Determining your patio design is every bit as thought intensive as planning your interior spaces. Your patio is an extension of your home and should be a welcoming and comfortable area that you and your loved ones can enjoy as often as weather permits. The first step before launching your project for outdoor spaces is determining the palette for your patio color. The hues you choose will guide your materials, furniture, and accent selections. You may also need to ask the question, how much color is too much? Do you enjoy bright hues, neutral tones, or something in the middle for your outdoor preference? Use this expert guide to help nail down the right colors for your unique space and make it a great place for your family and friends to stay.
Consider Your Style
Planning the paint color for your patio will enhance your ability to enjoy the outdoors and the value of your home at the same time. Let’s begin by considering your style. One of the factors you need to consider is light. You can choose opposite shades of the neutral spectrum as a strategy to achieve the right balance for your yard.
When you design your patio, you can either use the same style choices that influenced your interior or make your backyard a standalone space with its own fresh theme.
Do not hesitate to use a broader palette of hues to add more vibrancy and make your patio a focal point. When you continue your home’s hues outdoors, you can create an impression of added space or a cohesive design that creates calm and serenity. However, if you depart from the color palette you used inside, you can make your patio an escape-worthy oasis that can blend with your landscape or designated party or gathering space for guests.
Consider Your Theme
Once you have decided on a style, the next step is selecting the colors to use. A few questions to help select your patio color palette:
- What has appealed to you most about patio spaces you’ve enjoyed?
- Are you most comfortable on a patio that is evocative of the seaside with beachy or ocean elements (or other themes that come with obvious color options)?
- Will your patio function primarily as a seating area, or would you also like to include cooking and entertaining elements?
- Is sophistication your main draw or perhaps spaces laid out to seamlessly blend with surrounding landscaping and outdoor features?
Once you can answer these questions, you’ll know more about your unique style and be ready to choose your primary and accent colors.
Laying Out Your Patio Color Palette
Consider how you answered the questions in the previous section and use those responses to match up with one of these popular color palettes.
- Bring the Beach Home Palette: For lovers of the sea, combining various shades of blues, greens, sands and whites can turn your patio into your personal beach retreat. To achieve a Victoriana/New England seaside feel, use more muted shades of these colors, sometimes with a carefully chosen pop of contrasting color — perhaps the pinks or purples of sunset. To bring an urbane touch to your beachy milieu, uses the same colors but bolder hues.
- Backyard Bistro Palette: When your outdoor space will include cooking or eating elements, consider a bistro palette based around food-complementary colors. Choose shades of burgundy, medium-toned browns and lighter greens offset by off-whites and pale yellows. You can tie together this color palette with your other design elements, like understated Trex Transcend composite decking materials or EP Henry pavers chosen for their unique texture.
- Patio Panache Palette: For an upscale environment perfect for Sunday teas or evening wine gatherings, compose your palette of very simple whites, blacks, creams and tans. By limiting your palette to understated tones, you’ll allow the architectural, furniture and accent elements of your outdoor space to pop.
- Colors Aplenty Palettes: The range of palettes you can consider is infinite. From Americana to outdoorsy to layering one main color in many different strengths, you can match any
- furniture, artwork or theme imaginable. The possibilities are endless.
Colorful Accessories to Elevate your Outdoor Space
Your patio is your ultimate outdoor room and you can use colorful accessories to also increase the beauty of your project and add color. You can start by adding color using colorful exterior furniture. Another option is to add colorful containers to complement your design. You can also add varieties of garden plants that will depend on your color scheme as there are some with gold and reddish leaves.
Painting a patio wall is another great way to dress up outdoors and add more color. Add a mural so that you can create the illusion of a framed masterpiece of art by painting it. You can also bring life to old outdoor furniture by painting them using vibrant color or depending on your color scheme.
Flower filled pots can also add value to your design since you can use it as an accent to your table furniture or hang your pots to your fence.
Outdoor rugs are also sometimes a missed opportunity by many homeowners. Do not miss the opportunity to add one to your deck or patio as it helps add interest at ground level by getting a rug with a gratifying design in shades that will enhance your outdoor dining or seating area.
Tips in Maintaining your Outdoor Space
- Start by Sweeping away the day-to-day dirt on your patio as that can build up.
- Use warm soapy water when scrubbing your pavers.
- Check for paint discoloration and repaint it if necessary.
- Do not use a pressure washer to clean your patio or if you cannot avoid it make sure to check and set the pressure properly. This method can save time but can damage the surface and performance of your patio bricks.
- It is recommended to wash your patio thoroughly 3 to 4 times a year to help keep it fresh.
Contact Our Team of Home Improvement Experts
As you work towards creating your own perfect palette, spend time experimenting with a variety of samples and potential pieces of furniture, art and accents. Once you’re satisfied with the overall feel, you’ll be ready to move forward with crafting the perfect patio. Contact us today or give us a call at (800) 799-7944 to speak to an expert at Prince William Home Improvement about helping you create your perfect patio color palette!
