When it comes to patio styling, I think about it the same way I think about any room in our house. I start with the bones, like the furniture, to create a strong foundation, and then I layer in the personality slowly over time.
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Last year was all about construction. A new patio, better drainage, a fence so the dogs could finally run off leash and play together. We also invested in some key furniture pieces too. The sofa and chairs, an outdoor dining table, and a fire pit for those cooler fall nights when we weren’t ready to come inside yet. It was a lot for one year and we are happy with where things landed.
This year I want to focus on the patio styling details that give it personality. Add more color, character, and patina so it feels lived-in and collected.
I want both our front and back patios to feel like extensions of our indoor living spaces. Not just a patio with some furniture, but a room that draws us outside and makes us want to stay and linger longer.
Back Patio Styling
The back patio is where we spend most of our time outside. It’s fully fenced, which means the dogs can be out there with us without us having to worry. Which has been a game changer for how we use the space.
The one piece we got last year that never made it outside is a marble top teak cabinet. It came late in the season so it didn’t make sense to put it out there as we were heading into winter. It’s been living inside in our back family room in the meantime. But as we’ve been working on the family room and finding the foundational pieces for that space, I’m ready for the teak piece to move to its permanent home.
I’m planning to style the top with some potted herbs and use the inside to store our outdoor entertaining pieces. Cups, plates, napkins and all the other things we are typically bringing out from inside. Mike also needs a place to put the TV when he wants to watch the game outside. Now he has a dedicated spot.
This year the patio styling is really about the accessories and the layers that give the space some personality. We need some functional pieces like side tables for drinks and snacks. I want to add some pillows and pots of flowers for some color but also to add some softness to all the hard edges.
Adding Color With Outdoor Pillows
Pillows are the easiest way to add color and pattern to an outdoor space without a big investment. Since we splurged on the furniture pieces, I’m saving by shopping Amazon for most of our outdoor pillow needs. Our cushions are all a creamy white and I already found these 18″ x 18″ x 2.5″ cream colored seat cushions on Amazon for our dining chairs to coordinate with the sofa and chairs. Keeping the main cushions neutral gives us a lot of flexibility with color.
Our navy umbrella is my starting point. From there I’m pulling in blues, sage greens, and a little dusty mauve or cocoa. Colors that feel collected and layered rather than matchy. I did a whole roundup of my favorite outdoor pillows from Amazon a while back and I’ll be shopping that post for our home. There are some really beautiful options in there that don’t look like typical outdoor pillows at all. Here are a few I’m considering for our back patio.
Adding More Function and Warmth
Now that the seating is in place, the next layer is making the patio feel comfortable to actually live in.
The next thing we need are side tables. I’ve also been shopping Amazon for these and have a few options I’m considering. I would like one that can sit between the two swivel glider chairs to hold drinks and maybe a book when I’m outside reading. We also need a couple flanking the sofa for the same reason since we do not have a coffee table.
I’d also like a larger one to sit under the bathroom window to the right of the door. I love to place some of our potted flowers there and the table would allow me to utilize the height to elevate some of them and create a nice little vignette.
Here are some of the outdoor side tables I’m considering for the patio.
For pots we already have some dark charcoal planters that I used last year. This year I’d like to add in some woven, clay, or terracotta for that collected, layered look. It would also be another way to add some warmth to the space and a nice contrast to the dark pavers.
I’m planning to add some annuals for color and maybe a tomato plant or blueberry bush in a pot. And herbs near the teak cabinet so they’re easy to grab when we’re cooking outside, especially once we finally break out the pizza oven we received as a gift.
Marking the Season With a Favorite Tradition
One last touch for the back patio this summer is pulling out our old bunting flags. I used to put them up on the front of the house starting Memorial Day weekend and bring them down Labor Day weekend. It was my way to signal the start and end of the summer season. They’ve been packed away since we did the exterior renovation. The back fence feels like the perfect new home for them. Just a little something to make the space feel festive and special for the holiday.
Front Patio Styling
The front patio was also put in last year as part of our exterior renovation and I’ve been slowly starting to plant the bed in stages. You can see the inspiration for the front in this post. Lots of layers for color and to soften all the hardscape. I’m not the best gardener and want to get better so I’m going slow. Planting a few to see how they take and what spaces I need to fill in.
We ordered two teak rocking chairs for the front and they just arrived this past week. They still need to be assembled and I’m hoping we can find a stretch of good weather in order to do so. Once they’re up I want to add a side table between them, a lumbar pillow on each for a pop of color, and some woven and clay pots for warmth and texture while the bed is still maturing.
The vision for the front has always been that English cottage exterior feeling. Layered, a little chaotic, nothing too perfect, but warm against the brick. It’s going to take some time for it all to come together but I’m excited to see this next layer added.
We don’t use the front as much since it isn’t fenced in for the dogs, but with summer concerts in the park and a big art festival at the end of July just a few weeks away, it’s going to be the perfect spot to perch and watch the neighborhood. Close enough to be part of it, with the option to just sit back and take it all in from our own front porch.
Patio Styling Is a Process
Both spaces are still very much in progress but it’s been fun to see them transform with each new addition.
Patio styling doesn’t have to happen all at once. Start with the pieces that matter most for functionality and build from there. The pillows, the pots, the little details that make you actually want to be outside. Those things come with time and that’s what makes it feel collected rather than decorated.
I’ll be sharing updates as things come together this summer and will share final reveals when things feel a little more done. I can’t wait to show you how it all comes together.
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