1. Put Down an Outdoor Rug
An outdoor rug makes a patio design feel like an extension of your home because it creates the feeling of a floor. An outdoor rug visually pulls a space together and defines its boundaries. When decorating your patio, pick an outdoor rug in hues that coordinate with your patio furniture.
Your best bet is a rug made of polypropylene, also known as olefin, a plastic-based synthetic material that’s stain-resistant, breathable and easy to clean. You can hose it off if someone drops a drink on it. If you live in a sunny area and your patio is roofless, look for UV-resistant treated polypropylene so your outdoor rug doesn’t fade.
2. Design a Patio in Zones
Think about how you intend to use your backyard patio, and then create living areas designed for those purposes. Plan on dining outdoors with friends? Set up an outdoor dining set with enough chairs to accommodate your guests. Want to hang out with friends to chat and sip beverages under the stars? Set up an outdoor sofa and a couple of armchairs facing each other around a low table. Want to nap outdoors? Hang a swinging daybed with a side table for your book and glasses. Want to cook outside? Set up a cooking area with a prep table and a grill. If your patio is big enough, you can design living zones to accommodate a couple of activities.
3. Invest in Outdoor Furniture
Make your patio as comfy and chic as you would any indoor room. Put out plenty of comfortable seating with cushions upholstered in outdoor fabric. Have enough outdoor tables to hold drinks, snacks, phones and books. Keep outdoor throws handy for chilly evenings. Add accessories like wall-mounted planters, mirrors or pieces of tabletop sculpture. Choose outdoor furniture that functions like indoor furniture: daybeds, sofas and cozy armchairs. Just because a chair’s made for the outdoors doesn’t mean it has to be uncomfortable. Your goal is to make your patio an irresistible destination for activities, so make it plush. If you're designing your patio on a budget, invest in one quality piece and build your patio around it.
4. Add Shade to Your Patio Design
If your outdoor patio design ideas don't include a roof or overhang, create the impression of a ceiling with a pergola, oversized umbrella or shade sail. Everybody feels most comfortable outside tucked under an overhead shelter and no one wants to sit for hours in the blazing sun. A shaded area makes a patio more livable and functional.
5. Modern Patio Designs Include Art
Hanging art on the patio creates the feeling of a wall and ties the space to your home’s indoor design. Hang art on the exterior wall of your house, suspend it from patio rafters or hang it on a nearby fence. Choose artwork that stands up to the elements and is fade resistant.
Some good picks for outdoor wall decor include repurposed commercial signs, acrylic paintings on wood or canvas and upcycled items like canoe paddles or surfboards. You can also paint a mural right on your patio wall or on the fence.
6. Add a Fire Pit to Your Backyard Patio
A fire pit, chiminea or fire table adds warmth, beauty and ambience to your patio and makes your outdoor room usable beyond summer when the nights become less balmy. Arrange the patio furniture around a fire pit to define the function of the space. This is where you sit with friends and family, looking into the flames and relaxing.
7. Decorate a Small Patio With String Lights
Lighting is a functional consideration – you need to see your drink and your friends while you socialize outdoors – but it can also enhance the ambience of your patio after the sun goes down. String lights are an affordable and space-saving way to add mood lighting.
Hang string lights overhead, put twinkle lights on your fence, or wrap them around your plants to give the patio a warm glow. Lanterns are another way to add mood lighting. Candles inside glass lanterns placed on tables or hanging lanterns suspended from the trees or the patio roof are a nice complement to string lights.
8. Design a Backyard Patio With Plants
Plants are essential in making your backyard patio feel like a room because they bridge the transition between indoors and outdoors. Containers filled with plants tie the natural world of your yard to the domestic world of your house, with your patio as the place where the worlds meet.
Group outdoor plants together by their light needs to create the illusion of a mass of plantings in your patio design. Keep heights varied by using plant stands or side tables to show off your favorite outdoor plants. Hang plants overhead to draw the eye up and create depth.
9. Pile Up Outdoor Pillows on Your Patio
Nothing says comfort like outdoor pillows piled on your patio furniture. Pick outdoor pillows upholstered in fabric that mimic your home’s indoor décor style. Your interior design can inform the fabric and color choices for your pillows to tie the indoor and outdoor spaces together visually.
If your house is mid-century modern inside, take your aesthetic outside and choose outdoor pillows in similar colors and styles for a modern patio design. Put the pillows on benches, chairs, swings and even the ground. They will entice your guests to make themselves right at home outside.