Home Outdoors: Designing Your Deck or Patio

By Lauren Busser The House Designers Contributing Writer

Spring will quickly give way to summer and with it come relaxing afternoons for grilling and outdoor entertaining. Now is a great time to start thinking about your ideal patio or deck. Outdoor living spaces have been a growing trend over the years and they take the form of everything from a simple sitting area where you can enjoy a garden of freshly planted flowers to a fully outfitted outdoor kitchen to help you entertain guests. Take a look at some of these designs and see if you can find an outdoor space that will bring you closer to nature with all the comforts of home. 

First you need to decide just what you would like to use this space for. If you envision barbecuing and entertaining guests then you will need a space large enough to accommodate furniture.  On the other hand, you might desire a little nook for enjoying your flowers and other plants in the great outdoors. As you begin designing, take your time and make sketches of how you’d ultimately like your space to look. When you’re happy with your design you can begin to choose the materials which will work best in that space.

You have a wide variety of choices for building materials, from pavers to tile to natural stone.  Each material has its own unique properties which may lead you to choose one over another.

Brick is an extremely popular choice, in part because it’s now available in a rainbow of colors. Patio brick differs from the sort of structural brick you’d see in a wall, in that it’s fired in a way that makes it less porous. This is important for locales with widely varying seasonal temperatures as it resists freezing and cracking.  

Pavers are another excellent, economical choice when it comes to a patio material. They are usually made from concrete or clay and come in various sizes, colors, and shapes.  Pavers are widely available, relatively inexpensive, and their installation is simple and straightforward.

Stone and tile are very beautiful and provide nice alternatives for creating an inviting outdoor living space. A stone patio is environmentally friendly and gives a luxurious natural look with an interesting, somewhat uneven surface. Tile is simply gorgeous but may become slippery when wet, which may or may not be a concern in your application.

Remember that although each of these surface materials has its own unique properties and benefits, there are other factors which may influence your decision. For instance, take into consideration the topographical landscape that your patio will occupy and try to work with the natural layout of your space. For example, if you start laying down pavers at your home's entryway and they end abruptly, it may look awkward. You can prevent this by using border materials like sand or mulch to help graduate the transition from one design element to the next.

Softening the edges and borders of the patio can also bring you closer to nature.  Instead of a fence, consider putting in a trellis as a way of encouraging flowering vines to climb and grow. If you desire a thicker, denser border you could simply place the trellis slats closer together.

You’ll of course want to have a look at your desired level of privacy.  If you have limited backyard space bordering nearby properties then this is probably something to plan carefully. There are plenty of ways to create an attractive partition including fences, tall shrubs, trees, a hedge row or even bamboo.  Lighting is another design element that not only helps with safety but will help you to enjoy your beautiful outdoor space long after the sun sets. 

Done right, your new patio will be a place you’ll really enjoy and designing and building it can be fun. You should definitely seek the advice of your builder if you have any questions regarding the design or construction of your patio.