How To Design Your Backyard Patio

Your home is your haven and the backyard getaway is your outdoor  den.  Designing the space takes a lot of forethought and decisions long before you buy anything.  The following steps will start you through the process.

First, you want to measure your backyard from fence to fence or lot line to lot line, indicating all important structures, plants, trees and other hardscape that you want to preserve.  You might have to demo and remove unwanted items.  Then draw a site plan to scale 1/4" = 1 foot and show all the items you want to save so you know the spaces that you can consider for the getaway area.

Next, evaluate the following aspects before choosing the  getaway area: exposure; South in sun most day, North in shade all day, East and West morning and afternoon sun respectively; tree coverage, shade and drip lines; neighbor noise, pets, views and traffic; prevailing wind direction; life style, usage and circulation from the house, kitchen to the area.  Walk around the areas and seat at each one to get a sense of the essence and what you look at while experiencing the space.  A TIP; take pics in all the directions to assist when reviewing each area.  Weigh all the options and carefully choose the "spot".  A TIP; make sure you test each area in the morning, afternoon and evening before you finalize your decision.

Once you select the area you desire, draw an overlay plan to scale of the site that shows what type of furnishings you want to use so you can tell what size and how many will fit the space. These plans can be rough as long as you do the homework and test the locations of the items before you buy them.  You have now done the "hard stuff" and the selection of the furnishings is fun and will be discussed in future articles.  Have a ball!