DIY patio in the country: 8 tips for organizing + photos

Natalia | 09.07.2018 | Landscape design | 5,307 views | no comments

The content of the article

A cozy patio, hidden from prying eyes, can appear in any suburban area. This is an ideal place for family gatherings, parties with friends or a romantic dinner. Such a living-dining room in the open air, surrounded by flower beds and greenery, and her name is a patio. It sounds beautiful and somehow overseas, but organizing a patio in a summer house with your own hands is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance what we will try to convince you of. The patio will become your pride, a place of solitude and relaxation from the bustle of the city.

No. 1. What is a patio, or where did it all begin?

The word "patio" came to us from the Latin language and literally translates as "to be open, accessible." The patio first appeared in the Roman Empire. By this word was understood a paved courtyard, fenced on all sides by the walls of houses. A full room without a roof came out, and it was used for the most part for relaxing on hot days.

The idea of organizing courtyards was later borrowed by the ancient Greeks, and then began to be actively used by residents of southern Europe and Latin America. Many researchers say that already in the Middle Ages people agreed to build their houses so that space forms inside. There was no talk of parks, so the courtyard was decorated with plants and sometimes fountains, and it became the best place to wait out the heat.

The modern patio is completely different. He does not have to be surrounded by walls on all sides, but she herself the idea of privacy, of course, survived. The patio in the country is organized in such a way so that an outsider could not see this rest area. Often, a modern patio borders one of the walls of the house, and on the other sides is covered the fence, hedges, screens or trellises.

No. 2. Patio project

The patio can be arranged in almost any suburban area. It is enough to find a secluded place and understand what goals you want to achieve by equipping the patio. If it is necessary for solitude or a romantic pastime alone with the second half, then you need to allocate a small area. If your goal is to arrange noisy holidays in a large company, then places will naturally need more. In the process of thinking out the layout of the patio, you will have to answer yourself a lot of questions about the size and equipment of the patio. To bring all ideas together, it’s better to immediately develop a project, - He will help to organize and understand the sequence of actions. Often, he also protects against possible errors.

Where to get the project? There are several options:

Turn to professional designers. They will listen to all your preferences, take into account the features of the site and offer several options for organizing a patio. By making corrections, you will be able to create the perfect project that will fully satisfy the tasks and allow you to create a stylish patio. True, such an undertaking will result in several thousand rubles;
find a project on the internet. You can find a lot of such goodness on the World Wide Web. After reviewing several options, you can definitely find a project suitable for yourself.It will be possible to make some changes to it. A good option can happen if you borrow some ideas from one project to another, so to speak, create a mix;
make a project yourself. Perhaps the finished projects and photo examples will inspire you to create your own unique project. If you are not deprived of imagination and taste, then in the end you can sketch all your ideas, and then create the necessary drawings. This is not difficult, because you well know your site and your wishes. In this case, the main thing is not to overdo it. The abundance of furniture and decor on a small patio will be absurd.

No. 3. An ideal place for a patio

The main idea of a patio is security from prying eyes and privacy. When looking for the best place in a summer cottage, the main thing is to always remember this. As practice shows, the patio in the country is often equipped in such places:

the space at the back of the house. This territory is not visible when you go to the summer cottage, and this is already half the battle. The remaining three sides can be equipped with hedges or screens. Perhaps one of the sides will rest against a dense garden or will be surrounded by a fence, then the task is simplified. If the wall of the house adjacent to the patio will contain an additional exit, then organizing dinner in the fresh air will be much easier, you do not have to constantly go around the house;
inlandif the area around the house is occupied. To create a secluded place in this case will be more difficult, but plants will come to the rescue. Such a patio can be surrounded by dense thickets of bushes, climbing plants on previously prepared supports. Girl's grapes and hops are perfect. As shrubs, you can advise spirea, dog rose, privet, mock up. Do not forget that you can build a wall, a fence, put a screen.

The owners of the houses, which are reminiscent of the letter P., were especially lucky. The cozy space, surrounded on three sides by walls, is a great place for a patio. It’s even easier to find a suitable place for those who are just building a house and site design. In this case, the place for the patio is determined even before the construction of the house, and the territory of the site can be properly planned.

As for patio shapes, then there are no strict rules. The patio can be square, rectangular, round, have a complex shape - it all depends on the characteristics of the site and personal preferences.

Also, when choosing a place, consider it natural light. If you can’t stand the heat, then preference is for shady places under trees or near the wall of a house. Sunbathers choose the smallest shaded space. In which case it will be possible to arrange a canopy or put a large umbrella, and the patio will plunge into a pleasant shadow.

Number 4. Patio Dimensions

Everything is ambiguous here. A lot depends on the goals that are assigned to the patio, as well as how much free space is available. Often these two factors contradict each other, so you have to look for compromises.

If the plot is smallit’s best to arrange patio for relaxing 2-4 people. To do this, you need an area of from 4 m². A bit, right? Such a site can be found on almost any site. If the territory allows, then you can equip a patio of a decent size, such that a company of 10-15 people can freely accommodate on it.

Some landscape designers advise making a small patio for those who plan to relax on it with a modest company. You can argue with them. If you have an area of 15-20 m2 in stock, then you can place not only garden furniture on it, but also a small pond. Cosiness is not going anywhere, but there will be more comfort.

No. 5. Patio Supplies

As you already understood, the patio may not have walls at all, but the floor must be paved.Otherwise, even a little rain will turn a cozy place into a mud mess, and hardly anyone will want to wait until the puddles dry and the mud hardens back. How to pave the site? A lot of options, but better right away discard the so-called loose coatings. These are sand, gravel, expanded clay, crushed bark. Undoubtedly, such materials will look aesthetically and naturally, but walking on them is not very convenient, and it will be problematic to put furniture. It is better to choose a denser coating that will not slip when wet:

paving slabs Differs in huge variety. This group includes natural stone tiles (she is the most beautiful, durable and expensive), clinker pavers (the one that adorns the European streets, has a rough surface, is very durable and beautiful), as well concrete tile. The latter is much cheaper and is presented in different shapes and colors. Is there some more polymer sand tileIt is also durable, but outwardly inferior to peers. The main advantages of paving slabs include durability, frost resistance, strength and the widest variety. Entire patterns can be laid out from tiles. An ideal covering for a patio;
clinker brick - An excellent alternative to paving stones. It can be of different shades, it is characterized by high strength, moisture resistance, frost resistance and durability;
deckinghe is garden parquet. It is made from solid wood, giving in to its heat treatment. Also produce wood-polymer composite decking. The first option is more natural, but also costs more. From the composite, a coating is obtained that can be easily confused with wood, but it is not afraid of moisture and does not rot. Both options are great for patios;
natural wood inferior in performance to deking. It is very afraid of rain, prone to rot and insect attacks. The board will have to be regularly treated with protective equipment, and this takes a lot of time and money;
concrete pavement rarely used, since its creation is a laborious work, and cracks occur on the surface over time. But financial investments will be minimal, it will be easy to fill in concrete with a patio of any shape, and indeed this material is durable and resistant to all atmospheric influences. If used in laying process stencils, you can create an imitation of paving slabs or stone, and with the help of mosaics, pebbles, glass, you can decorate boring concrete;
a natural stone - Pleasure is not cheap, but a patio with such coverage will look luxurious. The stone tolerates precipitation well, a sharp change in temperature, does not deteriorate over time, looks great. This is an ideal coverage, and if the budget allows, then choose it;
porcelain tile and mosaic - Not the most popular options, but also applicable for arranging a patio. Porcelain Tiles surpasses natural stone in some properties, and beautiful patterns can be laid out from mosaics, although the coating will be slippery.

Several materials can be combined to achieve an interesting effect.

As for side rails, then building partitions from corrugated board and chipboard is not recommended - this is a little unnatural. You can put openwork lattices on which plants will curl, or create a hedge. If the patio rests on a dense garden, then additional fences can not be done. You can create a wooden frame and decorate it with a light fabric. It will turn out beautifully, airy and solitary.

As for the roof, then you can do without it at all. Some prefer to put a large umbrella, others organize a removable awning or a full canopy. In the desire to hide away from the outside world, it is important not to go too far and not turn the patio into a kind of room in an apartment or gazebo.

No. 6. Patio Space Organization

When the place and performance materials are chosen, you can proceed to the most pleasant thing - the organization of the interior space of the patio. We are talking about furniture, accessories, plants, fountains, lighting, bonfires and other elements. It is not necessary to use everything - decide what you really need and what items can convey the desired mood.

Furniture

garden furniture definitely must be present. It can be a table with several chairs, sofas, deck chairs or even hammocks. As for the materials of execution, the mass of options:

plastic furniture It is inexpensive, not afraid of moisture, weighs little, which means that it can be easily shelled if something happens. Outwardly, it looks rustic, but you can find very nice options. Plastic is quickly covered with scratches and is not very durable;
faux rattan furniture It looks solid, is not afraid of moisture and heat, is strong and durable, easy to care for and has a wide variety. They make cozy rattan armchairs and chairs, all kinds of tables, sofas and even whole beds. If you complement such furniture with cute pillows, we get the perfect option for a patio. The prices are reasonable;
wooden furniture Looks great, amazes with a variety of forms, but is expensive and difficult to care for;
forged furniture long-lasting, beautiful and maintainable, but it’s not cheap, and it is very hot in the sun;
furniture from natural rattan or vines It looks gorgeous, but it is very expensive, and it is difficult to maintain.

Also consider placing a hammock or hanging chair within the patio. If the area and natural light allow, you can put several sun loungers.

Plants

An indispensable element of the patio - green spaces. Plants can be in pots, on flowerbeds, in planting pockets, they can stand on the floor, on supports, steps, any lifts, they can hang down and be in hanging pots. Do not be afraid to go too far. This is the case when there will not be many plants.

Flowerpots and pots can be absolutely any in size, style and shape. The content of flowerpots also depends on your preferences and on the climate of the region. In some southern cities, it will be possible to grow palm trees with success, someone will want to have cacti on the patio, and someone will plant a juniper or rose bush.

Separately, it is worth noting the organization of landing pockets for green spaces. To do this, prepare holes in the flooring in advance. They are created either at the stage of paving, or are cut out later, if we are talking about wooden flooring. Of course, it is better to think about such landing pockets in advance in order to properly prepare these places.

What else?

In addition to furniture and greenery, to organize the patio you can use:

small fountains, ponds, garden sculptures and other decor. Remember, the patio is a place to relax, and everything here should be tuned to it;
hearth. If the area and funds allow, you can build a full stationary ovenwhere you will prepare delicious dishes. If there is not enough space, you can get by with a mobile grill or barbecue - this is also a great option. You can create coziness thanks to a bowl for bonfires. They are stationary and mobile, make gatherings truly warm and unforgettable;
projector and canvas screen will create a full-fledged open-air cinema. We hope that you don’t even have to explain how cool it is to enjoy your favorite movie or new movie, sitting in the fresh air and sipping a cool cocktail;
lighting - An important element in the organization of a patio in the country, because gatherings often end after sunset. Solve the problem of artificial light can with a few garden lights, sconces on the wall, garlands, etc. A special chic is the backlight built into the floor, which will create an incredible atmosphere.

Also do not forget about textiles: cute pillows, rollers and rugs will be appropriate.

Number 7. Basic Patio Organization Styles

When organizing a patio, you can show complete freedom of action, strict organization rules in this regard do not exist. The main thing is that everything is combined with each other, and there is no busting in the amount of furniture. However, the designers even managed to carry out the classification, highlighting Some basic patio styles:

rural style - these are wooden benches, wicker furniture, pergolas, an abundance of simple flowers and herbs;
the Mediterranean style includes a stone or wooden base, an abundance of white, rattan furniture, terracotta pots for plants;
Moorish style is a riot of colors and mosaic on the floor;
Japanese style - rigor and conciseness, stone flooring, bonsai and bamboo elements in the decoration.

Number 8. How to make a patio in the country with your own hands?

It’s easy to organize a patio in your country house. The most important thing is to conduct the paving of the foundation. To do everything right, follow these rules:

the selected site is enclosed with pegs;
soil is removed with a layer of about 10 cm, the future base is carefully tamped, treatment with a herbicide can be carried out;
the resulting recess is covered with sand, moistened and leveled. At this stage, you need to create a small slope, about 2-3 degrees, it will come to the rescue level. The slope will not be visually noticeable, but rainwater will drain well from the site, not stopping at it and not forming puddles;
Now you can proceed with the installation of tiles, stone, clinker bricks. Laying begins on one side. If you need to create some kind of pattern, then you may have to start laying from the central part;
the tile is put in its place and rammed with a rubber mallet;
the gaps between the tiles are filled with sand or cement mortar;
if the flooring is made of wood, then first install a wooden frame, and only then - flooring from boards. All the details on the video.