Are you looking for ways to spruce up your backyard? If so, we’ve got you covered.
We’ve compiled 15 top patio and deck ideas to give you the best backyard on your block.
Decks and patios are extensions of a home, so you should design them with your aesthetic preferences and comfort in mind. Maybe you’d like a place to show off your gardening skills or serve meals in the fresh air.
Your outdoor living space is the perfect place to make this dream a reality. We’ve included DIY ideas and options that might require a little professional help to get you started.
15 Deck and Patio Ideas To Try in Your Backyard
Outdoor Kitchen
Adding an outdoor kitchen to your deck or patio is an excellent way to enhance your outdoor living space.
Transform your patio into a cooking and dining area by installing a stove, refrigerator, sink, and counter space atop your deck. Build an island counter with stools or design an outdoor dining space where you can lean back and enjoy your homemade meals.
Build your outdoor kitchen countertop from brick, stone, or wood to complement your decking or patio material. Consider adding cabinets and shelves for dishes, silverware, napkins, and ingredients. This step will make your outdoor dining area and extension of your home; you won’t have to worry about bringing all your cooking equipment outside each time you use the backyard kitchen.
Keep comfort and functionality at the forefront of your outdoor kitchen design. You’ll want a space conducive to cooking and enjoying delicious meals with your friends and family.
Hot Tub
Design the most fabulous deck in your neighborhood with a backyard hot tub.
Decks & Docks Lumber Company encourages homeowners to seek professional assistance when installing a hot tub. The company, which supplies materials to the marine construction industry, warns that improper planning and installation could result in a deck collapsing under the hot tub’s weight.
Once you’ve selected a hot tub company to help with installation, you can get to the fun part – choosing a tub for your deck.
Choose an aboveground or in-ground hot tub depending on your design and accessibility needs. Consider placing a decorative screen around your tub for privacy and peace while relaxing in the warm jets.
Gazebo
Boost your patio’s appeal with a backyard gazebo.
A gazebo is a small, open-sided structure that often serves as a garden’s focal point. Gazebos are also excellent patio extensions that provide you and your family places to relax in the shade.
Incorporate a gazebo into your backyard design by leading to the structure with pavers that match your patio material. This design choice will seamlessly extend your patio further into the gazebo site.
Border the patio extension and gazebo with plants of various textures, colors, shapes, and sizes. Then, give your gazebo’s interior a makeover.
Deck out the space with cushions, string lights, and hanging plant containers.
Outdoor Bar
Serve homemade cocktails and brews from your very own backyard bar.
A patio bar is a perfect excuse to spend your weekend lounging outside with a cold drink in hand. Add the bar to your outdoor kitchen or construct a stand-alone counter to prepare and serve beverages and snacks.
Design your backyard bar with a sink, refrigerator, blender, and all your bar tools. We suggest adding a shelf or cabinet to store your array of cocktail, wine, and beer glasses.
Don’t pass on an outdoor bar if cocktails and hops aren’t your forte. Instead, consider an espresso bar for your patio or deck. Furnish the bar with an espresso machine, a pour-over coffee maker, and your favorite mugs.
Pergola
Construct a pergola to provide your patio with shade and style.
A patio pergola is an outdoor structure built with columns to support a roofing grid made of beams and rafters.
Choose a pergola based on your design preferences and skill set. You can build the structure from scratch, hire a professional for the job, or purchase a pergola kit from a home improvement center.
Traditional pergolas consist of redwood, cedar, or other wood materials. However, modern pergola designs utilize aluminum, steel, and composite lumber.
The design possibilities are endless, no matter what materials make up your patio pergola.
We suggest incorporating other patio design ideas with a pergola for a shaded backyard haven.
Construct a pergola over your outdoor kitchen or bar to shade yourself and your guests. Decorate your pergola with outdoor lighting, hanging baskets, or creeping vine plants.
Outdoor Living Room
Perhaps one of the simplest ways to enhance your deck or patio is to design an outdoor living room.
Tie together your backyard living room with seating that fits your style and withstands outdoor conditions.
Try to select low-maintenance yet durable furniture for your patio.
Wrought iron and composite wood frames are excellent because they last outside with little care. Polypropylene fabric is suitable for outdoor cushions because it is UV-resistant and dries quickly.
Once you’ve selected furniture for your outdoor seating area, further enhance the space with tables, lighting, and decor. A comfortable sectional couch and coffee table atop a chic rug will transform the space into a cozy, functional retreat.
Living Wall
Build a living wall to add a bit of privacy and beauty to your deck.
A living wall is a vertical garden that involves planting in shelf-like containers. These structures are perfect for small deck spaces that lack room for bulky plant containers. You can use your living wall to grow spices, herbs, or beautiful flower arrangements.
Along with their aesthetic purpose, living walls also foster a sense of privacy so you can relax on your deck in peace.
When constructing your living wall, ensure it’s strong enough to sustain the weight of your plants, potting mix, and planter boxes. Also, remember to include drainage holes so that water doesn’t get trapped in the shelves.
Otherwise, a living wall is an excellent addition to your backyard deck area. It will tie together your deck design with natural elements and functionality.
Fire Pit
Add a fire pit to your backyard patio to bring warmth and comfort to chilly evenings.
Fire pits are perfect patio additions because they create a cozy area for socialization while containing hazardous flames. Likewise, a patio is ideal for a fire pit because it’s off the ground, away from flammable turf.
You can build a fire pit from brick, cement, or stone or buy a fire pit kit from a home improvement store.
Further enhance your patio fire pit by surrounding it with outdoor furniture, lighting, and plants. Use it for summer cookouts by roasting hotdogs and marshmallows over the flames.
While you’re enjoying your homemade campfire, remember to follow your city’s safety precautions. Keep flammable materials at a safe distance away from the fire and closely monitor children around the pit.
Planter Border
A planter border is a simple, inexpensive way to enhance your outdoor living space.
This deck design idea is perfect for homeowners seeking to spruce up the backyard and exhibit gardening skills.
For this project, simply line the perimeter of your deck or patio with plant containers. We suggest building planters out of the same material as your deck. This tactic creates a cohesive design in which beautiful blooms line the deck railings.
The best part of building homemade planters is your ability to control each container’s shape, size, and layout. You’ll be able to fill the boxes with curated seasonal blooms as the weather changes.
Fill your planter-edged deck as you would a window box with various shapes, heights, and textures to impress your guests and charm onlookers.
Garden Pond
A garden pond is a perfect addition to your backyard patio.
Garden ponds are as beautiful as they are diverse, offering you an array of possibilities for style, aesthetics, and level of maintenance.
Hire a professional to incorporate a pond into your landscape design or opt for a DIY project.
You can DIY your garden pond by digging out the area manually or buying a preformed liner at your local home improvement store.
Seamlessly incorporate the garden pond into your backyard space by lining it with the same material as your existing patio. Then, accentuate the pond’s bank with stunning, water-loving plants.
Once you’ve completed the pond with rocks and foliage, consider adding lily pads and fish for an aquatic oasis steps away from your backdoor.
Screened-In Porch
If you aren’t using your outdoor living space because of weather, temperature, or bugs, it’s time for a project.
Transform your deck or patio into a screened porch for 365 days of backyard relaxation.
A screened-in porch is simply a patio or deck area surrounded by screens that prevent debris, bugs, and nasty weather from reaching the porch. The best part of these home additions is that the screens are often retractable, allowing you to roll them up when you want an open patio area.
Furnish your screened porch with heaters and cozy furniture for the chilly winter months. Then, roll up the screens and bask in the sun on warm, sunny days.
Island Deck
An island deck, or “floating deck,” is an excellent way to enhance your outdoor living space.
A floating deck is a stand-alone structure in your backyard that you can use for seating, dining sets, or container gardening.
Floating wooden decks are platforms that can be as simple or intricate as you like. Match them to your existing deck for a cohesive design. Or, choose a contrasting material and bold accents for a backyard focal point.
Decorate your stand-alone deck as you would an attached one. Finish it off with outdoor lighting, rugs, and furniture.
If you have a small backyard full of trees, don’t worry. You can incorporate the trees into your floating deck design by building around them.
Then, incorporate string lights and maybe even a hammock for an exquisite outdoor space.
Pool Deck
Extend your patio or deck to your in-ground pool for a summertime paradise.
A pool deck is simply the area that surrounds your swimming pool. You can build a pool deck from various materials for a space that fits your design needs.
Many pool decks consist of concrete, a durable, long-lasting, and relatively inexpensive material. Some homeowners opt for ipe or cedar decks made from water-resistant exterior hardwoods.
Consider composite decking for your pool area for a smooth, waterproof surface. Composite decking is a mixture of wood and plastic, making it perfect for wet locations. The wood component creates a sleek aesthetic, while the plastic prevents sogginess and splintering.
Composite pool decking is pricier than concrete and wood options, but it doesn’t require routine finishing or staining. You’ll pay a one-time price for a durable, stylish pool deck.
Grill Gazebo
Amp up your cookouts with a backyard grill gazebo.
A grill gazebo is a grilling station covered by an awning. The best part of these deck additions is that you can use them rain or shine. With a grill gazebo, you’ll never have to cancel a cookout because of an afternoon rain shower.
In addition to a grill, we suggest adding a countertop cutting board, mini-refrigerator, and cabinet to your grill gazebo. You’ll be happy to have these extra items around when the grilling season comes.
We recommend pairing a grill gazebo with another deck addition, like an outdoor dining room or living area. After grilling delicious steaks or burgers, you can sit down with friends and family and chow down in the fresh air.
Zen Garden
Transform your gravel patio into a Japanese zen garden for a peaceful oasis right in your backyard.
Japanese Buddhist monks created zen gardens as places of meditation and tranquility. The spaces often include natural elements in a minimalist style – think lots of boulders, sand, and foliage plants.
Turn part of your patio into a zen garden by adding pea gravel or sand to the area. Then, place naturally shaped rocks around the space in a pattern of your choice.
Place small patches of greenery throughout the space to remind yourself of nature’s beauty. The National Garden Bureau recommends avoiding bold blooms and instead opting for “a mix of textures in shades of green, like mosses, ferns, hostas, and evergreen shrubs or trees.”
Don’t forget to top off your zen garden patio with a spot for relaxation and meditation.
Final Thoughts
Now that you have some deck and patio design ideas, you can start designing your dream outdoor living space.
Remember to keep functionality, comfort, and fun in mind while enhancing your patio or deck. You’ll want an area that acts as an extension of your home and provides you with convenient relaxation right in your backyard.
With these 15 design ideas in mind, you’ll undoubtedly boost your home’s appeal and create an outdoor space you never want to leave.
