Is your patio ready for summer? As bars and restaurants start to re-open, there’s still no better place to spend most of your summer evenings than your own backyard. After all, you have full control over the menu, the music, and the company—and there’s no need to find parking!
Here are a few tips for styling your Allentown patio using pottery, furniture, and plants.
Planning Your Patio Design
The first thing you'll want to do is measure your space so that you know what you're working with. Then, decide on your top priority patio activities, whether you love cooking, roasting marshmallows, or cozying up with a book and a cup of tea.
Do you want your patio to be an extension of your kitchen, where your family and friends gather to enjoy delicious food and each other's company? Then you'll probably want to focus on a dining table and outdoor food prep space.
Would you rather your patio be a cozy place where you curl up in comfy furniture to talk until the wee hours of the morning? Then you might want to feature a fire table and cozy sectional seating.
Next, you'll want to figure out what style you want for your patio. A Pinterest board is a perfect way to store photos of colors, styles, and elements you love altogether, and it's easy to reference while you're shopping as well.
Take note of the colors you like best, and come up with a few basic color palette. A patio space is a transition that blends your home and yard, so try to choose items and colors that complement both.
Once you've got a color palette and some inspiration, its time to start styling! Your patio should have a balance of functional furniture, statement pieces of art, and plants to maintain that connection with nature and transition seamlessly with your yard.
Choosing Patio Furniture
It's generally best to start with what furniture you want to include on your patio. Most people want to be able to enjoy meals outdoors and lounge on their patio as well. Generally, that means separate dining and lounging areas.
If you've got a small space, this might be as simple as a small cafe table with a couple of chairs, and a small bench with comfortable cushions. Match the scale of your home and patio space when choosing furniture.
A folding umbrella allows you to enjoy your outdoor space and stay protected from the sun or rain. Some dining sets come with a central folding umbrella. Or, an offset umbrella can cover even more space without the distracting central post.
From minimalist black metal, to mid-century modern wood, to classic rattan, we carry so many different patio furniture styles, and our patio sunroom is now open! Stop by for a visit and check out the selection.
We recommend having a seat in the chairs to check for comfort and figure out which ones match your design style. Don't feel like you have to opt for perfectly-matching patio furniture. An eclectic collection of different pieces can give your patio a unique and welcoming personality.
Choosing Patio Decor
Once you've decided on furniture, its time to add some statement accent pieces. We've got so many options, like wrought iron planters for that classic formal garden style, terra cotta for a Mediterranean style patio, or beautiful glazed pottery from Alfresco Home to suit any style.
Whether you're looking for planters or side tables, there's plenty of variety available. We also have composite products that feature the same beautiful look of traditional pottery but weigh much less, so they're much easier to move around.
How to Pick Patio Plants
Last but not least, embrace nature and add some plants to your patio. Be bold with your plant choices, but don't forget to add some potted herbs near your food prep space. You might think that a small patio should only have small plants, but adding a large statement plant (like a bold Banana or Elephant Ear!) can make your space feel bigger than it is.
You can also use plants to provide privacy or create room dividers for separate space in your outdoor space. Ornamental grasses planted in long narrow planters can create a privacy screen and add movement and soothing sound to your patio as they dance in the breeze.
Don't be afraid to get colorful with plants on your patio. A color scheme for your furniture and design style is helpful, but your plants don't have to match. If you love being surrounded by flowers of all colors, then go for it! If you prefer the minimalism of monochrome green, go ahead and embrace the full-foliage look.