If you are considering adding a patio to your home, you are making a great decision that will leave you with an enjoyable space to spend outdoor time comfortably with your family and friends. In order to create the best possible patio, it is important to spend considerable time thinking of patio design ideas that are functional and elegant.

There are plenty of basic outdoor patio designs that could work great in your yard, but if you want the space to be considered special to you, you should research some custom patio designs to see what you do and don’t like. The best place to start this process is by flipping through some outdoor magazines, going to local contractors who can show you work they have previously done, and talking to friends and neighbors to get a glimpse of their patios.

You will have to decide on the type of material you would like to construct your patio from.  That is to say, the ‘flooring’ of your patio space.  Brick patios are the most common choice – using any number of patio pavers – but you have other options too.  These include things like concrete bricks, stamped concrete forms, cobblestones and flagstone, just to name a few. You’ll also be able to add a custom patio cover to your outdoor space in order to protect your furniture and stay cool in the scorching sun. There are endless covered patio designs that you can choose from, and you should go about the same process to find a cover design that is best for you.

If you’d like, you can go above and beyond a standard patio by making it extravagant. Ways to do this include installing an outdoor kitchen, making the space more useful as if it was a room inside your home. You could also install a patio fireplace or fire pit, which would be a great way to warm up cool outdoor nights.

Once you have a general idea of what you would like the end product to be, you should start to make a rough plan of dimensions, locations of objects, and materials that will be needed to construct the patio. The best way to end up with a professional backyard patio design is to hire a builder or contractor to do the work for you.  The pros know what they’re doing and their expertise will save you a lot of stress and leave you with a marvelous outdoor space that will become the hallmark of your home.

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Now, you would be hard pressed to distinguish indoor from outdoor furniture unless you were up close to it.  The types of fabrics and materials that go into patio furniture are made from very soft and durable fibers.  Many have built in ultraviolet (UV) ray fading resistance.  The furniture itself is as elegant as the fabrics that make the cushions.  Gone are the days of the simple plastic patio chairs.  Now, you’ve got outdoor bar stools and dining sets.  The list goes on

Here's one that looks to be more of an enclosed room kitchen outdoors.

and on, but for the purposes of this article, let’s get back on topic for our discussion of the kitchen designs.

Outdoor kitchen designs can be suited to the homeowner.  This means that if you are someone who enjoys entertaining and hosting more formal dinner parties, then you can have the makings for a commercial quality outdoor kitchen, complete with stainless steel appliances, grills and refrigerators.  Then, you’ve got the option of wine coolers and other accessories.  The outdoor sink or sinks can be fed with water from your hose or tapped into your home’s water supply line.  Photo credit

If your outdoor kitchen plans call for something a bit more country or cottage-like, there is room for designs in this area as well.  Just like with the indoor kitchen, you can have your choice of cabinets and countertops as well.  The only thing to keep in mind is that all of your choices need to be waterproof.  So, if you’re thinking in terms of wood, choices like redwood or cedar make for the best selections.  Stainless steel is always a good choice for appliances.  For the counters, you can go with any brick or stone choice.  A nice little feature might be something like an outdoor pizza oven or open pit-style fire place.

When you are considering how to plan for space at your outdoor bar seating area, a 15” depth and 24” width per person are good estimates.  Keep in mind, these numbers are also a reflection of the type of kitchen design you’ve got.  If you have more of an open flowing patio, then the seating needs not be so formally determined.  Speaking of a flowing space, a simple patio cover, can provide a great roof over this kitchen you’ve designed.  Over the grill or

Another outdoor kitchen idea, but much more simple.

firepit, don’t make the roof too solid as you and your guests will be choking on smoke the whole time.

So, you’ve got the roof figured out, but what about the flooring?  You’ll want to ensure safe-footing, nothing that gets too slippery when wet.  A patio paver floor works great.  Similarly, if you already have a slab or something laid, you can use an outdoor rug that can provide padding for the long standing periods on that hard surface and it will also provide more traction.  With so many options and choices from which to design, have fun with your outdoor kitchen plans and make sure it suits your cooking and patio living style.  Photo credit

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Here, you see the stone pieces used, along with stainless appliances - a great combination even in the rain!

These types of outdoor kitchen designs are really expanding on what is possible in the concept of what makes a patio a patio.  In fact, this has really sparked or been sparked, either way, by the trend in creating outdoor rooms to allow for a more flowing use of a home’s square footage.  Just like with any indoor room, there are walls, flooring and a ceiling or roof to consider.  Outdoor kitchens have some unique features about them that need other attention too, however.  Photo credit

One such feature that makes the outdoor kitchen unique is that unlike its indoor counterpart, the outdoor appliances and materials all need to be waterproof.  This is especially true if you are using something like an open style of patio cover, like a pergola to act as the framework or skeleton of your outdoor room.  A pergola will often have a lattice-style roof, which will allow rain and snow and other debris and intense sun to hit your kitchen area and appliances.

What types of appliances are available for an outdoor kitchen?  Think of your kitchen inside.  What types of appliances do you rely on?  These are all available as outdoor units.  Refrigerators, wine chillers or coolers, sinks, stoves, grill tops, even dishwashers can all be made for outdoor use now, too.  More specifically, these appliances come in stainless steel and have appropriate wiring specifications to be able to be used outdoors.  Since grilling is still one of the most popular ways to cook outdoors, there have been a number of advancements here as well.  You can get a grill that just drops into a counter area and allows for convenient cooking and serving.  Other unique items could include things like an outdoor pizza oven.  These even come as kits.  It is still best to hire a professional for installation if you don’t have the skillset or knowledge to make sure it is all set up right.  They are fairly costly, so you’ll want to ensure the job is done right.

This is a modular outdoor kitchen unit.

In terms of materials or features of an outdoor kitchen, the same ideas apply inside.  When you think about your cabinetry, again it just needs to be waterproof.  Woods can be used, but you’ll want to make sure that you use things like cedar and redwood for their excellent weathering abilities.  You’ll also find that you can get the same basic counter top features.  Using a material like brick or stone is going to be your best bet.  Granite works well outdoors, too.  However, you may want to be cautious with it as it is quite porous, so sealing it and such can be a chore.  Photo credit

Other things to keep in mind are seating arrangements.  The right ratio of space has been given to be about 15” of depth and 24” of width for each person.  This will give you a good estimate as to how long to make your counters or bar area for seating.  If you choose to have a more formal outdoor dining area, then the table and chair set will likely give you enough of a separation on its own.  There are many ways that your outdoor kitchen ideas can take shape, enlisting the help of a professional designer or architect might be helpful.  You can also find great ideas for outdoor kitchen plans online and in fine home magazines.

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Like with indoor spaces in the home, the kitchen is often the favorite gathering place when entertaining or catching up on the events of the day with the family.  This is the same situation with an outdoor patio room.  The outdoor kitchen is by far the most innovatively-designed space if we are comparing indoor and outdoor rooms.   Outdoor kitchen designs have come a long way towards creating an environment that is every bit as convenient and easy to use as any indoor space.  And, since it is outdoors, there are other features like brick pizza ovens and other grilling options that are even better suited for an outdoor space.

The main features of any outdoor kitchen plans and design ideas, that make them unique, have to do with how the homeowner will be utilizing the space.  If you are an entertainer and will be using your outdoor kitchen for meal preparation, then moving the party to your outdoor dining furniture for the rest, then you will need to consider the type of outdoor lighting features that will best serve you.

What Type of Outdoor Lighting Do You Need
By this, we mean to say, some lighting is more focused on providing you an easy way to navigate your yard or to illuminate dark areas for safety.  These situations call for outdoor flood lights.  While they are not as esthetically pleasing, they do serve an important function.  Now, let’s shift focus to creating a nice ambiance and setting for your guests or other entertaining needs.  In these scenarios, focused lighting or patio lights that will create a distinct space are what is needed.  Something like an outdoor chandelier can work great for such a scenario.  This will set a nice mood for your space and will also provide ambiance.  You can add discrete spot lights to create more usable and functional light for dining or conversation.  What you need in your lighting design is to reflect what your outdoor kitchen designs call on your plans to provide.

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This is a modular outdoor kitchen design idea - others are more built in.

An outdoor kitchen is exactly what it sounds like and it has all of the amenities of your indoor kitchen.  Gone are the days where you would only be able to grill or fry outside, needing to do all of the prep work and cleaning inside.  Now, you can find sinks, refrigerators, freezers, dish washers, you name it that are made for the outdoors.

With an eye for outdoor kitchen design, you can have one of the most enjoyable places to not only prepare you meals but enjoy them as well.  Imagine all the time you can spend in your outdoor room.  With the right type of patio cover, outdoor dining furniture and lighting, your breakfast or evening of entertainment awaits.

Outdoor kitchen appliances have come a long way as well, as they should.  There is only a limited way to use appliances made for the indoors in an outdoor space.  Unless they are fully covered and protected from the elements, you will not be able to find them useful in weathering the elements of nature.  They will deteriorate and fail, leaving you with even more problems.

So, you’ll need to decide what it is that you want your kitchen to look like and how you will use it.  Outdoor kitchen plans can be found online.  Or, if you are more serious about getting your ideas put on paper, you can hire an architect and contractor to help get your outdoor kitchen plans drawn up right.  There are many things to consider when it comes to sizing and materials.

For more outdoor kitchen design ideas you can look in the fine home magazines or take home tours locally in your area.  There are often fund raising tours or open homes that are great for this.  In addition to online and live home tours, you can also get some great ideas regarding outdoor kitchens and rooms from your local home shows.  These typically have hundreds of vendors that represent any number of building trades.  Here, you can find vendors that can give you ideas regarding your kitchen flooring whether that is patio pavers, flagstone or other masonry materials to ideas regarding your outdoor lighting and patio furniture.

The first step in realizing your dream outdoor kitchen is in the design stages.  The ideas and plans you formulate now will lead to a lifetime of enjoyment.  Just like in your indoor space, your outdoor kitchen will be just as popular as a gathering place for your family and friends.  So, be smart and make sure that your outdoor kitchen designs match the way in which you live your life and will help you to enjoy the space you create.

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