cash!
You may not even need string lighting if you have solar-powered lights! There are traditional-looking lanterns that will illuminate your space with very little effort on your part. Simply place them in key places during the day, and walk away. They will automatically turn on at night and shut off during the day. These have the added benefit of looking great while they do their job, so no worries about adding tacky or cheap decorations.
If you want something a bit more uniform or decorative, consider using flower pots around your patio with solar lights in them. The solar lights will come on automatically when it gets dark, and they glow for hours. If you want to add some color or interest to the area, paint the flower pots beforehand. Depending on where you live, there may be a need to cover these during certain seasons, but that’s not hard to do!
Outdoor Bar Area Ideas
An outdoor bar area becomes an instant favorite for your guests that are looking to enjoy the weather with a nice cold drink. It creates an ambiance that you and your friends will surely appreciate while spending time together on a warm summer evening.
Before you start your bar area, come up with some cool ideas of how you can turn it into something unique and special. Some things to consider when putting your outdoor bar together:
- What type of theme do you want to have? For example, if you have a beach-themed patio could there be sand instead of grass or rocks under the furniture (make sure this is entirely safe) or maybe string lights everywhere creating an underwater feel ( I recommend LED lighting as these lights don’t get hot and also use less energy ).
- Be sure the area has enough space for people to move around freely and also have enough room for your furniture.
- If your patio is covered, either with an upper-level deck, or a pergola, you might want to install a weatherproof ceiling fan for a touch of class!
Having an outdoor bar can be a great addition if you like entertaining guests in your backyard! It’s become more popular than ever so let’s look at some patio ideas, combining this type of setting with the ones before. Each one gives you different ways to own that special get-together all year round!
Some Theme Ideas For Your Patio Bar:
- Beach Bar: perfect for summer nights with fresh drinks from the cooler, self-made ice cream, or a beer and burger after playing in the water all day. Real or fake palm trees add a beachy touch.
- Patio Sports Bar: perfect for an autumn evening when you invite some friends over for drinks and to watch that big game on your outdoor TV. Wine glasses are available in all kinds of colors, and with all kinds of team logos, while different tablecloths bring the summer to your bar.
- Party Bar: decorate for the various holidays and invite your friends over for a patio party. For example, you could throw a Halloween party on your patio. With a firepit or fireplace to keep you warm, you can use string lights all around the patio area, bringing the holiday mood, while still being able to enjoy the cooler time of year. Invite your guests to wear their favorite costumes.
Build an Outdoor Kitchen on Your Patio
You can build your own outdoor kitchen or you can buy a pre-built one. It’s up to you how big of an area you want it to take up on your patio and what budget you have for it. If your budget is limited then maybe just get yourself a firepit or build a fireplace, and add something small like a coffee table with some chairs around it. Depending on what kind of theme you’re decorating with, this can also be used as the focal point on your patio!
If you can afford more, then you can build a big kitchen area with an outdoor fridge, sink, range, an oven, and even some storage space. You could have a grill on one side of it and lay down tiles all the way around so that it doesn’t get dirty. It’s up to you!
It’ll be fun to invite friends over for an outdoor meal, so you can show off your new kitchen!
Add Outdoor Seating and Furniture Made Out of Old Pallets
Recycling pallets is always an excellent idea and a great way to breathe new life into something that was destined for the dump. Pallets are simply flat wooden shipping “crates” used by businesses to have items shipped from one place to another. They’re an excellent option because they offer all sorts of possibilities when it comes to using these in your patio decorating.
If you’re not sure what you’d use them for, here are a few suggestions:
- Use old pallets as garden seating or outdoor dining furniture. Great if you need a small patio set!
- Pallet tables – You can create beautiful customized tables out of pallets very easily with just a little bit of paint and some stain. These look amazing indoors or outdoors! Design can be anything from sleek modern all the way to rustic farmhouse.
- Decorate your garden and patio with old pallets by creating decorative items like tables or chairs that you can place anywhere.
- You can even build your bar from pallets!
With just a little bit of time and thought, you’ll love how these pay off in the end when you start enjoying them out on your patio all summer long!
Decorate Your Patio
Creating outdoor décor is one of my favorite things. It’s such an inexpensive way to update this part of your home, turning it into something special that sets it apart from others like it. Some ideas for outdoor décor include:
- Add A Living Plant Wall. This can be an amazing addition to any outside space. Not only are the plants low-maintenance ( just water them once a week if you live in a dry climate and some plants will even dispense oxygen during the day while others require sunlight which increases their production of oxygen ), but they’re so unique with all sorts of different textures, colors and shapes!
- Create A Rustic Beach Theme Around Your Patio. This is such a fun way to create a beautiful beach-inspired look for your patio! All it takes is some tarps or canvas, rope, and maybe some accessories like seashells to create that perfect summer-themed atmosphere. It’s easy on the wallet too!
- Add Some Zen To Your Patio. A water feature is an incredibly simple way to bring more nature onto the patio. A waterfall, pond, or even just some fish in a small aquarium are all great ways to create a calming sound that will help you and your guests unwind at the end of the day and feel rejuvenated so that you’re ready to face tomorrow’s challenges! I think this is one of the best ways to relax.
- Use Old Wine Bottles To Make Your Candle Holders And Other Decorative Pieces For Your Patio. It’s always good to be environmentally friendly! Recycle old wine bottles into something new and fun with some paint and crafty accessories. I especially like how this is a great way to recycle my favorite kind of bottles! And it’s also easy on the wallet!
- Use Candle Holders To Create A Funky Atmosphere On Your Patio: While there are all sorts of options for decorating things outdoors, sometimes you don’t need anything but candles!
- Decorate With Plants And Flowers: Having fresh flowers around will give an authentic look to the area and boost its attractive appeal. If you want to use plants instead of flowers, consider hedges and flowering shrubs that can also create some privacy for times when you want to have a quiet moment or just sit in silence under the stars.
Create an Outdoor Dining Area on Your Patio
It’s always nice to have options for where you want to eat depending on what time of day it is. If you’re planning on having a lot of people over, then an outdoor dining area might be just the thing you’re looking for! It’s not difficult at all to create one! You will need :
- A table and chairs/stools
- A tablecloth or two
- Some decorative items to place on the table such as lights, vases, candles, or even a faux floral display to give it a finished look. This is great for when you want to entertain guests!
I hope you feel inspired enough to create such an awesome patio for yourself. The sky’s the limit! Have fun with designing your patio area whatever it might be – from a functional kitchen or grill station to an elegant dining area for entertaining, to a reading nook, or simply a nice place to relax – anything goes!
