Planning a Stunning Patio for 2021 in Middleton and McFarland WI Areas
Spring will be here before you know it! Now is the ideal time to plan a new patio for next year’s summer fun - especially if your existing outdoor space doesn’t inspire you. Here are our tips for planning a stunning patio for 2021 in Middleton and McFarland, WI, areas.
Starting from scratch is often the most effective way to achieve the results you want: a living space perfectly tailored to your needs and wants, style, and budget.
Related: 3 Tips For Creating The Perfect Outdoor Space On A Budget
1. Identify how you will use the space.
Do you need a chic space for entertaining? A serene, relaxing hideaway? Space for your kids and the family dog to burn off energy? Do you enjoy modern design, or are you more comfortable in traditional spaces? Do you have a view? How many people will regularly use the patio? What do you want to do on your patio?
Choose features and amenities based on your actual needs. A wise approach is to pare your list down to what you will use and upgrade those features with higher-end materials.
Always put function first. No matter how beautiful, a patio won’t live up to your vision if it doesn’t meet your functional needs. Space, traffic flow, the right amenities, placement of features such as a fire pit or hot tub, and enough elbow room are all important considerations.
2. Organize your space.
Organize your patio into distinct zones. Even open-concept spaces feature distinct zones for cooking, dining, relaxing, etc. Place the highest activity zone (cooking/dining) convenient to the home. Put more relaxed areas (fire and conversation areas) out of the flow of traffic. Think of your patio as a wheel: the cooking/dining area is the hub, with various spokes of unobstructed traffic flow pointing outward to quieter areas.
Once these essentials have been addressed, you can move on to choosing materials, features, and amenities.
3. Choose colors to create harmony.
Your patio should harmonize with the home, but at the same time, it should feel like part of the landscape. Begin by taking design cues from your home. Choosing a patio color that complements your home without matching it exactly will yield the most satisfying results.
To harmonize with the landscape, consider mid-tone colored pavers that won’t stick out too much in a lush, wooded property or be too blindingly bright in a sunny location.
4. Choose materials that wow, and stand the test of time.
Choose paving stone shapes that you’ll want to look at for decades. This year, octagonal pavers are trending; while they’re fresh and fun, these busy pavers could become dated in a short time. A trend that will likely outlast any other is large-format pavers. These make any patio feel more spacious due to fewer joint lines and offer a clean, modern look that highlights the beauty of the materials.
Carefully choose textures you find pleasing. Often, a mix of textures can yield dramatic results: for example, smooth pavers and a stacked-flagstone retaining wall.
5. Create focal points.
When you step outside, you need something compelling to look at. If your backyard doesn’t feature a view, create one with a focal point such as a chic pergola-covered seating area, a stunning water feature, or an inviting stone fireplace. Even a postage-stamp-sized backyard can become a jewel with the right focal points!
Related: Merging a Patio With Surrounding Nature in Sun Prairie and Fitchburg WI Areas
About the Author
With over two decades in business and maintaining an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau the entire time, Proscapes LLC is a leading landscape company in the Madison, WI, area. As a Unilock Authorized Contractor, we are recognized as the best-of-the-best in our craft—earning numerous awards along the way.