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  1. Garden & Outdoor
  2. Patio
  3. Contemporary

Contemporary Patio Ideas and Designs

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Highbury Entertaining Oasis
Highbury Entertaining Oasis
Garden Club London LtdGarden Club London Ltd
Contemporary courtyard
Contemporary courtyard
SeedOnceSown LtdSeedOnceSown Ltd
Garden & Extension, Oxfordshire
Garden & Extension, Oxfordshire
AH Design StudioAH Design Studio
Find the right local pro for your project
Find top design and renovation professionals on Houzz
Shoreditch Townhouse
Shoreditch Townhouse
POTTS DESIGNPOTTS DESIGN
Interior
Interior
PhoteriorPhoterior
Contemporary Patio
Contemporary Patio
Queens Park Property with Garden
Queens Park Property with Garden
PROhome Construction ltdPROhome Construction ltd
London Town Garden for a young family
London Town Garden for a young family
Harrington PorterHarrington Porter
Fulham Courtyard
Fulham Courtyard
Lucy Willcox Garden DesignLucy Willcox Garden Design
This Courtyard was transformed from being an Astro Turf box to a useable, versatile Outdoor Room!
Glass Box Extension, London N8
Glass Box Extension, London N8
Haines Phillips ArchitectsHaines Phillips Architects
This project consisted of a contemporary glass box extension to the rear of a mid terrace house in Crouch End, north London. The existing ground floor contained a rather dark and cramped kitchen and breakfast room closet wing. Our design solution to improve this space and the connection between the house and garden was to add a rear extension to allow for a larger, more usable kitchen and a light filled sitting area opening out in to the garden through a full height structural glass box. The extension connects to the brick walls of the existing building with zinc clad roof and walls which include a hidden utility room cupboard projecting out in to the side passage of the garden. The structural glass box projects out from this and finishes above the zinc clad roof and secret gutter in order to allow light to penetrate deep in to the house. A new patio including raised planters has been added to the garden. This area is finished in the same floor tiles as the new rear sitting area and kitchen in order to create a seamless connection between the garden and house. Our design included detailed design and specification of the extension and new kitchen, finishes and lighting scheme and full project management and contract administration.
Cullingworth Rd - N10
Cullingworth Rd - N10
NGB ConstructionNGB Construction
Birchington Road - Crouch End, London
Birchington Road - Crouch End, London
A2studioA2studio
Award Winning Luxury Georgian Townhouse Renovation
Award Winning Luxury Georgian Townhouse Renovation
HomeconceptsHomeconcepts
Fulham Town House
Fulham Town House
Click LondonClick London
West London Villa
West London Villa
Nathalie Priem PhotographyNathalie Priem Photography
Richmond, Greater London - Ground Floor Side Extension
Richmond, Greater London - Ground Floor Side Extension
MoreSpaceMoreSpace
Birch Brooke - Barnes
Birch Brooke - Barnes
Burbeck Interiors ltdBurbeck Interiors ltd
Castlebar Road
Castlebar Road
OmniformOmniform
Arnos Grove Garden Apartment
Arnos Grove Garden Apartment
VORBILD ArchitectureVORBILD Architecture

Contemporary Patio Ideas and Designs

Patios are the go-to solution for turning your garden, or part of it, into an outdoor living area. A well-laid patio will integrate your home seamlessly into your garden, providing a solid and level surface for garden furniture and potted plants. Well designed patios are about more than just paving slabs – its positioning and layout are crucial to how much you enjoy this space. Before you start picking out patio ideas for materials and laying your contemporary patio, ask yourself important questions such as what will you use it for? How many people should it accommodate? Which part of your garden has the best aspect and sunlight? Will the patio have enough privacy?

How should I position my patio?

If you are designing your contemporary patio as a space for entertaining then make sure it’s wide enough for the garden furniture you want so you haven’t got guests tipping over into the flowerbeds. Don’t be wedded to the idea of having your contemporary patio attached to the house; think about positioning yours elsewhere in the garden if that space doesn’t offer the best aspect or lighting position. Consider the position of the sun through the course of the day and depending on whether you are most likely to want to dine outside at breakfast, have lunch on your patio or host dinner outside, you may want to position your patio differently. You can connect patios to your house with a footpath or stepping stones to allow easy transportation of food and drink.

How should I design and lay my contemporary patio?

Rectangles are the classic shape for patios, not least because they make the most efficient use of space and can be softened with garden edging. However, a rounded patio or a paving circle can perfectly complement a garden which isn’t linear in design. Paving slabs come in an extensive range of materials and are the most practical surface for patios. Yorkstone has the most traditional appeal, whereas concrete blocks, granite and slate patio slabs have a great texture and colour for modern gardens. Natural stones such as limestone, travertine and Indian sandstone vary in colour and finish and are a great way to add shade and texture to your patio. For some patio ideas that offer an alternative to block paving, loose material such as crushed stone and wood chippings have a rustic and more casual feel; if there are specific materials that re-occur elsewhere in the garden, you could repeat this in your choice of patio materials for consistency. Finally, it’s not a British summer without the great British barbeque, so look at patio ideas that incorporate barbeques and think about how you could accommodate one on your patio.

What garden furniture does my patio need?

Rattan garden furniture is a patio favourite, offering a durable, attractive finish that blends well into natural surroundings. Metal garden furniture and wooden garden furniture are sturdy alternatives available in many styles. Weight is a good feature in garden furniture to stop it from being blown away, but if you want to be able to move your furniture around the patio and garden to follow the sun you won’t want to go too heavy. Browse the various contemporary patio ideas that include garden furniture to see what styles of furniture go with different types of patios. If you find a particular patio set you like, you may be able to ask the designer where the furniture is from so you can look at buying the same set for your patio. Good, outdoor patio furniture crafted in high-quality materials should withstand bad weather, but cold, wet British winters followed by strong sun in the summer will be enough to weather even the best furniture, so it’s important to have somewhere, such as a shed, to store it when not in use for long periods of time. If you don’t have the space to store patio furniture, make sure that at least the cushions and umbrellas are stowed away out of the elements, and consider investing in a waterproof cover. One piece of furniture that might be able to stay out for a bit longer is a patio heater; it will warm any brave patio users and most modern designs are built to survive the cold weather. If you prefer something a bit more rustic than a patio heater, look at fire pits instead which will add warmth and an attractive centrepiece to your patio. If privacy or shade is an issue, then covering patio furniture with a parasol or sheltering patios with a gazebo or pergola are both smart patio ideas – these can be covered in climbing flowers or even wound with outdoor fairy lights for romantic evening lighting.
Outdoor kitchen in Oxshott, Surrey
Outdoor kitchen in Oxshott, Surrey
Grillo Outdoor KitchensGrillo Outdoor Kitchens
Teamwork makes the dream work, as they say. And what a dream; this is the acme of a Surrey suburban townhouse garden. The team behind the teamwork of this masterpiece in Oxshott, Surrey, are Raine Garden Design Ltd, Bushy Business Ltd, Hampshire Garden Lighting, and Forest Eyes Photography. Everywhere you look, some new artful detail demonstrating their collective expertise hits you. The beautiful and tasteful selection of materials. The very mature, regimented pleached beech hedge. The harmoniousness of the zoning; tidy yet so varied and interesting. The ancient olive, dating back to the reign of Victoria. The warmth and depth afforded by the layered lighting. The seamless extension of the Home from inside to out; because in this dream, the garden is Home as much as the house is.
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