Hmmmm …. my outdoor rug still looks good (7 years ) at my desert home ( La Quinta, east of P.S. ). Also, my Sunbrella sofa pillows look good after several years, for the chairs I have white cushions. There are many succulents ( some ) & cacti that thrive in hot, sunny climates, some of mine ( barrel cactus) receive no supplemental water, or very rarely during extreme heat.

Ground it using a faux grass rug (not wall to wall). We had it installed all around the pool...full sun, cold winters, snow, pollen, you name it. 5 years and it still looks brand new. Like anything else, there is good and bad quality. So, make sure you are getting something that will drain, pet friendly (if that is a concern). Arrange the furniture so the two bistro tables are near each other and try the two chair and ottomans looking toward the horizon.

I hadn't thought that maybe the arrangement of the furniture was part of the issue. Thanks Hu. I'll move the chairs/ottomans around a bit and see what that does.

K, that's great info. I assumed that some of the faded rugs I've seen on patios near me are not old. Maybe it's the quality, or maybe they've been here for longer than 7 years!

Here is some layout you might like

Emily, I had thought that a neutral pillow would not give enough color. It added enough interest to contrast a neutral color with the dark gray metal chairs. I'll look at artificial plants and Ks suggestion of living plants that don't require much attention. It made a huge difference with my imagination seeing a mockup like this! Thanks.

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You’re welcome. You’ve got a lot of good of good suggestions here to try out. Let us know how it turns out.

Get a outdoor rug as big as possible they are not that expensive , and really some chair pads for sure those chairs do not look inviting add some fake plants I guess if watering is too much work. a couple of umbrellas

I love the look of the pavers, but the mockups with rugs show they soften the look. I spent the whole afternoon looking at chair pads online and found nothing that is the proper size exactly. Also, I worry that chair pads would not be as comfortable. Those chairs might not look inviting but they are from Germany and were a bit expensive because they are well made, but also because they are contoured and so are very comfortable. I'm going to keep looking though. All of you make good points. I need something. I'll try the one giant umbrella I have and give it a look. I don't want multiple umbrellas if I can avoid it. I'm afraid that will enhance the cafe look. But, we'll see after that umbrella gets set up. The mockups with plants do look good. I had a LOT of pots with plants at my last house and left them there for the new owners swearing I would never do that again. But, I'll think about Ks suggestions about cactus and artificial plants. Do any of you have opinions on the Desert Steel metal cactus "plants"? Because they are metal, they might not help with softening though. Maybe something like this or maybe several of these instead

I agree that you need to soften the look of the patio. Giant desert cacti would be great and I expect easy care. However, I also suggest that you consider some (non black) metal sculpture--

I have to agree with you this doesn’t look like a home but more like an outdoor rest type thing. I would probably change up what was out there entirely. More comfortable seating and more like a living room style and maybe a table and chairs for eating. A cantilever umbrella would be good too

Emily, I never answered your question about size. I think it's about 20' deep by about 30' wide, but there is about 5' of walkway to the front door that I didn't include in the photo. So, I have about 20'x25' to work with. Would that mean I should look for a 18'x23' rug? If so, I think that might not be practical, so maybe 12'x15'? But that means that several pieces of furniture would be off the rug and this seems like it would make it look even less cohesive? Am I thinking about this wrong?

WestCoast, I agree that it would look better with big cushy chairs, but we have a large patio at the back of the house with super comfortable seating and since I hauled all this furniture from Oregon, I'd like to stick with this for a while... until I give up on the other ways of softening. I need to get that umbrella out of the garage and on to the patio. They just finished the pavers recently. That's probably really the reason I'm so hesitant on the rug idea. I love the pavers. Hmm. Maybe typing that will help me move to buying a rug.

Yvonne, I love that metal sculpture. I hadn't thought about that. I'll see what I can find. The one you posted is great, but my husband isn't a fan of circles. I'm going to pursue this idea more. Do you (or anyone else) have online sources you like for this kind of thing?

Google AI offered me these two options for seat cushions that I think would work, but I worry that the green is too dark and the print is a bit too whimsical and doesn't fit my "desert" decorating thoughts (i.e., the print doesn't seem like it fits with cactus). But, I'd love your opinions.

If I get some coordinating throw pillows that have more color, the green might work. Also, it depends on what I can find for a rug.

Also, the links to the metal cactus I was asking about aren't obvious above, so here are screen captures of options I'm considering. I'd like your opinions on these as well. Would they work, or just make it look even more hard?

Regrouping the furniture, adding umbrella(s) and live plants will make the biggest change to your courtyard.

A couple tall live trees or plants or cacti in large pots (as shown the @Celery. Visualization, Rendering images photo) on the courtyard far wall will provide privacy and block your view of the neighboring houses when you are inside or outside. The live plants will soften the stone and metal. The care should not be a lot of work or hire a plant service if possible.

Rather than buying metal ”cacti” I would consider potting some cactus that thrive in a hot, dry climate , such as Saquaro, Prickly Pear, Barrel cactus,, et. al. I’m sure one of your local garden centers can make suggestions There are many. Granted, when it’s especially hot for a long period of time I water sparingly, they don’t like to be overwatered, ( root rot )

Contrary to what some believe, you’re not limited to fake plants, none at my desert home.

I don't 'see' the outside restaurant look you do. I do see what appears to be chairs whose cushions are put away until wanting to be used but since that's not true, yes you do need the ornamentation they would provide. Water feature? Given your climate/sun I would not go with anything but stone. The idea of a an outdoor rug always gives me the creeps due to the creepy crawlies that will take up residence under it. I would think an umbrella would be a must.

Suggest two defined/intimate areas, which would be more ideal for interaction.

Maureen, I will just sit out here occasionally probably in the evening to watch the sunset with a neighbor or two. There is a possibility of snacks, but likely if we are eating, we'd move to the the back covered patio. I'll have to play around with the furniture placement. Good point about grouping in two areas.

Arcy, Thanks for the rug considerations. I hadn't thought about the creepy crawly things. I'd need to have my pest control people avoid spraying it (when they sprayed part of one on the back patio, there was some discoloration), and then I'd wonder what it was harboring. I think I'm going to try chair pads and throw pillows and other accessories/plants first and save the rug decision for after that.

If that’s the only usage, I’d hold off buying too much and decide what’s needed as time goes by. Arrange a seating area to view the sunset and suggest starting with cushions, lighting and greenery.

Your table/chairs placed in a corner won’t feel as random.

To answer the questiion about a source for metal structure, try Etsy. There many talented artisans showing their work on Etsy, it feels like a craft show right at your fingertips. You might also find an animal sculpture that you can’t live without!

WM if you select the right pattern you can put two 9x 12 rugs together and it can flow like one. This one has a lot of color to it , but there are a lot of choices if this is too much.

I think an outdoor rug, lanterns, and some tall potted plants would look great https://www.buildersservicecompany.com/what-is-curb-appeal 

Maybe utilize some chairs with a nicer dining table and then add cushions to the rest and that rug . Potted plants and enjoy the sunsets. We eat outside for dinner all summer no matter just us or a group . We have no rug under the dining table just fake grass for the seating area like a LR set up that seats 8 . We have 2 patios sepearted by a walkway to a firepit

You have a beautiful patio/courtyard area. There are plants that thrive in every climate - you just need to go to a nursery in order to have someone help you design a few planters.

They will make a HUGE difference to the area (I had a new large patio built about 3-4 years ago - it looked so plain until I added containers/hanging baskets with beautiful plants/flowers - and I knew nothing about gardening before then). There are BEAUTIFUL succulent arrangements that you could add.

You could add some table top succulent planters that would look amazing. I've had one for over three years now - it's changed a bit over the years (adding/removing different succulents).

Plus, the colorful planter will look nice against your black tables.

There are many heat/drought tolerant plants. Many thrive from being neglected!

You could mix in some of the metal pieces that you've added with some real succulents to make a beautiful container/planter.

Portulacas are the EASIEST plants to grow. I live in a zone where they are sold as annuals - however, I purchased three small portulaca plants three years ago - and I now have so many that I have to give many away to my daughters/sisters/neighbors. I did collect some seeds at the end of October after the first summer - however, I never planted them. Little Portulaca seedlings just started growing in the spring - not only in the container that they were originally planted in - but in many other containers on my patio (they also grew between some of the pavers + on the edge of the grass around the patio.

There are many beautiful cati that you could put in a container.

Agave:

Native grasses:

I use Lantana as a little accent in several hanging baskets + a couple containers - it's an annual for me - however, it would be a perennial for you.

I think adding some colorful large ceramic planters + a mix of your metal sculptures + some plants specifically for your growing zone would be a great addition.

As long as you’re willing to water 3-4 days a week pots can work. If you have a Star Nursery near you they have master gardeners on staff. They always have great free advice!

Unless you just want to stage the courtyard, metal furniture in the sun for much of the day likely won't be practical, even if you cover the chair seats and backs with cushions. The arms, tabletops and footrests will be sizzling hot. I would still create an outdoor living space but with a mind toward the cool/chilly desert evenings and adding plants that don't require a lot of maintenance to spiff up the courtyard and create an inviting entry to the front door.

A portable, round, propane firepit could be floated in the center with 4 chairs around it and the other 2 chairs can be pulled from the larger table when you have more guests. Add a non-textured, fade resistant rug underneath so sand can be blown off more easily and attach thin cushions to the chairs. The foot rests could be used as side tables. Lighting choices can also add charm, maybe solar lights in the pots with the plants.

@W M, have you tried out any of the suggestions, below? Any after photos to post?

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I don't have much to update yet, but here is the current status.

I understand that there are better furniture choices, but these are the chairs and tables that I already own, and they are of good quality and very comfortable. I would never sit in this area when the sun is out. I have a large covered patio at the rear of the house. I sat out on this front patio for a bit last week an hour after sunset just to see what they felt like after a 108 degree day. Even though it was still 93, they had already cooled down enough to not bother bare legs.

At this time, I am not planning for live plants. I did not like managing pots at our last home, and I'm looking for minimal maintenance. It's part of the appeal of a move to the desert. But, you folks did inspire me to start thinking about some live plants for the back patio. It would be nice to have fresh herbs. I spend a lot of time on that patio, so keeping those cared for would be easy. Maybe that's my initial foray into inspiring me to consider some plants for the front patio.

I found some cushions for the chairs and some throw pillows. I haven't put them or the umbrella in place yet, but the cushions look OK on one chair I brought into the garage for the trial run. The outdoor throw pillows so good in the mockups, I ordered some of these as well. I think I will like them. I'm still considering rugs and Desert Steel "cactuses" and some other kinds of metal artwork. I'm also looking for some tabletop decorative lights.

Once the front patio has some changes, I'll post photos.

Thanks again for all your advice. It has been very helpful.