Patio Designs

and Creative Patio Design Ideas

Seated Walls

Instead of building a flat patio, consider building up portions of the patio to include a seat wall, which adds some depth to the patio. This can done very nicely with stone, brick, and wooden patios and can easily be a do-it-yourself or add on project for later down5B4 the road. The only difference between a flat patio and a seated wall patio is deciding where the seats will go, how large they will be and how many will be needed. From here, it requires building the stones or bricks up in these areas into the shape of a seat using a cement and sand, or mortar mixture, to seal them together. Because this requires stacking the bricks or stones, quite a few more will be needed to get the job done.

Built In Fire Pit

Along with seated walls, a built in fire pit is a wonderful way to add continuity to your new patio and a place to entertain guests. The area of the fire pit is usually in a central location on the patio. Before placing stones or bricks, it's important to mark off the area where the fire pit will go and begin the patio there. Most fire pits are built in a circular shape, so this will have a large impact on the bricks or stone patio design as well. The bricks or stones for the fireplace will be laid in a circular pattern, one layer at a time, until reaching a desired height and will be sealed with mortar to ensure they will remain in place.

Garden Feature

There are several ways to incorporate a garden into your patio. This may include a raised garden area built with stone or brick pavers, a portion of the patio left unpaved to incorporate a small garden, or weaving a garden around the borders of the patio. The garden feature can help the patio maintain a na593tural feel, but can also incorporate the same material as the patio for edging in order to maintain continuity throughout the design. Any number of garden feature ideas can be implemented.

Water Features

Although it may be more difficult for a first time do-it-yourself patio installer, a water fountain or waterfall as a centerpiece to a patio can add beauty and tranquility to a variety of patio designs. Most water fountains are made of cement or stone, but there are also some made of copper, fiberglass and ceramic. If you aren't interested in "running water", you may also want to consider a small, still water pond. This can be created using stones built up around an area of the patio. Remember if you're interested in running water, you will need an electrical pump that flows from up under the waterfall or fountain to keep the water moving. This will require more excavation if you are planning to do it yourself.

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