Blog | Beyond The Veranda

Patio Makeover Ideas, Tips & Pictures

Brilliant sunshine streams through your dining room window; you pour yourself a steaming cup of coffee and decide to enjoy it outside – on your patio. You inhale deeply as you step outside, taking a moment to drink in the freshness of the crisp morning air and then…you look at your patio. How is it that the decor looks so uninspired? So tired? The flowered pattern on that recliner is beyond faded. Did those eclectic pastel flower pots ever look close to cool? Even your adored cat is looking a little dingy on that faded white rocker.

Your backyard patio needs a makeover. Fear not, you can pour your imaginative energy into a worthy landscaping project, creating an serene outdoor space. We are brimming with ideas for your landscape and have 5 tips to help you conduct a patio makeover.

Sketch Your Space

All designers begin with a sketch. (Yes, this means you.) Take a hour or so with an A4-size piece of graph paper, a ruler, and a pencil. Sketch out (to a rough scale) where you want what kind of furniture and garden ornaments. If you plan on eating al fresco all summer long, make sure that you measure out space for a sturdy dining table and chairs. If you want a space for a chaise lounge or two, in the shade, sketch it in. Before you head out to buy your fabulous furniture, tape out – stay with us – where everything will be positioned.

The flow of motion among your defined groups of furniture is key to building a comfortable space.This graph paper sketch and taping project are the foundation of your design, helping you to make sure that every piece you buy has a space and a purpose.

Design Using Textures and Depth

Bring in different textures and shapes that add liveliness and warmness. You put together an amazing dining room, right? A living room that rocks? Repeat those same principles here: traditional, modern or eclectic.

How about an obelisk? Perhaps made from cast stone or wrought iron? Or an understated planter? A piece of stone garden art that can withstand the outdoor elements will be the feature that wows your friends. Adding a patio awning is the ultimate in design unification, bringing your design together under a physical roof.

Celebrate Nature

Greenery. Stones. Herbs. A successful patio design does not look like you’ve moved an entire room outside. The idea is that you bring comfort and function to a space that celebrates the outdoors.

Design is all about repetition. Pick the colors for your furniture to compliment your flowers – the elegant Robin’s Egg blue in your country style chairs will shine next to Blue Daisies that sit among authentic stone. Functionality rules too! Planting a container herb garden close to your grilling area is clever and visually appealing.

Container gardening is an art. Free your imagination and choose containers that speak to your personal style and taste, whether they are over-sized terracotta pots around a vegetable garden or small and stylish vases on a classical English patio.

Unify your design

Your final step in bringing together the look you’ve created is to decorate; to artfully place some well-chosen accessories and ornaments. It is important not to overdo accessories, so that they don’t crowd your carefully planned look. That said, a well-placed wrought-iron side table, or a cast stone bird bath or two can consolidate your design. Remember, accessorizing is about adding elements, but also about taking elements away.

Get Elemental

Water. Fire. These basic elements in nature can be reflected in your patio space. Close your eyes and imagine the sound of trickling water from an elegant centerpiece: a stone fountain. A side garden featuring a small bird bath, or a koi pond can lend a new dimension to your space. Keeping in mind that a fire pit needs to be placed carefully to ensure safety, imagine sitting out on peaceful night, a slight chill in the air after the sun has gone down and being warmed by the flickering flames. Perfect.

Your patio should be a welcoming space. A space for reading your morning paper while you sip freshly brewed coffee. A space where you can grill steak and vegetables for your family. (Hey, you planted some dill in that herb garden, right?) A space where you can host a party and serve lip-smacking summer Sangria to your friends. A space where you can smoke a late night cigar and lose yourself in the night sky. Get outside and enjoy the good life outdoors with a beautiful new patio by following these makeover tips.

Decorating With Garden Antiques

Garden antiques are great for adding a special touch to outdoor spaces. They make interesting conversation pieces, as every ornament has a story behind it; and those stories become part of the garden. Every new element added to a space has the potential to make it more unique, visually interesting and awe-inspiring.

Half the fun of adding a new piece of art to a garden is in searching for the perfect addition. An antique lover may not even know what they are looking for until they come across it, and then suddenly they know that they have struck antique gold.

One of the best things about garden antiques is the sheer variety of them available. Artistic designs come in all shapes and sizes, so there is no limitations to what one can find once the “hunt” begins.

Here are some popular types that make great additions to any garden.

Garden Ornaments

Antique Statuary
Antique statuary looks as if it arrived here through a portal from another time, and adds an otherworldly quality to garden spaces and patios. Angels, Buddhas, and Egyptian statues are all popular styles.

Antique Olive Jars
These functional jars typically come from Italy and Spain where they were used to store and transport batches of olives. They add an old world sensibility to any space, and a bit of history to any garden.

Antique Sundials
The antique sundial is a traditional centerpiece that looks as fantastic in contemporary gardens as it does in a classic knot garden.

Check out our extensive collection of Haddonstone garden ornaments.

Garden Furniture

Antique Table & Chairs
No patio space is complete without a place to sit down and enjoy a meal or afternoon snack. Why go for mass produced patio furniture when a unique antique table and chairs set can be acquired that will truly set the space apart?

Antique Wood Bench
A weathered, welcoming wood bench is a great addition to a larger garden, as it creates a destination, and encourages visitors to sit down and enjoy the surroundings.

Stone Benches
Antique stone benches make a great fit in gardens and green spaces, and offer a nice place to take a load off and take in the sights, sounds and smells of nature. Lichens and moss will grow on this garden furniture, making them look even more natural and rustic.

Garden Structures

Old Greenhouse
This is not the average garden antique, as it takes up a lot of space, and will put a nice dent in the wallet as well. However, if it fits into the space and the budget it can turn an unused section of the yard into functional antique marvel. Who wouldn’t want to be able to grow flowers, herbs and vegetables all year round in a gorgeous antique greenhouse?

Cast Iron Gazebos
Adding an antique cast iron gazebo to the yard creates a visual focal point and a functional sheltered space. These pieces are extraordinarily ornate and very well constructed, so they will last a lifetime.

Antique Iron Gates
Antiques brighten up the present with a piece of the past, and that’s exactly what an antique iron gate can do for a backyard space. Some of the metal work on these pieces is just amazing, and they make a great pairing with brick or stone.

Fountains

Wall Fountain
Wall fountains add a little bit of magic to the garden, and make the perfect water element for a large section of wall that is in need of décor. Styles range from simple abstract designs to ornate green man sculptures with water flowing out from their mouths.

Multi-tiered Fountains
Multi-tiered fountains are traditional accompaniments to outdoor spaces, and add a visually interesting echo from the past to a garden or patio. Making a nice cast iron triple-tier fountain the centerpiece of a garden adds a traditional element to the space.

Centerpiece Fountains
These whimsical fountains have a magical quality to them, and add the soothing sound of trickling water to a space. They can be found in a variety of inspired designs.

Planters and Urns

Ornate Urns
Urns are typically used in pairs as a way to designate an entrance into another section of the space. Alternatively, one can place an urn on a pedestal to create a focal point or break up a space.

Old Stone Troughs
Old stone troughs make great planters, as they create a lot of visual appeal when flowers, ferns or vines are growing out over the edges. They can be placed on a patio or in the corner of the yard and filled it with whatever extra plants are lying around.

Antique Planter Boxes
Antique planter boxes are functional as well as ornate, and provide the perfect juxtaposition of man made and natural elements when flowers or herbs are planted in them. They come in numerous styles, sizes and finishes, so there are boxes out there to compliment any space. Planter boxes are particularly well suited for patio or deck spaces.

Welcome

Welcome to the beginning of the Beyond The Veranda blog!

We are excited to share with you all of our great landscaping and maintenance tips, inspiring garden & landscape design ideas, amazing landscape transformation examples with before and after photos, answers to your questions, news from the world of landscape design and Haddonstone and more. All of these topics will be focused around our line of products and services, primarily Haddonstone fine garden ornaments.

Check back here soon to see our next post or Subscribe to our newsletter to receive blog updates straight to your inbox. If you’re more interested in getting photos of awe-inspiring landscaping ideas on a regular basis, then you definitely want to check us out on Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter.

So, what other topics would you like us to touch on with the blog? If you have any ideas, please post a comment below as we love getting feedback from our readers.