Patio Power: 12 Ways to Energize Your Outdoor Room
From free and easy to pro skills required, we give you a range of options for boosting the look of your patio for summertime entertaining
If your patio is not inviting, you're unlikely to take full advantage of it. But just one move can completely transform your patio from a boring slab of concrete into an inviting outdoor room. Assess how much time, money and help you have, and figure out what's bumming you out about your patio. Perhaps there is too much sun, there is not enough light at night, it's too chilly most of the year, your tabletop gives people splinters or there are so few plants nearby that you don't even feel like you are outdoors.
Check out these 12 patio enhancement strategies and decide which one can make your patio a place where you'll enjoy spending more of your time.
Check out these 12 patio enhancement strategies and decide which one can make your patio a place where you'll enjoy spending more of your time.
Add Candlelight
Time: 5 minutes to dig out that long lighter and get things lit.
Starting budget: Try these Black Hurricane Lanterns at $10 each.
Oversize hurricanes glow with warm light, instantly adding a romantic ambience.
See more outdoor lanterns
Time: 5 minutes to dig out that long lighter and get things lit.
Starting budget: Try these Black Hurricane Lanterns at $10 each.
Oversize hurricanes glow with warm light, instantly adding a romantic ambience.
See more outdoor lanterns
Bring the Indoors Out
Time: 15 to 30 minutes.
Starting budget: $0. Use what you've got.
If you're saving for patio furniture but want to host an al fresco dinner party, you don't have to wait. Simply move your dining room table and chairs onto the patio temporarily.
Time: 15 to 30 minutes.
Starting budget: $0. Use what you've got.
If you're saving for patio furniture but want to host an al fresco dinner party, you don't have to wait. Simply move your dining room table and chairs onto the patio temporarily.
Add the Sound of Water
Time: A fountain like this one takes time for a designer to draw up plus a few days for a pro to install. But it takes just minutes to add a tabletop fountain to your patio.
Starting budget: You can get a tabletop fountain for around $35.
Whether it's a tiny bubbler or more permanent, custom architecture, a feature with the sound of splashing water will relax and delight you.
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Time: A fountain like this one takes time for a designer to draw up plus a few days for a pro to install. But it takes just minutes to add a tabletop fountain to your patio.
Starting budget: You can get a tabletop fountain for around $35.
Whether it's a tiny bubbler or more permanent, custom architecture, a feature with the sound of splashing water will relax and delight you.
See more fountains
Add Textiles
Time required: 30 minutes.
Starting budget: Find colorful outdoor rugs (4 feet by 6 feet) at Home Infatuation for around $45.
Throw pillows and outdoor rugs now come in fabrics that stand up to weather, so you can use print, color and pattern with these items as you would indoors.
Time required: 30 minutes.
Starting budget: Find colorful outdoor rugs (4 feet by 6 feet) at Home Infatuation for around $45.
Throw pillows and outdoor rugs now come in fabrics that stand up to weather, so you can use print, color and pattern with these items as you would indoors.
Bring in the Shade
Time required: For setting up one large umbrella or a pop-up tent, less than an hour. For a more permanent structure like shade sails, permanent concrete footings can be involved and it can take a few days.
Starting budget: Find a 95-inch umbrella at West Elm for $125; the stand is sold separately for $58.
A larger umbrella transforms this space, providing a temporary ceiling that encloses and defines the space.
See more outdoor umbrellas
Time required: For setting up one large umbrella or a pop-up tent, less than an hour. For a more permanent structure like shade sails, permanent concrete footings can be involved and it can take a few days.
Starting budget: Find a 95-inch umbrella at West Elm for $125; the stand is sold separately for $58.
A larger umbrella transforms this space, providing a temporary ceiling that encloses and defines the space.
See more outdoor umbrellas
Add Plant Racks
Time required: 1 hour, including time to pot the plants.
Starting budget: This curvy plant rack from Target is $64. Pick up terra-cotta pots for a few dollars and some herbs for a few more.
If you don't have much space around the edges for planting, add a rack or two to fill with potted plants.
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Time required: 1 hour, including time to pot the plants.
Starting budget: This curvy plant rack from Target is $64. Pick up terra-cotta pots for a few dollars and some herbs for a few more.
If you don't have much space around the edges for planting, add a rack or two to fill with potted plants.
See more plant racks
Add a Trellis
Time required: If it's one that leans against or attaches to the house, just a few minutes. For something more elaborate like this one, you'll likely need to hire someone for a day.
Starting budget: An architectural trellis from Hayneedle is $70.
You can attach one to a wall, build a wall of trellises or create an outdoor divider with one like you see here. Leave it plain or plant vines like clematis at the base and watch them climb.
Time required: If it's one that leans against or attaches to the house, just a few minutes. For something more elaborate like this one, you'll likely need to hire someone for a day.
Starting budget: An architectural trellis from Hayneedle is $70.
You can attach one to a wall, build a wall of trellises or create an outdoor divider with one like you see here. Leave it plain or plant vines like clematis at the base and watch them climb.
Paint Your Patio Furniture
Time required: Half a day to clean, prime and paint two coats.
Starting budget: A gallon of primer, a gallon of paint and a brush will run you around $50. Chances are, you already have a few of these things stored somewhere.
Your tired old picnic table will take on a whole new look with a bright coat of paint. If you want to get a mix and match look, paint the table and chairs different colors.
Time required: Half a day to clean, prime and paint two coats.
Starting budget: A gallon of primer, a gallon of paint and a brush will run you around $50. Chances are, you already have a few of these things stored somewhere.
Your tired old picnic table will take on a whole new look with a bright coat of paint. If you want to get a mix and match look, paint the table and chairs different colors.
Fill the Edges with Exuberant Plants
Time required: 1 day.
Starting budget: I recently found a 3.5-gallon Endless Summer Blue Hydrangea at Lowe's for $30. If you keep your eyes open, you can find 2.5 gallon shrubs for around $15, and perennials and annuals for just a few dollars.
Perennials, annuals and shrubs enliven the patio and transform the color palette.
See great design plants
Time required: 1 day.
Starting budget: I recently found a 3.5-gallon Endless Summer Blue Hydrangea at Lowe's for $30. If you keep your eyes open, you can find 2.5 gallon shrubs for around $15, and perennials and annuals for just a few dollars.
Perennials, annuals and shrubs enliven the patio and transform the color palette.
See great design plants
Add Fire
Time required: A weekend.
Starting budget: I found a 30-inch portable fire pit for $40; the DIY fire pit shown above cost $450 in materials.
Whether it's a permanent installation or one of the many portable versions available on the market, a fire pit lets you enjoy your patio later into the night and later into the fall season. Best of all, you can toast marshmallows over it. Erin Lang Norris shows us how she built this one.
Browse more fire pits
Time required: A weekend.
Starting budget: I found a 30-inch portable fire pit for $40; the DIY fire pit shown above cost $450 in materials.
Whether it's a permanent installation or one of the many portable versions available on the market, a fire pit lets you enjoy your patio later into the night and later into the fall season. Best of all, you can toast marshmallows over it. Erin Lang Norris shows us how she built this one.
Browse more fire pits
Build a Pergola
Time required: A weekend if you're very handy, potentially a lot longer if you're not. Hiring a professional may be in order, as you will want sturdy foundations for your structure.
Starting budget: If you use cedar to build a DIY 8-foot by 8-foot pergola, it will run you around $700 to $1,000 in lumber.
These architectural structures define outdoor rooms, and you can suspend items like candleholders, paper lanterns and hanging plants from their rafters.
More:
DIY: Turn Your Carport Into an Outdoor Dining Room
Outdoor Rooms: The Perfect Pergola
Time required: A weekend if you're very handy, potentially a lot longer if you're not. Hiring a professional may be in order, as you will want sturdy foundations for your structure.
Starting budget: If you use cedar to build a DIY 8-foot by 8-foot pergola, it will run you around $700 to $1,000 in lumber.
These architectural structures define outdoor rooms, and you can suspend items like candleholders, paper lanterns and hanging plants from their rafters.
More:
DIY: Turn Your Carport Into an Outdoor Dining Room
Outdoor Rooms: The Perfect Pergola
Time: 1 minute; 5 minutes if you iron it first.
Starting budget: I recently found the cutest DwellStudio for Target tablecloth on clearance for $7.
This quick and easy move can tie the patio to the plants around it through color. Your table will look fresh and inviting for your guests.