Patio
When selecting plants and materials to surround a patio, Welsch advises that you keep it simple and repeat them. Clients love intimate spaces that feel private and calm, he says. “Keep plant and materials selections simple for a clean, elegant and calming oasis.” Here, he used a tight planting palette of white hydrangeas, Japanese forest grass and climbing roses, plus a few potted flowers for seasonal color.
In general, Welsch recommends budgeting 3 by 3 feet (0.9 by 0.9 meter) for each chair placed around an outdoor table. If you’re mapping out your patio size around existing furniture (or a set you’re planning on purchasing), Welsch recommends mocking up a quick paper model. “Space-plan the furniture placement ahead of time using graph paper and paper cutouts of each piece of furniture to move around the patio layout on paper,” he says.
Larger Patio for Multiple Uses Goal: Create a patio big enough to have a spot for dining and a second use area, such as a lounge, outdoor grill or fire pit Approximate size: 25 by 30 feet (7.6 by 9.1 meters) or larger Patio details: Spacious bluestone terrace Location: Tarrytown, New York Dimensions: About 25 by 30 feet (7.6 by 9.1 meters) Material: Laser-cut bluestone pavers Cost: About $24 per square foot, including materials and installation Landscape designer Robert Welsch of Westover Landscape Design designed this backyard to include a spacious bluestone patio with room for a dining table for four and a small seating area for two or three people. Although the patio is on the large side at 750 square feet (69.7 square meters), it still feels intimate, thanks to the pleasant feeling of enclosure from the lattice fences and soft border plantings.
Patio details: Stylish grilling and entertaining patio Location: Tucson, Arizona Dimensions: About 14 by 20 feet (4.3 by 6.1 meters) Material: Poured concrete, stained and etched Cost: Roughly $12 per square foot, including materials and installation At 280 square feet (26 square meters), this sleek poured concrete patio by provides enough room for a grill station with bar seating and a dining table for six people, separated from the grill by a comfortable walkway that’s 3 feet (0.9 meter) wide.
Patio Under a Grill or Outdoor Kitchen Goal: Make a space for cooking outside and hosting guests Approximate size: 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3 meters) long and wide or larger, depending on outdoor kitchen arrangement When determining the size of a patio for an outdoor kitchen, you’ll need to consider the size of your outdoor grill or outdoor kitchen, as well as how many people you’d like to be able to host. Except for the smaller movable models, most outdoor grills start at about 2½ feet (0.8 meter) across and go up from there. Elizabeth Przygoda-Montgomery of Boxhill Design recommends allowing at least 2 feet (0.6 meter), and ideally 3½ feet (1.1 meters), around the grill for circulation. At a minimum, a patio with a grill should be roughly 8 feet wide and 10 feet long (2.4 meters wide and 3 meters long), with the grill positioned at least 4 feet (1.2 meters) away from building
Patio details: Backyard gathering area Location: Manhattan Beach, California Dimensions: About 16 by 16 feet (4.9 by 4.9 meters) Material: Decomposed granite Cost: $35 to $50 per cubic yard for materials In this Southern California backyard by June Scott Design, a patio that’s roughly 256 square feet (23.8 square meters) provides the floor for a smoke-free fire pit and a set of teak furniture.
Patio Around a Fire Pit Goal: Design a lounge area for hosting a group around an outdoor fire pit Approximate size: 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 meters) long and wide or larger Most fire pits, besides the small movable models, are 3 to 6 feet (0.9 meter to 1.8 meters) across. Whether you’re using outdoor furniture or a built-in seating arrangement, you’ll want to keep 2 to 2½ feet (0.6 to 0.8 meter) as a comfortable distance between the edge of the fire pit and the surrounding seats. If you leave room for chairs and 2½ feet (0.8 meter) of circulation behind the chairs, you need a patio that’s at least about 15 by 15 feet (4.6 by 4.6 meters) to accommodate a fire pit and chairs. Larger fire pit models will require more space.
This bluestone patio, surrounded by slatted fencing for privacy and serene green and white plantings, looks like a relaxing spot for a private dinner. To ensure that your patio will be large enough for an outdoor table, architect William Suk of Suk Design Group recommends leaving at least 2½ feet (0.8 meter) behind seating for circulation. “Make sure to prepare the subsurface properly for the pavers, and make sure the soil conditions are suitable for plantings to thrive,” Suk adds.
Other Sizing Considerations Scale: Make sure that your patio size fits with the scale of your home and garden. If you have a small- to medium-size lot, you may decide to go with a smaller patio that still suits your needs but leaves room for perimeter planting or a shade structure. For larger lots, you have more flexibility to choose patio size, but it can still make sense to not make it too big so that the patio visually works with other elements in the yard. Location: Where you choose to position your patio on the lot will also affect the patio size. Patios just off the house — a handy spot for bringing plates from the kitchen to an outdoor table or grill — tend to be a little bit larger than those set farther back in the garden. For patios set back into the garden, existing features such as plantings, pathways, retaining walls or other garden features may dictate their size. Patio cover: Adding some type of shade cover is often high on the list of priorities for a new patio. The type of cover can affect how you plan for patio size. Movable umbrellas and natural shade from a tree canopy do not take up much, if any, floor space for your patio and don’t really need to be factored i...
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