If you’re yearning for warm sunny days outdoors, but tired of the same boring patio, then these easy patio makeover ideas will give your outdoor space a major overhaul and get you ready for next summer.

First, sweep away all dirt and debris and get rid of any weeds, broken or cracked furniture, empty flowerpots, and crumbling trellises. Start with a blank canvas. Clean your patio surface with a stiff bristle brush and small amount of cleaning detergent. A pressure washer is an excellent way to blast away the green slime and moss that accumulates on a patio.

Cover damaged or discolored areas with outdoor rugs that are designed to withstand the elements and can be hosed down to clean or planting in pots and containers. If, however, you can’t stand the look of your patio anymore, you could recover it with wooden decking or deck tiles. If that simply won’t do then go for new!

Invest in great patio furniture. Nothing says tired and dated like old, cracked, plastic outdoor furniture. It may have looked fabulous when new, but now its time to replace it. After a British winter (and wet summer), not even a good scrub down can get white plastic chairs looking clean and white again. The same goes for that old faded patio umbrella.

And its not just white plastic furniture… After many years of trying, in vain, to maintain our teak garden furniture set, it became clear that the best solution was in fact to invest in metal garden furniture, in particular aluminium garden furniture. Cast Aluminium Garden furniture just has so many benefits over teak garden furniture and even cast iron garden furniture for that matter. Aluminium garden furniture will not rot and will not rust, it is maintenance free, it will not need replacing every 3/5 years and it’s designed to be left outside all year round.

As for cushions, simply choose a palette that you can live with and repeat it through out. The safest bet is to choose classic, neutral or earth tones you can liven up with splashes of colour in containers or with vibrant throw cushions. By pairing neutrals with colored accents, you’ll never tire of the combinations you can create, and you won’t have to spend a great deal to change the look.  Same goes for the parasol.  Keep it classically simple in stone or green.

Invest in great containers. Glazed or unglazed terra cotta and concrete containers come in an infinite array of sizes and shapes. Colors too. Get rid of the economy plastic (you know the kind I mean). If you really like plastic because its light weight and easy to store, pay a bit more for the terra cotta replica planters that for all the world look like the real thing, but are really made from cleverly disguised PVC resin. For large containers, buy container stands on wheels so that they can be moved easily and debris swept from underneath them.

Group containers into odd numbers – one, three and five pots at a time. Don’t ask me why, but they simply look better arranged that way. Create a simple centerpiece on your patio table with a candle or a simple flower arrangement. These are the touches that make your patio interesting for you and your guests. The trick here is not to go overboard, keep things simple and elegant and avoid garden ‘characters’ at all costs! Add stepping-stones where the patio and garden meet to create a transition between the two areas and subtle solar light fixtures to posts, stairs, and walls to give your patio a cozy ambiance when the sun goes down.

And finally, relax and enjoy the sunshine (when it eventually comes) with a glass of wine or a cold beer.

Tags: Cast Aluminium, Furniture, Garden, Iron, Makeover, Metal, Patio