If you are set on white or cream colored cushions on dark framed metal or wood furniture then add some pizzazz with colorful accessories, suggests Claudia Tejeda, interior designer of Claudia Giselle Design. Add pops of color with pillows and throws and change them for special occasions. “Add red, white and blue pillows for the fourth of July,” says Claudia.
If you think you might want a built-in fountain or fire pit on your patio you might want to try out a purchased version first. Fountains need maintenance and you may not have the time or want to do that and you may end up not using a fire pit as much as you think. “The purchased ones are the most flexible because you can move them around your patio to see where they would work best,” says Robert Welsch, landscape designer of Westover Landscape Design.
For maximum use of the patio all year long, consider adding a seating wall along the edge of your patio to the initial plan. It’s a less formal approach to seating and takes the place of furniture that’s put away for the winter. “It encourages you to walk out and still sit down and enjoy the space,” says Greg. The seating wall should be about 24-inches wide and about 20-inches high and that it face a view, if you have one.
