Patio Inspiration From Around the World

With the weather warming up and summer quickly approaching, it’s almost time for the vacation season. This summer, think about making every trip to your patio a vacation—minus the hassle of transportation—with these globally inspired ideas.

Tuscan Patio

If Italy is your dream vacation spot, think about attaching a trellis to your house to let a few vines climb up or building a pergola with greenery to shade your patio. Don’t hesitate to call in backup from a Best Pick patio covers company when building your pergola, or reach out to a landscaping professional when choosing appropriate plants—it can be quite the task.

Contact an outdoor living spaces company to help you finish off the look with a wood-fired grill, river rock tile, and an outdoor wine bar for an entertainment haven.

Desert Patio

For a desert- or Southwestern-style patio, incorporate some sand areas around a brick foundation. Potted plants like cacti, succulents, and hibiscus are well suited to dry temperatures, and petrified or cholla wood make great accents for this style.

If you decide to go with a desert theme, make sure there’s a way for you and your guests to keep cool while you’re enjoying the patio. Enclosing it may be the best way to avoid losing too much cool air.

Secret Garden Patio

A patio can be a great place to get away, especially if you model it as its own enclosed structure. Who hasn’t at one point in their lives envisioned a secret place that only they know about?

Plant lots of shrubbery and flowers to surround a tea table, add some ivy or other vine-like plants to wind up the enclosure, and relax in your personal garden hideaway.

Beach Patio

To make the most of a beach setting, install some thatch umbrellas for shade, a tiki bar for refreshment, and a hammock or Adirondack chairs with cushions for a getaway in your own backyard.

Alternately, you can frame your patio with louvered walls and palm plants. This option keeps the patio open while providing some protection from the hot sun.

Moroccan Patio

Chaise lounges, brightly colored cushions, and sheer fabrics will send your patio on its way to feeling exquisite and elegant. Soon, you’ll find yourself in a Moroccan patio paradise.

A Moroccan theme is a great option for summer, but you should look for ways to make it a viable option for winter entertainment also. Adding some heaters and switching out lighter fabrics for heavier ones will start you on the right path for a year-round hangout space.

Grand Central Staycation

Your patio plan shouldn’t feel like you’re in the middle of a thousand people at the train station and looking for one specific person. If you have a hard time picking just one place to use as your inspiration, ask yourself these questions:

• Where is the number one destination on your bucket list, or your favorite vacation spot?
• What do you want to do with your patio—entertain, or have a quiet space?
• What kind of furniture best suits your patio’s purpose and design?

If you like to entertain, consider designs that have a lot of space, seating availability, and easy access to food and drinks. An open-air space with a little bit of shade from Italian greenery or a sheer, breezy fabric to provide a breathable barrier between your guests and the elements allows for the perfect combination of getaway and “home sweet home.”

If your focus is to create a hideaway space for just you and your family, think about a space that gives you a respite from the noise and goings on of everyday life, like a quiet, closed off garden area.

No matter where your ideal getaway is, you can create a little piece of that setting within a few steps of your home. In addition to being the perfect spot for relaxation, a patio should reflect something about who you are and what you like to do.