If you are lucky enough to have a patio, you’ve got an excellent outdoor space to enjoy. Your patio can be somewhere to entertain, relax, and practice your hobbies. A well-kept and attractive patio can even improve curb appeal and add value to your home. Unfortunately, few of us really make the most of them. They are generally quite small areas that we don’t use as frequently as our backyards. So, we don’t invest in them.
You might have added some chairs or a bench a few years ago, and even painted your decking. But have you done anything since? Or is your patio basic, tired, and worn? The good news is, you don’t need a full revamp to make better use of your patio. There are a few small changes that you can make to refresh it and give it new life.
Perhaps the most important addition to your patio is comfortable seating. If your current chairs are old, worn out, and uncomfortable, consider upgrading. If you’ve got space, decorating with patio furniture, including comfortable and attractive seating, more like what you’d choose for the inside of your home, will encourage you to spend more time out there.
Chairs are the first step, but textiles add more. When it comes to comfort you can’t beat blankets and cushions. If your chairs are hard, simply adding a cushion and chair pad can make them far more inviting.
If you’ve got a large, decked patio, adding an outdoor rug can break it up, adding color and comfort and helping you to create a more welcoming space.
If there’s one easy way to make any space more inviting and interesting, it’s color. If your patio is currently just decking and seats, it might be a little boring and bland. Add color by painting your furniture, the deck, and any fencing. Add colorful plants in fun planters and choose bright textiles. You might even want to choose a color scheme or a theme for the space.
There are so many things that you can do on your patio. But, if we’re being honest, most of us prefer to sit, to eat and to practice our hobbies in more private spaces. We’d rather be in our enclosed backyards where no one can see us.
If you like your privacy, but you are keen to use your patio, consider making at least a part of it more private with large plants and shrubs, a screen, or even a walled area.
If you know that you’ll never use your patio because you feel too exposed out there, think about what else you could do with it. Could a covered area work as an outdoor mudroom with coat pegs and racks for muddy boots? This at least gives you a chance to free up some space in your hallway and keep your home clean.
If your patio is looking dated, making a few of these changes and additions can mean that it’s looking fab ready to spend more time out there this summer.