The patio, if you’re lucky enough to have one, is quite possibly the perfect place to enjoy the nice weather. It’s less dirty than the grass, and it’s much easier to set up your garden furniture and barbecue there, which means that it gets a lot of traffic and you probably do a lot of entertaining there. It makes sense then, before summer rolls around, to spruce up your patio area to make it even better for enjoying and entertaining when the sun is shining.

Here are some simple ideas to make your patio even more presentable:

Take the Indoors Outdoors

Ideally, your patio should be an extension of your indoor space, which means that bringing comfortable furniture rugs and even lamps out there is a great idea and one that your family and your guests will really appreciate when they want to settle in for a nice garden party.

Cover the Furniture

Patio furniture is such an important part of your outdoor entertaining that you will want it to look and feel good at all times. So, invest in pretty blankets, throws or even sofa and chair covers in bright colors and pretty patterns to dress them up a little, and head over to Deconovo where you will find some great outdoor sofa and chair covers which will protect them from inclement weather conditions and dust when not in use. If you have wooden furniture, then sanding and repainting it will have a similar effect.

Mix and Match

When you’re decorating the patio, you should not be afraid to mix and match because it’s much easier to pull that kind of thing off in the garden, So, if one of your chairs is pink and the others are white, well who cares? It will actually give the patio more of a designer touch, as will mixing up your fabrics, so you have paisley chairs, tartan blankets and floral cushions. As long as some of the colors and styles have hints of the others, it will look much more cohesive than you might think.

Put Up a Pergola

If you want your patio to feel homely and you want to be able to use it whatever the weather, then hanging a pergola and hanging curtains from that so that the space is more enclosed is a good idea. This is not least because it will give you some shade when the sun is at its hottest, and privacy for those special moments that always seem to happen more spontaneously when the sun is shining.

Oversize Everything

If your patio is pretty small, you can create the illusion of more space and make it feel like it’s on a much grander scale by having oversized couches, cushions, plants and pillows in the space, but just using fewer of them. When you decorate a small area with lots of small items, it just makes it feel more cluttered and even less spacious than it really is, so bear that in mind when you’re shopping for patio accessories.

Zone Out

If your patio, on the other hand, is actually pretty big, what can work better is splitting it into several zones, so that you have one zone for sitting, one for eating, another for playing, and one for entertaining, for example. You can do this by using different textures, such as wood, stone and sand, by creating official barriers, or simply by orienting the grill in one area, chairs another, toys another and so on, and it will make the space much easier to use for everyone who’s in the garden.

Use Natural Materials

Although you want to seamlessly transition from the indoors out, it is still always best to use natural materials when you’re decorating your patio, allowing the structure of the furniture and accessories to provide the link., So, think rattan couches, like the ones at Wayfair, wooden bowls, ceramic flower pots, and of course, lots of plants and flowers and you will probably get the balance just right and make a really relaxing space.

Let There Be Light

Finally, you, of course, need plenty of light if you are to be able to enjoy days and nights on the patio. Fairy lights wrapped around the pergola, solar lanterns lining the edge of the patio, hurricane lamps filled with scented candles and hanging electric lanterns are all good options but don’t be afraid to play around and see what works best for you.

I hope this has given you some useful ideas for creating a patio that looks good, provides a function and blends seamlessly with the rest of your home.