With all of the rain falling from Oregon’s skies today, it’s hard to think about spending time outside, but having a space to enjoy outdoors is still a critical component of Oregon homes. It doesn’t have to be extravagant or sport an unparalleled view, but it should be comfortable and functional for you and your family.

A patio is an extension of your home, so your patio idea should imitate the personality and design of your home. Patios are outdoor living spaces that add beauty to your home.

Before you can come up with a great patio idea, you must ask yourself a couple basic questions:

Style

What is the style of your home? Your patio idea should compliment the design of your home.

If the architecture of your home is formal, your patio idea should reflect that. A formal patio is usually structured and symmetrical; it may include elaborate fountains, sculptures, or patterned plantings.

An informal patio idea tends to be more random and natural. More ecological materials, like river rocks and flagstone, should be used in an informal patio idea.

Purpose

What is the purpose of your outdoor space? Maybe your patio idea needs to include a place for you to sunbathe, eat breakfast, or play games with your family. The possibilities are endless!

As you define the purpose of your outdoor space, you’ll need to make a list of furniture and accessories that will be needed to complete your patio idea. Whether you like to entertain a crowd or read quietly outdoors, you must first define the space before you can design it.

Once you have answered these very important questions, you can move on to the details of your great patio idea.

Some of the details you must consider for your patio idea are placement, size, and materials.

Placement

When selecting a location for your patio, consider the existing elements of your space.

Sometimes a remote area of the property is perfect for your needs, so consider every possible location to make your great patio idea a reality. Your patio idea should include the assets that your home and landscape already offer.

Think about the direction of the sun, the local traffic patterns, and the proximity of other houses. You’ll also want to consider the view from the area.

If you find a perfect location is in direct sunlight, you can easily add a pergola or umbrella to your patio idea to create a nice shady spot. Plants will also produce needed shade.

However, a completely open patio may be more practical in cool climates where the warmth of the sun is welcome.

Size

The size of your patio will largely be determined by the purpose of the space and the location. Since you already know what you want to do with the space, buy the furniture and accessories.

You can even set the new furniture out in the location and mark the patio dimensions around it. This will make it very easy for you to see how much space to allocate for each item.

Make sure there is enough space to walk easily around the furniture; It’s better for the patio to be too big than too small. You can always use the extra space to make your patio idea even better.

Material

To complete your great patio idea, you will have to decide on materials to use that will best meet your needs and compliment the style of your house. The most common patio materials are brick, stone, concrete, and tile.

Since, all of these materials make beautiful patios, you can choose which is just right for your great patio idea!