Backyard patio design ideas

[nala]

Show me your backyard patio!
Are you matchy matchy in terms of furniture?
Do you aim for an extended living room look?
Do you have wooden furniture or iron going?
I have a hodge podge look going bc I keep collecting free Patio furniture
But now that I added a covered patio, I’M looking to outfit it better.
My biggest issue is that when I entertain, I have to accommodate at minimum 40 family members so my fear is that my backyard looks like a banquet facility.
Would love to see your patios!

 

[jaysonsmom]

This is actually something I was going to post on the “best non-bling purchase” thread. A couple
Years ago, I was casually shopping at Big Lots without intent of purchasing any patio stuff, when I noticed a huge sale on this faux wicker set. It was such a great deal, I decided to purchase it on the spot and went later that afternoon to get a fire pit. Being in So Cal, we can use this space year round and sometimes my hubby and I just light up the fire pit and eat dinner and have drinks while watching TV (we have a big screen inside) through the window.

 

[jaysonsmom]

As you can see in the background, we have an old rickety wooden dining set that is pretty old and beat up. I plan on getting a new outdoor dining table and chairs soon, who knows, maybe faux wicker and glass top to match the seating area. We also have some stackable metal and mesh chairs for extra seating, also from Big Lots! Super reasonable and sturdy. You can see them stacked to the left of the picture below.

 

[nala]

I have never gotten that lucky at Big Lots! Those look very comfy!

 

[elizat]

I would do plastic wicker or polywood. Wood is a lot of upkeep to me and metal, you deal with rust.

 

[stracci2000]

I have a huge gazebo in my backyard.
I would love to enjoy it more, but any kind of furniture we put out there attracts bugs, mostly spiders.

Now don't get me wrong, I think spiders are cool.
But I don't wanna sit with spider webs. And yes, they are mostly black widows.
We have had wicker type furniture, and as soon as we put it out, the spider webs start appearing underneath. I have to use a broom to sweep off the seating that we have there now, and I still won't sit out there because spiders don't sleep! Overnight they come back.
I can't even imagine anything with upholstered cushions.
How can I have patio furniture without spider infestation?

 

[Austina]

Our pool was recently finished. We’ve gone for wicker look furniture, loungers, table and chairs, sofa and ‘armchairs’ on the back porch. Metal would just get too hot here.

 

[Lookinagain]

I've been buying polywood for my patio. It's very durable and low maintenance, but each piece is quite heavy. On the deck, I have teak furniture which I've had for 30 years. I think it is finally reaching it's end of life, but I don't do anything but clean it each spring. I leave all of my outdoor furniture out year round, even though I live in New England. I don't have anything with cushions as I don't want to have to bring them in and out.

 

[lambskin]

I love Mrs. B’s red wrought iron furniture! I am thinking about spraying my black garage sale and curbside finds red!

 

[monarch64]

I have a huge gazebo in my backyard.
I would love to enjoy it more, but any kind of furniture we put out there attracts bugs, mostly spiders.

Now don't get me wrong, I think spiders are cool.
But I don't wanna sit with spider webs. And yes, they are mostly black widows.
We have had wicker type furniture, and as soon as we put it out, the spider webs start appearing underneath. I have to use a broom to sweep off the seating that we have there now, and I still won't sit out there because spiders don't sleep! Overnight they come back.
I can't even imagine anything with upholstered cushions.
How can I have patio furniture without spider infestation?

You can treat outdoor cushions with permethrin. Additionally, I believe you can apply it around your outdoor living space to deter pests, period. It is effective on arachnids.

I can’t stand when bugs gather around my front entry lights so I spray the fixtures themselves with permethrin a few times during the warm months where I live. Works like a charm.

 

[jaysonsmom]

Dh and I just finished building our new patio dining set which matches our outdoor living set.



I even bought a grail and grill pan to see if we can do Korean BBQ outdoors

Plan on trying it tonight! Easy interactive entertaining for the future, guests can grill their own food at the table! Fingers crossed that it will work!

 

[mrs-b]

I love Mrs. B’s red wrought iron furniture! I am thinking about spraying my black garage sale and curbside finds red!

Awww - thank you, @lambskin! I actually came back to this thread to add some photos I took this evening and saw your comment.

 

[mrs-b]

Sorry @nala - I didn't get the chance to finish my post last night.

Just to let you know where we're heading - we're planning to put a pergola over the far end of the patio, where the 2 seater and single seater chairs are. It will be very large - about 25 x 13ft. And normally there's a large, yellow umbrella that goes over the round table with 4 chairs. Makes / will make it all look a bit less "pimple on a pumpkin"-ish.

Down the *other* end, we're ripping out the bulkhead this year and doing an open stone staircase so we get more light in our basement. And beyond the bulkhead there will be a second pergola over a matching cobblestone area and French doors that go from there into our bedroom. The verandah itself is going to be glassed in.

We've gone back and forth about a pool for eons at every house we've owned. But I just can't bring myself to rip up a finished yard and move all the sewer lines, which we'd have to do at this particular house. Probably a few years down the track we'll do a small heated in-ground plunge pool, but that's as far as it will run, I think.

The black fences are for our dogs. It gives us a safe place for them whenever we have workmen in the back yard, or if we want to lock them out of the house, but keep them in a confined area. It also gives us a specific space to keep cleared of snow in winter, so the dogs can still go outside.

And this year we're also *starting* to replace the white plastic fences, tho I think that will take a few stages, as we're doing a lot of things in hewn stone, so we're budgeting around $75k just to re-fence.

So basically, it's a lot. And it's the work of a lifetime. But it will end up being very beautiful, I think. I'm a patient woman, and I enjoy the journey as much as the destination. Gardens are slow by definition.

 

[momofive]

I have a huge gazebo in my backyard.
I would love to enjoy it more, but any kind of furniture we put out there attracts bugs, mostly spiders.

Now don't get me wrong, I think spiders are cool.
But I don't wanna sit with spider webs. And yes, they are mostly black widows.
We have had wicker type furniture, and as soon as we put it out, the spider webs start appearing underneath. I have to use a broom to sweep off the seating that we have there now, and I still won't sit out there because spiders don't sleep! Overnight they come back.
I can't even imagine anything with upholstered cushions.
How can I have patio furniture without spider infestation?

Add about 10 drops of peppermint essential oil to water in a spray bottle and spray your furniture. Helps keeps spiders away. Repeat often, especially after rain.

 

[nala]

Ok! Finally finished mine!!

 

[mrs-b]

Ok - here's a better photo of my back courtyard. The land is mine beyond the black fence - we just keep the courtyard fenced so we can have a safe place for the dogs when gardeners etc are here.