Landscape Design
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7 Key Elements for a Restful Patio
Craving a space where you can enjoy being outdoors in peace and comfort? Try incorporating these features
Spending time in the fresh air among plants and wildlife is famously beneficial for both mental and physical health, so if you’re lucky enough to have a patio, how can you turn it into a spot where you can sit and unwind whenever possible? Take a look at these ideas for creating a relaxing haven, from thinking about comfort and shade to bringing in sounds and scents that will transport you to a calmer place.
2. Comfortable and Flexible Furniture
How would you like to use your patio? For lounging, dining, gathering with friends — or all of the above? The key is to find furniture that covers all your needs and is handily in place, so you don’t have to spend time and effort setting everything up each time there’s a warm morning before work or a sunny lunch break when you could pop out.
Water-resistant cushions can generally be left out if the weather forecast looks dry. Or invest in a waterproof cover that can be thrown over the whole chair or sofa and is quick to remove. To prevent color fading with exposure to direct sunlight, look for UV-resistant fabrics for pillows, sofa cushions and umbrellas. A waterproof box in the garden is a good option for storage, allowing you to set up comfortable seating with minimum effort.
When you have more time to spend in the garden or friends are coming over, consider other textiles to make the patio as comfortable and inviting as possible. Think outdoor rugs, cushions and throws for cooler evenings, as in this inviting spot designed by Seasons in Colour.
Shop for patio furniture on Houzz
How would you like to use your patio? For lounging, dining, gathering with friends — or all of the above? The key is to find furniture that covers all your needs and is handily in place, so you don’t have to spend time and effort setting everything up each time there’s a warm morning before work or a sunny lunch break when you could pop out.
Water-resistant cushions can generally be left out if the weather forecast looks dry. Or invest in a waterproof cover that can be thrown over the whole chair or sofa and is quick to remove. To prevent color fading with exposure to direct sunlight, look for UV-resistant fabrics for pillows, sofa cushions and umbrellas. A waterproof box in the garden is a good option for storage, allowing you to set up comfortable seating with minimum effort.
When you have more time to spend in the garden or friends are coming over, consider other textiles to make the patio as comfortable and inviting as possible. Think outdoor rugs, cushions and throws for cooler evenings, as in this inviting spot designed by Seasons in Colour.
Shop for patio furniture on Houzz
3. Shade
In the heat of summer, having the means to create shade is essential for keeping a patio comfortable throughout the day. Fortunately, there are numerous options.
Shade sails, which are thick material pulled taut and usually fixed to three or four points, are an excellent quick fix for a patio. They have the advantage of holding off the odd shower of rain too. Similarly, a large outdoor umbrella can do a good job, although it will probably need to be moved around with the sun.
With an eye on the summer after next, you could consider a pergola covered in vines. Or plant a couple of trees for the reward of lovely dappled shade in years to come.
20 Standout Shade Structure Ideas to Help You Beat the Heat
In the heat of summer, having the means to create shade is essential for keeping a patio comfortable throughout the day. Fortunately, there are numerous options.
Shade sails, which are thick material pulled taut and usually fixed to three or four points, are an excellent quick fix for a patio. They have the advantage of holding off the odd shower of rain too. Similarly, a large outdoor umbrella can do a good job, although it will probably need to be moved around with the sun.
With an eye on the summer after next, you could consider a pergola covered in vines. Or plant a couple of trees for the reward of lovely dappled shade in years to come.
20 Standout Shade Structure Ideas to Help You Beat the Heat
4. Privacy
To really switch off in our gardens, most of us would prefer not to be overlooked and instead enjoy a little seclusion. So if neighboring windows are in view, ask your garden designer to take privacy into consideration.
Well-placed trees and taller shrubs can go a long way toward screening your patio. An arch or arbor can also be placed strategically to interrupt a sightline. To extend a fence or wall upward to block out views, consider planting hedge plants for a leafy backdrop, as seen here, or add a trellis to the top of your fence and grow vines up it.
If greenery isn’t an option, or while you’re waiting for plants to grow, you could add a decorative screen or two. Or build a pergola with a solid roof or spreading foliage positioned over the patio, perhaps with fittings in place to easily hang a sheer curtain on the most overlooked side.
How to Create Privacy in Your Yard With Plants and Structures
To really switch off in our gardens, most of us would prefer not to be overlooked and instead enjoy a little seclusion. So if neighboring windows are in view, ask your garden designer to take privacy into consideration.
Well-placed trees and taller shrubs can go a long way toward screening your patio. An arch or arbor can also be placed strategically to interrupt a sightline. To extend a fence or wall upward to block out views, consider planting hedge plants for a leafy backdrop, as seen here, or add a trellis to the top of your fence and grow vines up it.
If greenery isn’t an option, or while you’re waiting for plants to grow, you could add a decorative screen or two. Or build a pergola with a solid roof or spreading foliage positioned over the patio, perhaps with fittings in place to easily hang a sheer curtain on the most overlooked side.
How to Create Privacy in Your Yard With Plants and Structures
5. Glittering Water
A simple water feature can add so much to a patio and help to create a calming atmosphere. The sound of flowing water should go some way toward masking environmental noise, while watching the sparkling movement can be meditative. You’ll also find it attracts birds and insects, which will further add to the serenity.
There’s a huge range of options, from a simple bubble fountain to a vintage piece like this. Or if you’d prefer more of a pond containing aquatic plants, try a small patio bowl or barrel pond, which can be relatively inexpensive.
A simple water feature can add so much to a patio and help to create a calming atmosphere. The sound of flowing water should go some way toward masking environmental noise, while watching the sparkling movement can be meditative. You’ll also find it attracts birds and insects, which will further add to the serenity.
There’s a huge range of options, from a simple bubble fountain to a vintage piece like this. Or if you’d prefer more of a pond containing aquatic plants, try a small patio bowl or barrel pond, which can be relatively inexpensive.
6. Inviting Scents
Surrounding a patio with delicately scented plants is a wonderful way to create a relaxing mood. Some, such as lavender, seen here in a design by Verdance Landscape Architecture, are famously calming, but scents in general can promote mindfulness, helping you to switch off.
Other perfumed plants to try include star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides, zones 8 to 10), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis, zones 8 to 11), honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum, zones 5 to 9), scented roses (Rosa spp., zones vary but most fall into zones 4 to 11), sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus, zones 2 to 11) and mock orange (Philadelphus spp.). If you can’t bring garden beds near enough to your seating, group planters around the area instead.
See why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
Surrounding a patio with delicately scented plants is a wonderful way to create a relaxing mood. Some, such as lavender, seen here in a design by Verdance Landscape Architecture, are famously calming, but scents in general can promote mindfulness, helping you to switch off.
Other perfumed plants to try include star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides, zones 8 to 10), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis, zones 8 to 11), honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum, zones 5 to 9), scented roses (Rosa spp., zones vary but most fall into zones 4 to 11), sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus, zones 2 to 11) and mock orange (Philadelphus spp.). If you can’t bring garden beds near enough to your seating, group planters around the area instead.
See why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
7. Wildlife-Friendly Lighting
For many of us, evenings are the main time we get to enjoy our patios, so some form of lighting is key. Luckily, it’s possible to have both pretty and effective lighting while being mindful of wildlife.
Nature-friendly, low-level lighting and fixtures that direct the beam downward, as opposed to bright lights, will create a relaxing, intimate mood, especially if you concentrate your lights around the patio rather than illuminating the whole garden. This patio by Nilsen Landscape Design is a good example.
Aim to choose lighting that can be switched off when you go inside at the end of the evening, so nocturnal creatures get to enjoy their time in the garden too.
Your turn: What takes a patio from standard to relaxing for you? Share your ideas and photos in the Comments.
More on Houzz
Read more stories about patios
Browse thousands of patio photos
Find a local deck and patio specialist
Shop for your outdoor spaces
For many of us, evenings are the main time we get to enjoy our patios, so some form of lighting is key. Luckily, it’s possible to have both pretty and effective lighting while being mindful of wildlife.
Nature-friendly, low-level lighting and fixtures that direct the beam downward, as opposed to bright lights, will create a relaxing, intimate mood, especially if you concentrate your lights around the patio rather than illuminating the whole garden. This patio by Nilsen Landscape Design is a good example.
Aim to choose lighting that can be switched off when you go inside at the end of the evening, so nocturnal creatures get to enjoy their time in the garden too.
Your turn: What takes a patio from standard to relaxing for you? Share your ideas and photos in the Comments.
More on Houzz
Read more stories about patios
Browse thousands of patio photos
Find a local deck and patio specialist
Shop for your outdoor spaces
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While many of us are aiming to keep hard landscaping to a minimum in our gardens, a patio surface is a must if you want somewhere to set up a stable dining table or outdoor sofa. Luckily, it’s possible to create a paved or gravel area that’s both sustainable and perfect for a well-functioning patio.
Consider asking your builder or landscaper to use reclaimed materials, such as flagstones, cobblestones or bricks. Not only will they have a smaller carbon footprint, they’ll have a timeless feel that will contribute to the relaxed mood. Permeable materials, such as gravel and decomposed granite, provide a firm surface for furniture while keeping rainwater on-site. Responsibly sourced wood decking or composite decking made from recycled materials are good options too.
Also think about creating pockets of greenery amid the paving to soften the feel and aid drainage. As long as you have a large enough area to hold furniture legs, some paving stones, bricks or decking boards could be skipped in favor of low-growing plants, such as baby’s tears (Soleirolia soleirolii, USDA zones 9 to 11; find your zone), woolly thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus, zones 5 to 8) or small succulents set into gravel, to bring greenery up close.
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