Landscape Patio Design
Increasing Your Outdoor Living Space

Are you ready to expand your outdoor living space with a landscape patio design? Plan before you dig: design, budget, materials, style, size, and accessories.

Measuring

Begin by measuring your home, be sure to include items such as down spouts (don't want water flowing over your new patio), air conditioning units, windows, window wells, and other permanent objects.

Next place trees, shrubs, or other landscape features. Determine how much your yard slopes. If more then one inch over four feet you will need to either lower one end or raise the other with retaining walls.

Look around. Where do you want to sit? Will you need screening, or is there a view that you want to enjoy? Note all of these items.

Put your ideas on paper, to scale. Try different shapes and sizes. Here is where you need some rough budget numbers to help decide your size, material, and style.

Patio Materials

The following is a list of landscape patio design materials commonly used in Minnesota that are installed by a qualified landscape contractors.

• Plain Concrete Patios -- $8-$10 sq.ft
• Stamped Concrete Patios -- $12-$18 sq.ft.
• Paver Patios -- $16-$22 sq.ft. Styles and sizes vary greatly. Pavers do not crack like concrete.
• Natural Stone Patios -- $25-$55 There is a range in stone costs and the quality of craftsmanship.

Consider the age and architectural style of your home when choosing materials. A historical Victorian would look best with a worn clay paver patio. A modern, Charles Stinson home would marry well a with tight-fitting, angular-pattern, bluestone patio. A large-scaled, 4-piece paver patio with a 1990's two-story.

Don't be afraid to mix and match materials. Placing a pattern of natural stone within a sea of pavers breaks the up lines and added an artistic element. Even using the same material but changing the direction, like placing a basket weave pattern in a running bond mimics an area rug.

Be creative, yet simple. Mix and match materials.

Patio Size

How large does your space need to be? What is the patio going to be used for? Sipping coffee in the morning, graduation party, or basketball games?

A ten-foot by ten-foot is fine for a two-person bistro table. Need to move up to around 400 sq.ft. to have enough room to walk out from the door, a table for four, room to move around the table and chairs.

True entertainment spaces are divided into different spaces; cooking, eating, fire, and lounging. These can easily top over 1000 sq.ft.

Personalize It!

Your landscape patio design does not do a single thing to increase your outdoor living space until you personalize it with your own style. Choose furniture that you love, not the cheapest. Add pots, metal work, tile, a fire-pit, or custom art work.

The choices are endless, just make it fun and beautiful. Here are some more photographs to inspire you to get started. Just remember ALL of these originated from carefully and well thought out design.

Written by: Tim Heelen, Stonepocket, Inc.

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