Outdoor Patio Designs for Every Size Space

Types of outdoor spaces: Balcony, Garden, Front Porch

Furniture you need:

If all you have to work with is the footage just outside your front door, switch up your doormat, planters, and lighting for a charming threshold. With a bit more room, a flashy bistro set, high-end set of club chairs, or nostalgic porch swing can sell your small outdoor space for all it’s worth. Poufs are alternative seating options that can double as coffee tables, making the most of the small patio space.

A pair of rockers and a bar cart is a self-sufficient hostess combo, but if guests and grill-outs are infrequent in your home, simply use a hammock or chaise for yourself. Comfort and style can always make up for a small patio. Check out How to Choose Patio Furniture for Small Spaces for more tips.

How to arrange it:

For starters, ground your area with a colorful patterned rug so you can make a big impact in your small patio space. When it’s hard not to clutter the area or block your view, keep furniture low and angled outward in a half-circle rather than going with a face-to-face arrangement. Popping in small accents like a fun garden stool or textured accent table between seating can keep your patio looking cozy without feeling overwhelming.

Topping your outdoor decor with homey touches like arrangements of candlesticks, lanterns, or flowers will fill a small patio space full of warmth and personality. Hanging planters or wall organizers full of herbs make great mini decor, adding a touch of fragrance and greenery while saving valuable space. See our Small Patio Ideas for inspiration.

Types of outdoor spaces: Patio, Screened-In Porch, Sunroom

Furniture you need:

Average patio sizes are perfect for designing a joint area to eat and relax. You’ll want to use lightweight, movable pieces as guests split their time between the two. Set up two loveseats off to the side for a cozy corner to chat and pull in a round dining table as necessary. It’s open and friendly, allowing anyone to draw up a chair.

Creative seating options, like a papasan or a couple of butterfly chairs, have distinguished silhouettes that can be used to clearly zone off a chill, comfy conversation area. Positioning this unique seating at the back of your patio encourages people to move further in. A grill can then take up residence near the door for shorter trips to the fridge.

How to arrange it:

If you have the patio dimensions, leaving an open center between your living and dining areas helps guests feel free to move about. However, you can separate spaces with slim pieces such as a console table, privacy screen, or hedging. If you’d like to blur the boundaries of the activity zones, use casual, multifunctional pieces that can cross over.

For example, rather than having four club chairs facing one conversational center, you could have two club chairs facing a long dinner table, using an open, backless bench as in-between seating. You could also divide your cooking and conversing areas with a bar set, complete with stools and a counter, so patio guests can easily swivel back and forth.

Types of outdoor spaces: Deck, Poolside Area

Furniture you need:

A large patio gives you the opportunity to combine a lot of functional areas, so feel free to use bigger furniture. It’s common to simply use a living room setup on a large deck, placing a combination of sectionals, loveseats, and club chairs around a coffee table for a main gathering space.

For a quiet, out-of-the-way arrangement, center another small patio area with a fire pit or water feature, with Adirondacks circled at the edges for viewing.

If your large outdoor area includes a pool, symmetry is an easy go-to method for decorating the perimeter. For example, line up a row of chaises and umbrellas or matching bistro sets along the long edge of the pool. To mix up your patio seating styles, you might add a daybed to a shady area so there’s a place to lounge away from the splashing. Check out our Pool Deck Decorating Ideas for more specific advice.

How to arrange it:

When you’re decorating one big open patio, it’s important to have continuity throughout your space. Your patio furniture should share similar features, like color and style, so it all looks like it belongs together. For example, matching textures across all of your chair and cushion materials can keep multiple areas looking cohesive.

Flanking your patio seating with tall plants and end tables, or segmenting seating areas with rugs, can help the eye make sense of the borders for each area. Keeping specific activities contained to their own patio space, like areas for playing, grilling, or gardening, also helps to establish purpose.