How to Design a Backyard Patio

Always start with a drawing on paper. It can be just a rough sketch of your back yard space, a professionally prepared plan to scale or anything in between. You want to think out your design so it will be both beautiful and practical. Make your patio blend in with your whole garden, especially the other permanent structures.

Create a shape that conforms or contrasts and is either connected or adjacent to the back door area. For example, a rounded patio shape surrounded by gardens will soften the hard edges of a house and create a private feeling space with a gentle, contained feel. A wide but narrow patio can provide an "apron" for a large garden or lawn area. A slightly detached patio could work as a divider for a long and narrow backyard space.

Look at the style of your house. A traditional or formal-looking house will blend in nicely with an older look; a patio with classic brick and aged looking furniture, for example. A contemporary styled house will be set off well by smooth, simple clean lines. A cottage garden might look more charming with a small patio ringed with a decorative picket fence.

If you have property on a hill, you can make a landing from a staircase into a useful patio space.

Let your patio curve and flow with planters to soften the boundaries. Don't be confined to geometric shapes only. If you do choose to use a simple geometric pattern, don't just do it out of default, but make it into a statement.

Have fun sculpting out the space of your patio. If it will be set up against a wall or the house itself, define it with a bold color.

Decorate the space so it becomes as useful as another room. You can even find outdoor furniture and rugs to convert a patio into an outdoor room.

Designs for patios are endless. Look at pictures in magazines and on the Internet for ideas.