If you're lucky enough to have an outdoor space, you probably want to get as much use out of it as possible. Any size patio, balcony, or backyard can be a comfortable and stylish lounge, dining area, or game room that you can enjoy year-round if you put a little extra consideration into how you furnish and arrange it. The right outdoor room design ideas can quickly transform an overrun or neglected backyard space into a special place to unwind.
Laying out an outdoor room can feel intimidating, but it becomes easier when you think of it as an extension of your home's interior. Break up a large backyard space with multiple smaller seating areas just as you would an open-concept living room, or pair a dining set with a cozy couch for a natural transition after dinner. Choosing patio decor, furniture, and lighting in colors and styles that coordinate with what you use indoors is another subtle way to make your outdoor space look pulled together.
We're here to help you make that happen. Whether you have a tiny balcony or a sprawling backyard, our guide to creating a luxurious outdoor room will help you take full advantage of warm weather and extend your alfresco hangs well into the cooler months. Read on for stylish patio decor ideas to try in your own spaces. Fresh air and fresh style ahead.
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Artful Purpose
This covered porch by Dodson Interiors features creature comforts like stainless steel appliances, skirted upholstery, and a romantic chandelier that transform the great outdoors into a room of stylish form and function. Indulgent finishes lend continuity to the indoor-outdoor flow and set the scene for gracious entertaining.
Solid Surfaces
Elegant materials that wear well in salt air, like plaster and natural stone, complete the spacious loggia of an oceanfront home in Florida by architect Kevin Asbacher.
Dramatic Drapes
Pamela Harvey used drapery in this outdoor living room to ease the transition between indoors and out. The Sunbrella performance fabric panels provide shade and create dimension.
Lofty Goals
To bring in a touch of nature and accentuate the 20-foot-high beams, architect Eric Olsen strung woven globe lights above the sunken terrace at the center of his Los Angeles home.
Mindful Materials
Michelle Boudreau used desert-proof finishes, like nautical-grade metal cabinetry, durable quartz counters, and a "rug" made of graphic tile, in this California hangout.
Epic Proportions
A chimney that extends high above the willow-and-steel pergola calls attention to the dramatic 10-foot- tall "windows" and vineyard views in this lounge by Sheldon Harte.
Hole in One
A Palm Beach balcony becomes a private oasis, thanks to faux turf and massive containers of native plants by landscape architect Keith Williams and interiors firm Kemble Interiors. There's even a putting green.
Woven Wonder
Lattice is the hero of Bethany Adams's front porch in Louisville, Kentucky. Until her laurel hedge grows in, it offers a punch of pat- tern and privacy without blocking the breeze.
Curated Color
Bahamian pink unifies the different-scale patterns at this Palm Beach home by Caroline Rafferty, who added materials like faux wicker and metal to keep it from looking too sweet.
Stone Firepit
The owners of this home on Lake Michigan wanted the terraced yard to contain "multiple experiences," landscape architect Sara Furlan says. This cozy conversation spot at the south end of the lawn, between the main house and pool deck, is anchored by a yellow-flowering horse chestnut tree.
Selective Seating
For maximum functionality and comfort, offer multiple kinds of seating so that everyone can have their pick. Fighting over the favorite corner chair will be a thing of the past.
Color Coordination
A large patio can feel overwhelming to decorate intentionally. For a cohesive feel, opt for one color (or pattern) of upholstery fabric.
Prime View
If you have a sprawling and beautiful view, odds are you want to look at it all the time. Situate your patio furniture to have your most comfortable pieces face nature.
Secret Garden
Rather than feeling cramped and claustrophobic, lean into the tall walls of a garden-level patio to create a cozy and private outdoor oasis.
Simply Perfect
A large patio doesn't have to include multiple seating areas and large furniture pieces. Instead, focus on what you want to use the space for, like casual meals at a streamlined dining set.
Green Rooms
Whether it's a wide-open yard or an airy city balcony, use trailing vines and fast-growing shrubs to create privacy and designate patio zones.
Cozy Extension
In this bedroom-adjacent patio, plush armchairs surrounding a fire-pit make the transition from playtime to bedtime easy as can be.
Mixed Materials
Cozy Hardscaping
When working on a hardscape backyard space, it's important to find ways to warm it up. A built-in bench with bright green cushions and striped throw pillows make this patio designed by Lindsay Rhodes feel inviting and cozy.
Multi-Level Lounge
Don't forget to think about your patio from every perspective. Tamsin Johnson gave these tiered patios and balconies the same foundation of white and green-gray stone tiles for a consistent look from above. Modern patio furnishings contrast with the classic checkerboard pattern.
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