Everything in this slideshow
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Patio Perfect
A few key decisions transform a large space into a series of intimate outdoor rooms.
- A single flooring material keeps the patio — which contains three separate spaces — from feeling frantic.
- Built-in and freestanding furniture can be used in tandem to delineate spaces. Here, a bench orients guests around a built-in fire pit.
- If style and temperament demand, a few touches can add a welcome touch of whimsy, as the little spots of grass around the fire pit demonstrate.
- On a patio, directing the view is important. Here, the bench urges guests to look outward to the rest of the yard.
- In place of plain block or concrete, a subtle tile mosaic weaves through the built-in bench.
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Gathering ‘Round
A fireplace serves as a patio’s focal point.
- A subtle pattern shift provides contrast in the patio¿s floor.
- The fireplace’s surround extends into a built-in bench, offering even more seating.
- A poured concrete border extends to offer a back for the built-in bench.
- If a patio backs up to a yard’s border, include enough space to plant a border of tall-growing yet dense trees or shrubs.
- While there’s patterning underfoot, a variety of pillows in both neutral and bold tones dress up the chairs and benches.
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Pull Up a Chair
A few chairs and a fire are all that’s needed in this streamlined outdoor space.
- While most patios function just fine without cover overhead, this one relies on a translucent glass-and-wood structure to provide protection from the elements.
- If your color scheme is mostly neutral, apply subtle patterning with varied sizes of bricks and pavers to spice it up.
- A patio can be a simple paved space, or it can include amenities to extend its use and enjoyment. Here, a site close to the house enables easy extension of gas lines for a fireplace.
- A lushly planted landscape adjoins the paved section of patio, creating a soft transition to the yard beyond.
- All those extras that are beloved inside can be used in an outside space, too. Even a simple shelf above the fireplace allows for display of treasured mementos.
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Settle In
A sequestered patio supplies a spot for seats.
- A seemingly random pattern and color in the geometric pavers offers visual variety.
- Different containers can complement or contrast other hardscape elements. Here, the gray speckled pattern blends seamlessly with the surface underfoot.
- Furnishings can be fancy and built-in, or simple — a scrap piece of granite on a wood base, for example.
- Backing-up to a densely planted selection of garden gives the patio and seating arrangement a secluded setting.
- To maximize the informal style of a patio, include a bit of space between the pavers and add gravel.
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Room to Room
Subtle shifts in furniture and plant materials break up a broad patio.
- Pavers are omitted from narrow sections of the space, providing an unusual way to include planted material in a patio.
- Leaving out mulch, gravel, or sand in the breaks between pavers helps maintain formal style.
- Narrow, upright trees gently shield various patio spaces — dining, relaxing, conversation — from each other.
- Rely on subtle shifts in furniture color or material to break up an expanse of patio.
- While each furniture setting is slightly different, they maintain the same clean lines to better reinforce the contemporary style of the patio.
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Porch View
Casual and graceful combine for an intimate gathering spot.
- Close-cropped shrubs offer a classic border.
- Pergolas can be used to shield unpaved or paved areas; here, the wooden structure screens the patio.
- Slim wood edging offers a distinct border for sporadically placed pavers.
- While the hedge furnishes a more formal statement, other elements in the patio, such as the oyster shells between the pavers, create a casual air.
- Careful site selection can allow a patio such as this one to be sheltered by both trees and a fence.
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Patio on Parade
Pretty pavers and hidden outdoor extras create a pleasant outdoor space.
- Informal and formal seating areas maximize the flexibility (and usability) of a patio. Here, a raised bed border can stand in for extra seating during large gatherings.
- A few columnar trees offer strategic shade for the chairs and couch below.
- Fences define borders in a yard, but when used as a design element in a patio, they can offer welcome privacy.
- Uniform plantings, such as this hedge of hydrangeas, reduce visual clutter.
- An in-ground fire pit nestles unobtrusively under the coffee table.
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On the Edge
Plants and shrubs soften this patio’s rigorous design sensibility.
- Although the edges are geometric and regular, the pattern of flowerbeds moves subtly in and out of the paved patio spaces.
- A mix of shrubs and flowers offers a medley of foliage and blooms.
- Shrubs and a single gate define a more secluded section of a patio space.
- A small fountain — a miniature focal point — faces the entry trellis.
- Straight lines rule this patio layout — everything from the trim pattern of the shrubs to the angles of the entry trellis follow the style rule.
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Check Mate
A visually arresting motif forms the floor of this patio.
- Whimsy meets practicality in this playful pattern that mixes squares of grass with pavers.
- A fireplace offers a focal point and a backdrop to the patio.
- A patio can also naturally extend into a grassy space; definition of edges comes thanks to stone edging and columns.
- A wall of stacked stones offers a spot for a collection of colorful containers.
- Movable chairs and a bench, which picks up on the material choices in the patios fireplace and edging offer several seating spots.
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Cottage Charisma
A happy-go-lucky assembly of plants adds pretty appeal to this patio.
- Carefree flowers and foliage bolster the casual appeal of this patio/garden space.
- Perennials dress up the thriving flowerbeds, while cheery annuals such as hardy geraniums offer pops of bright color.
- Placed around a patio, additional elements, such as this trellis adorned with hanging baskets, create a focal point.
- Pavers turned on edge designate the patio from flowerbeds.
- Dress up the simplest of paving materials, such as these rectangular pavers, with a pattern like this herringbone version.
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SOURCE:http://www.bhg.com/gardening/landscaping-projects/landscape-basics/patio-landscaping-ideas/