It’s no secret that a beautiful patio or terrace can bring the serenity of a resort atmosphere to your own backyard—not to mention the opportunities it offers for alfresco entertaining throughout the year. But a well designed patio can also change how you live inside your home as well. Consider how a beautiful outdoor room can improve the views from inside the spaces that open to the outdoors, for example, or how it can extend your living space with additional square footage (albeit outdoor square footage).
Given the dramatic improvements a gorgeous terrace or patio can make at home—and the often hefty investment such spaces require, it’s important to get the bones of your outdoor spaces right from the outset. “There are a few key factors that are often not fully considered,” says landscape designer John Evans of Hoerr Schaudt, “and they can negatively impact the experience and functionality of these exterior spaces if not taken into account.”
For example, Evans suggests you’ll want to consider what the adjacent landscaping ideas and potted plants need to be, even before you install your terrace or patio. “You want to make sure that they meet your needs. For example, are shade trees being added to create respite from the sun? Are there enough impactful horticultural moments within the patio space to provide seasonal interest and soften the hard edges?,” he says.
Landscape designer Rosalia Sanni, of Rosalia Sanni Design, also stresses the importance of considering the setting and natural factors such as the path of the sun and existing shade sources before you start the design process. “This will help you determine whether a covered area is needed,” says Sanni, noting that one also needs to think through how to incorporate lighting for evenings and what furniture materials will weather beautifully over time.
To help you think through how best to design a beautiful outdoor living room, we asked designers what patio design mistakes they see people make and how they suggest avoiding them. Here, the nine biggest mistakes they see most often—plus their expert advice on how to avoid making a patio design misstep.
Rushing the Design
“I often come across outdoor areas that were clearly not envisioned with enough care. You can tell right away: they tend to be plain, rectangular slabs that feel like afterthoughts, disconnected from the home, the surrounding landscape and even from the people meant to use them. Too often, there is no clear intention behind the layout, no sense how the space will function day to day.”
“The most successful patios are planned with the same thoughtfulness you would give an interior room. I always encourage clients to pause and reflect: How will this space be used? Will it be for lounging with coffee on quiet weekend mornings, hosting casual family dinners or entertaining for business? Do you want it to feel like a seamless extension of your home, or more like a tucked away garden retreat, or maybe both?”
“These aren’t just surface-level choices. They ask you to imagine the life you want to live in the space. They are personal, often aspirational, and they lead to some of the most meaningful and nuanced design decisions in the process.”—Rosalia Sanni, Rosalia Sanni Design
Designing a One-Step Grade
“One of my cardinal rules for hardscape within a garden is to avoid a one-step condition. You should design the grading so that the need for a step is eliminated or grade it so that you need at least two steps. A single step is far easier to miss than if you have two steps; as such, it can be a trip hazard going up or a fall condition going down.” —Adam Kober, Kober Design Group
Forgetting to Plan for Shade
“One of the biggest mistakes people make is overlooking the need for shade. This is frequently a conversation that comes too late—and it’s better to think and plan for this early on.” —Kathryn Herman, Kathryn Herman Design
Overcrowding with Furniture and Plants
“It’s critical to ensure the patio or terrace is large enough to fit both the programmatic requirements, such as the seating, tables, planted containers and other elements, while still allowing for circulation through the space. Missing that ease of movement can be a critical mistake.”—John Evans, Hoerr Schaudt
Choosing Planters That Are Too Small
“Planters should be exuberantly full, not sparse. The biggest offenders in this are the tall cylinders with very small planting openings. They are too tall for the size of plants you can fit in them and they always look unbalanced. Do not buy them! Make sure your planters have large openings for your plants.” —Janice Parker, Janice Parker Landscape Architects
Opting for Unnecessary Patio Heaters
“These make your backyard look like a public space, and they’re just not necessary. They’re large and hard to store, so they tend to stay out all year—even in the heat of summer when you certainly do not need them. Instead, I suggest people think about using fire tables and fire bowls. These can work as well and are much more beautiful.” —Janice Parker, Janice Parker Landscape Architects
Buying Cheap Outdoor Furniture
“One giant folly people make is creating beautiful landscapes but then buying cheap outdoor furniture. New high-quality, outdoor furniture is expensive. So if that is not in the budget, try looking for chic vintage wrought iron furniture at auction instead.”—Fernando Wong, Fernando Wong Outdoor Living Design
Orienting the Cook Space the Wrong Way
‘When it comes to an outdoor kitchen layout or grill placement, you want to watch the orientation. Most outdoor kitchens are oriented so that the cook’s backside is facing the dining and entertaining area—and it’s just…awkward. This happens way too often! Find a way to switch the orientation.” —Janice Parker, Janice Parker Landscape Architects
Overlooking the View from Inside
“One big mistake I see all too often is not considering the relationship of an exterior terrace or patio space to the interior programming and views from inside the home onto the terrace. How to enhance this relationship should be an obvious consideration.” —John Evans, Hoerr Schaudt
Steele Thomas Marcoux is the editor in chief of VERANDA, where she oversees brand strategy and content across all platforms and manages a team of editors and writers. She also writes about architecture, design, travel, jewelry, and gardening. Prior to joining VERANDA in 2018, Steele held editorial leadership roles at national design and lifestyle brands for over ten years. She has also worked as a freelance writer on articles ranging from celebrity profiles and gift guides to food and beverage trends. Steele has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College (art history) and a Master of Arts degree from University of Alabama (American history). When not working, Steele can be found cooking for her family, cheering her sons on at cross country meets, soccer games, or lacrosse tournaments, playing with her dogs, planning her next design-oriented trip, or trying to find a way to squeeze in a few more minutes on a tennis court. Follow her at @steelemarcoux.
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