Backyard Patio – Creating a Relaxing Retreat

Follow these simple steps to turn your backyard patio into a beautiful, relaxing retreat.  Patio furniture, design tips, and stylish decor ideas to create your perfect summer space.

While it’s not quite officially summer yet, we’ve definitely been feeling the summer vibes around here! We’ve had a beautiful, warm spring, so it feels like we’re well on our way to those lazy summer days on the backyard patio. Just three more weeks of school to go!

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Summer Home Tours

Today I’m joining Krista from The Happy Housie and some amazing blogging friends for a fun summer home tour.  You can find all of the summer home tours at the end of the post, so grab a coffee and enjoy all of the summer decor inspiration. There are lots of simple summer decorating ideas and decor styles to get you in the summer spirit. If you’re coming over from The Turquoise Home – welcome! I’m sure you enjoyed Laura’s beautiful coastal style home!

Backyard Patio Design

If you haven’t already guessed by now, I’m going to be sharing our backyard patio. We redid our back patio a couple of years ago and I love having the extra outdoor living space during the warmer spring and summer months.  I pretty much live out here as much as possible when the weather is nice and I really wanted to create a space that was comfortable and functional for all of our needs. Basically our own little relaxing retreat!

If you’re working on your own little outdoor oasis, I’ve put together some tips and tricks to help you create your perfect outdoor space. If you’re just getting started, remember that you don’t have to do everything all at once and you don’t even need a large space. Even a small little sanctuary to call your own can be a wonderful summer getaway!

Determine your needs.

The first thing you need to think about when you’re looking at your backyard patio, is what function(s) you want it to serve. Do you want to eat outdoors? Are you just looking for a comfy space to lounge? Do you like gardening and want to incorporate a lot of flowers or fruits and vegetables to grow? There are lots of different functions that can be incorporated into your space, so pick and choose what are most important to you and your family.

If you can’t get everything that you would like right now, that’s okay! Think long term and work on one section at a time. You might make a comfy reading spot this year and plan to add on a dining area next year. We were in our house for 15 years before I finally got the finished space that I wanted. 🙂

Come up with a design plan.

The easiest way to design a patio space is to just think of it like an extension of your indoor space. Use area rugs, comfortable furniture, end tables, lighting, and decorative items just like you would use if you were designing any other room in your home – just make sure they are all weather-proof for your climate!  Based on what functions you want your patio to serve, divide your space into different “zones” for each of the specific roles.

Choose your furniture wisely.

Furniture choices can often be one of the most difficult {and most expensive!} decisions for your outdoor space. I like to pick the larger items first and then “fill in” additional furniture pieces where there is space {and need}. If you have a small patio space, look for furniture that serves more than one function or can easily be stored away when not needed. Pick materials that will wear well in your particular climate and do your research on what maintenance and winter storage is required. We went with resin furniture (with a rust-proof frame) since it holds up well in the rain for our west coast weather. {NOTE: Almost all of our patio furniture is a few years old from Canadian Tire. While they don’t have our exact pieces available, the Canvas Tofino collection is the most similar to our set.}

For the furniture pillows, make sure to look for fabrics that are quick drying, and UV and stain resistent. Having pillow covers that can be removed easily to be washed is also a huge bonus. {You can find more tips on how to clean patio cushions here.} I prefer to go with light colored, neutral pillows since the won’t really show any sun fading and can easily go with a variety of color schemes. You can always add color with throw pillows which are much easier and less expensive to change out!

Bring on the plants and flowers.

What better way to add a little life to your backyard patio than with plants and flowers! I’m definitely not the best gardener out there {in fact, I’m pretty terrible}, but I love my little patio planters! There are so many different flower and plant options to choose from these days – it can really customize your space! I usually love all of the different colored flowers, but this year I went with classic white on white flowers throughout the patio.  I also have some strawberries growing {I’ve already harvested a few!}, lots of little herb planters, and a blueberry bush in the corner.

My biggest advice with the plants and flowers is to not go too crazy. The flowers especially can be a lot of work and a few well taken care of flowers looks a whole lot better than a bunch of dead ones! Plants are generally a lot less work and can look really pretty too, so add a few in with your flowers. Be sure to always check the sun and soil conditions when choosing your plants and flowers to make sure that you choose the best location for them.

You can find instructions for this little DIY summer planter here. It’s grown like crazy over the past couple of weeks!

Add the accessories.

This is always my favorite part of any design process! While I like to stay fairly classic with my furniture pieces, I add my own personal touch and personality with the accessories.  Look for outdoor rugs, lanterns, pretty planters, and throw pillows to add color and texture to your space. To keep things cozy, have a basket filled with blankets that guests can grab in the evening. Outdoor lighting is my very favorite thing, so add some string lights, battery operated candles, or twinkle lights for that beautiful night time glow.

Our Backyard Patio

Before you go, I wanted to show you a few of my favorite spots on our patio. I have a few main zones that I created – a sitting area, a lounging spot, a dining area, an entertaining zone, and the BBQ area. These zones help to define the patio space and create a more cozy feeling in each section.

Outdoor Sitting Area

My favorite spot on the patio is this little sitting area. It’s nice and sunny in the morning light and shaded in the warmer afternoon. It’s the perfect spot for drinking my morning smoothie, reading a book, or visiting with a friend. I love the oversized club chairs and it’s such a comfy spot to just relax.

Our contractor put in the privacy screen when we built the patio and I love the Virginia Creeper vine that grows up it. This vine is very versatile and will grow like crazy in a variety of different soil and sun conditions. Other than an occasional trim, I don’t have to worry about any maintenance or watering which is a huge bonus! I also love that the leaves turn a beautiful red in the fall.

Outdoor Eating Area

We like to BBQ and eat outdoors as much as possible in the summer. Our patio is east facing so even on hot days, it’s generally nice and cool by dinner time. While I usually just eat my breakfast on the club chairs, it’s nice to have a dining table for family dinners and for when we have guests over.  To freshen things up a bit, I gave our cement table top a new paint job this year and picked up a new patio umbrella from Target. {NOTE: Our table is from Canadian Tire but is no longer available. This one is the closest one I could find but it’s a little smaller and only seats 4 instead of 6}

Backyard Covered Patio

If possible, consider having a covered area for at least a portion of your patio. This allows you to have a dry spot to still enjoy your space on those rainy days and some refuge from the sun on the hotter days. It also provides some extra dry storage space in bad weather for pillows and other decor items that may be more exposed. When the rain is coming, it’s super quick and easy to just drag the patio cushions out of the elements so they stay clean and dry.

And, of course, the best part, is taking off the lid of the fire table for a little DIY s’mores bar! This thing actually throws off a lot of heat, so it’s a great place to sit even during those early fall nights.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of our outdoor living space and feel inspired to create a little oasis on your own backyard patio! If you have any questions, just let me know! The next stop on the tour is over at She Gave It a Go. Be sure to say hello for me!

Full Line-Up of Summer Home Tours

For more summer decor inspiration, check out the full line-up of summer home tours. There will be nearly 40 bloggers sharing their summer home tours this week, so there’s lots to see!  Sharing with me today are…

Tuesday

 

Town and Country Living // Taryn Whiteaker Designs // Designthusiasm
// This is Our Bliss // My Sweet Savannah

Rambling Renovators // The Turquoise Home // Clean and Scentsible
// She Gave it a Go //Lemon Thistle

And sharing the rest of the week…

Monday

The Happy Housie // Rooms FOR Rent // Shabbyfufu // Maison de Cinq // My 100 Year Old Home

Southern State of Mind // All Things with Purpose // Grace in My Space // Love Create Celebrate

Wednesday

Modern Glam // Craftberry Bush // Setting for Four // Inspiration for Moms // Zevy Joy

Life is a Party // Tauni Everett // Finding Silver Pennies // Sincerely, Marie Designs // Amber Tysl

Thursday

Kim Power Style // Maison de Pax // Jenna Kate at Home // Two Twenty One // Just a Girl and Her Blog

Summer Adams // tatertots and jello // The Tattered Pew // Aratari at Home // Crisp Collective