Permanent light fixtures add many
hours of enjoyment to a patio or
deck.

Nice to Have

Lighting. Add lighting to make the patio useful even after the sun goes down. If the patio is attached to the house, you can mount floodlights on the eaves for full illumination. Consider putting the lights on a rheostat so you can control the brightness. If the patio is not adjacent to the house, consider mounting lights on tree limbs, an arbor, wood posts, or decorative lampposts.

 

The soothing sound of water can
mask unwanted noise, making even an
urban patio a restful retreat.

Water features. Whether elaborate and built-in or simple and freestanding, water features are desirable amenities for a patio. Even a small pond can host a number of plants and or fish. Or install a fountain to provide a bubbling soundtrack to your outdoor experiences.

 

A focal point can be as dramatic
as this fireplace or as simple
as a trellis covered in
climbing roses.

Focal points. In the same way you would decorate a room inside the house, use yard art to accent and otherwise decorate your patio. If the patio can be seen readily from inside the house, the use of ornaments such as wire spheres, metal obelisks, or topiary frames with or without plants can help link the indoors with the outdoors.

A focal point that also has a practical function serves double duty. A simple fire pit or an elaborate patio hearth can warm the body as well as please the eye.

Soothing sound. With weatherproof outdoor speaker systems, you can bring your music outside. For a natural look, consider speaker systems built into realistic models of rocks.