Patio in the country — 100 photos of exclusive design. Simple instructions on how to make with your own hands.
Currently, the cottage has ceased to be exclusively a source of additional income in the form of vegetables and fruits. Most modern summer residents use suburban areas for cultural recreation and unity with nature. Increasingly, outdoor enthusiasts decorate their plots with Alpine slides and neat lawns, ornate pergolas and cozy gazebos. Recently, the patio area has become very fashionable.
What is a patio? A cozy place to relax on the patio or in the garden; under a canopy or in the open air; with a small coffee table for intimate conversations or a meeting place for a noisy company. There is a huge variety of types of patios in the landscape of suburban areas.
It is very important to choose the right place to create a rest corner where both the household and guests will feel comfortable.
The most common location option is at the wall of the house. It is best if there is a door in this wall, you do not have to cover the distance with food deliveries for guests or hide from the weather. This version of the patio is a classic and the most common.
But garden patios in the shade of spreading fruit trees with a small pond or a cute fountain are also very popular. If there is no way to hide from prying eyes in the shade of the garden, you can build an artificial fence in the form of a screen.
Before deciding for yourself what should be the ideal vacation spot in the country, you will have to look through any catalog of beautiful patios. It may not be possible to stop at any particular option, but several ideas will merge together, thus a unique project will turn out.
But even if it is not possible to come to a definite decision on your own, it is never too late to resort to the help of specialists.
Stages of creating a patio
We have decided on a place to create a cozy corner, we need to think about the dimensions. The size of the patio for the cottage depends primarily on the direct purpose. Namely, whether it will be a corner for two or for noisy gatherings of large companies, or maybe it will be your personal secluded place.
Footing
One of the most important stages of creating a patio is covering the site. Various materials can be selected as the base:
- concrete slabs (less expensive option),
- natural stone (looks original and original, but there may be problems with laying due to irregularities of shapes),
- paving decorative tiles (the most successful combination of price, quality, and in addition, a huge variety of combinations of shapes),
- garden parquet (made from waste wood and polymers, which makes this material more durable than natural wood, as it is not subject to rot),
- decking (modern building material, visually indistinguishable from natural wood).
Regardless of which version of the coating you choose, it is necessary to perform the following stages of preparing the site for laying the foundation:
- Mark the boundaries of the site;
- Remove the soil layer approximately 10-15 cm;
- Cover with sand;
- Seal by watering and leveling with a rake.
Next, proceed to laying the coating. It is important to remember that the tile or natural stone should be placed close so that each element fits snugly to the previous one.
When building a patio base, it is also necessary to provide a rainwater drain, which is most practical to direct towards the garden or flowerbed.
Canopy
A patio with a canopy will make the recreation area even more cozy, protecting it from scorching sunlight or sudden bad weather. The canopy can be made stationary, for example, of translucent polycarbonate. It is a practical and modern material, besides very durable.
An interesting variant of thin wooden slats, arranged either in a parallel way or in a mesh laying method, will create an interesting play of light and shadows. The canopy can be made portable, for example, from a stretch awning or umbrella.
Lighting
It is quite simple to make a patio a functional place to spend time at any time of the day. It is enough to place decorative lamps or garden torches around the perimeter. Lighting devices can also act as a decor.
Patio furniture
How to make a patio the most functional? The choice of furniture is of great importance primarily for the direct purpose of the patio – for relaxation. The main rule that should be followed when choosing patio furniture is its scarcity and practicality.
Patio furniture should be made of moisture-resistant materials, especially if you decide to make it stationary. Upholstered furniture of light shades will not be the best choice, as it is extremely branded. After all, the patio is a place to relax, not for constant washing and cleaning.
It is not recommended to clutter up a cozy corner with bulky tables and sofas. Give preference to light wicker chairs and coffee tables.
Forged furniture will also look organic, and if you decorate it with bright pillows, then it's not at all usual. A cozy place for relaxation will also not do without a comfortable chaise longue or swing.
If you are a fan of friendly gatherings in the open air, you need to consider the placement of the number of guests that you most often have. In this case, an integral part of the patio will be a barbecue and it does not matter whether it is stationary or portable, the main thing is that it fits into the overall concept of the patio.
Creating comfort
Few people will dispute the fact that one of the main conditions for a comfortable stay is privacy. It's not very pleasant to feel outside eyes on yourself during relaxation. A latticed or openwork partition, entwined with weaving roses or clematis, can become a protective and at the same time decorative structure.
A group of evergreen shrubs can act as a beautiful hedge. In addition, conifers will add bright colors to your site all year round. Landscaping of the patio is a very important stage of the decor. After all, a country plot is a corner of nature that you create with your own hands. Photos of the patio at the dacha amaze with a variety of landscape design ideas.
Ornamental plants in multi-level mixborders or intricate flowerpots look spectacular. With the help of planting pockets, you can combine the garden and the patio area, preferably planting annuals or bulbous plants in them.
By choosing fragrant rosemary or lavender, you can fill the country atmosphere with fragrant notes. Exotic orange or lemon trees in outdoor pots will bring the Mediterranean spirit to their native spaces.
If the patio is adjacent to the wall, then it can be decorated with unusual planters with bright begonias or nasturtiums. Climbing plants will also perfectly decorate an unsightly adjacent wall or emphasize the unusual design of an arch or pergola.
An artificial pond or fountain is perfectly written into the patio design. Of course, it is not so easy to make a fountain yourself, because it is necessary to lay communications: water supply and drainage. To create such a decor, it is better to invite a specialist.
But it's not so difficult to cope with a small pond. It is enough just to dig a small container into the ground, fill it with water and decorate it at your discretion. Unusual sculptures illuminated by garden lanterns will create a mysterious fairy-tale atmosphere.
Do not strive to create pretentious and ostentatious beauty that is not comfortable and useless in practice. When creating a patio on your summer cottage, remember that you are creating a cozy patio primarily for yourself and your loved ones, and not for the sake of surprising neighbors.