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Modern patio ideas
Lifestyle
If there’s one thing that every garden can benefit from, it’s a stylish and well-thought-out patio that really lets you enjoy those warm summer days. And for anyone seeking a more contemporary patio style, you’ll be happy to hear that there are plenty of design combination options to choose from, to deliver a modern aesthetic.
From a porch-veranda blend to a patio laid right outside your kitchen, recent design advances mean it’s never been easier to style your garden with bold new shapes and striking paving layouts.
So, to help you get started with the design process, here are our top tips and must-have patio ideas, with products straight from our downloadable brochure, to help you conjure up the perfect patio design, including five distinct home areas you might want to consider taking inspiration from to help your patio stand out.
Our top tips for styling a modern patio
- Choose clean lines and squared edges: Modern gardens are defined by their clear-cut lines, mixed materials, and defined angles, so anyone wanting to transform their patio to meet current trends should make use of squares and rectangles in their patio’s shape and tiling layout, as well as a combination of wood, brick, and tile.
- Consider outdoor porcelain: While nothing new for patio design, more modern patios tend to favour the use of outdoor porcelain pavers as opposed to natural stone tiles. Denoted by their slate grey and cream colours, porcelain tiles are an exceptionally tough patio material and one that can really bring the indoor aesthetic outside.
- Match your flooring, inside and out: if the movement from indoor to outdoor really excites you, then you might want to consider matching your external tiles with your indoor tiles, especially in the kitchen. That way, if you install a set of sliding doors or bi-folding doors to bridge the gap, you’ll create a seamless transition into your garden alongside fantastic views of your new patio. Incidentally, this can also make your garden feel bigger!
- Think about tiered seating: Tiered seating and varying patio levels can really let you make the most of your garden’s space and shape without needing to do too much landscaping while adding in a brick fire pit or simple water feature can bring a sense of warmth and calm to the entire space.
- Choose the right lighting: Consider investing in a contemporary lighting style. This could include stringing low-light bulbs in a criss-cross pattern over your new space or installing lights into the floor itself – the choice is yours.
- Undercover seating: The addition of an undercover seating area is ideal if you plan to use your patio throughout the year. By incorporating a pergola that can be covered when not in use, you can relax outside even in winter – just remember to bring a heater or two outside if you don’t choose to install a firepit.
Our top 4 contemporary patio ideas
So, with our more general modern garden patio ideas out of the way, here are our top 4 favourite ways to style your patio into its own unique area that can act as a full extension of your home.
1. An outdoor kitchen
One of the most traditional uses for a patio, transforming your outdoor space into a kitchen area is a classic choice for a reason. Perfect for dabbling in more complex barbecue foods or picnic classics and providing you with the ideal extension to an outdoor seating area, external kitchens can transform your summer dinner plans.
To really nail this aesthetic, we recommend laying your patio out in a symmetrical shape, not dissimilar to a setup found in a kitchen, and divide it into a cooking zone and dining space. It’s up to you exactly what you include in this space, but a pizza over, fitted grill, and banqueting area are always welcome additions.
And if you want to complete the look, then we also suggest laying your patio out beside your kitchen, connecting the two areas with a pair of French doors or folding doors. That way, with the right patio tiling, you can use your patio as an extension of your kitchen itself.
As an aside, it’s also not uncommon for people to combine their outdoor kitchen with a garden bar. For specific inspiration on how to do this, why not read our article on garden bar ideas?
2. Create a herb garden
All gardens need a dedicated space to grow and cultivate new plants, but this is even more important if you’re a budding gardener who wants to start growing your own herbs and vegetables.
So, instead of using your patio solely for relaxing, why not create a tiered planting system around its edges for new buds and herbs while also introducing a couple of raised beds where you can grow vegetables of your choice?
These tiered beds in particular are an excellent choice, especially when combined with an in-built seating system, giving you a place to rest between jobs or as you repot your next set of plants.
3. Opt for a patio and decking combo
Although a patio by itself is more than capable of serving as a social and relaxation space, if you really want to make the most of the material combinations that go into modern garden designs, then we highly recommend building a deck out from your patio’s edge.
Not only does the addition of a deck give you more space to entertain when you have guests over, but if you chose to install some overhead covering, you’ll be able to make use of your patio deck even when it’s raining.
And on top of all of this, simply expanding the room you have available on your patio means you can use it for more than just sunbathing on the weekend. From opening up more gardening opportunities to an becoming outdoor crafting space, you’ll have plenty of new options available to you.
4. Expand your dedicated social space
Patios have been used as the typical outdoor entertainment space for years, and there’s no reason why this should be any different now. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t get creative with how you use your patio space.
By adding in some zoned seating areas, a large firepit space, and even some winding paths that can lead guests down another tier to a secret gardening spot, you can create a truly dynamic social space that guests will love to relax in.
Best of all, if you have an external room in your garden that’s close to your home’s rear, you can extend your patio out to meet it or connect it with a tiled path, further expanding your patio with a usable indoor space that guests can relax in when the sun goes down.
With that in mind, if you like the idea of an outdoor room and want some inspiration on what they can be used for, you can read our article on alternative summer house ideas.
And there you have it, those are our favourite modern patio ideas that you can draw from for inspiration in your own garden patio’s design. Naturally, if you do want to include a set of sliding or bi-folding doors in your new patio setup, then you can get in touch with us today for more information.
Our team of experts are on hand to answer any questions you might have, and if you come and visit one of our showrooms in person, you can see our full product lineup for yourself. Don’t forget you can browse the rest of our blog as well for more garden design tips and tricks.
