Designing & Decorating a Patio Today // by: Dakota Caudilla
When it comes to decorating a patio, old rules no longer apply. Patios used to be just a place where you place a couple of chairs, a table, a table lamp and some potted plants. But times have changed and so have the rules on patio living today. Today, the patio can be transformed into just about anything…including a family room, a star-gazing section for families or couples, a reading place, a garden, a green house…anything you want!
With the growing interest in developing and designing patios into more than what they used to be, the variety of furniture for patios have also evolved and grown into a whole industry by itself. The growth of the patio furniture industry is further encouraged by the fact that many more Americans spend time lazing around on their specifically designed patios. In fact, some people consider their patios their secret sanctuary. Linda Gravel says that she designed her patio to be almost completely soundproof and with little windows opening out so that the air from outside can seep in. Gravel uses her patio for Yoga and Tai-Chi practices. In the meantime, Geoffrey Alberton designed his patio to accommodate his love for the outdoors and traveling. “This is where I place all the plants in the house, pictures of my traveling expeditions. In fact, I place ornaments and special souvenir items from all around the world in my special patio”, he says with a sheepish smile.
For people like Alberton and Gravel, the patio of the home has been turned into their own private sanctuary where they can relax and be themselves.
In fact, it makes perfect sense to make full use of the backyard for things that we enjoy and love doing. Some people turn their patios into swimming pools or gyms. Stargazers can also turn their patios into a place where they can lounge around with their eyes glued to the telescope. The trend of having personal patios is a direct result of deepening interests in cocooning. Cocooning is a trend that affects most Americans today and it is starting to spread too, to other parts of the world. This is phenomenon where people are starting to create their own personal patio space for themselves and prefer to lead a more casual lifestyle. Young adults prefer to stay home on their private little patios doing something they love and the aging population is starting to create and design patios to suit their restful lifestyles.
Health conscious individuals either turn their patios into mini gyms or health spas. For example, you can design and decorate your patio in such a way that it inspires deep meditation or a place for dance. Garden-lovers can turn their patios into a field of greens. It’s all about what you like as an individual. For those with families, they can use the patio as a family area where board games are played or a place where all the family members get together to listen to some peaceful music or simply laze around.
In fact, with a little bit of focus and imagination, you can literally turn your patio into ANYTHING you want!
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About The Author
Dakota Caudilla, journalist, and website builder Dakota Caudilla lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of http://www.stylish-flooring.com on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.
