How to create a patio, deck or courtyard you'll want to sit in, relax in and entertain in, whatever the season.
Whether it's a deck off the living room or a little courtyard out the back, a well-designed outdoor area is the spot everyone drifts to the minute the sun comes out, and the place you still want to be once it goes down. The trick is to give it the same care you'd give the inside of your home, not just pop a few chairs on the deck. Treat it like an extension of your living room and it'll get used like one.
Hello Saturday Project: New Beginnings - Bungalow Renovation - Mount Eden, Auckland.
Start with a roof
A roof is the best way to define a deck or patio. It means you can use it well past summer, and makes your home feel bigger in the way it lives day to day.
Louvres are my go-to for sunny spaces. Open them up when you want the light, close them when you want shade. Add a rain sensor and they'll shut on their own when the weather turns, so your cushions don't end up soaked. They can line up with your existing roofline and have their own guttering, so they look like they've always been there.
If light is the priority, a clear or translucent roof keeps everything bright while still protecting you from the UV.
Or there's the pergola. It won't keep the rain off, but grow a climber up and over it and you've got one of the prettiest shelters there is.
One practical thing: a new roof over an outdoor area can need council consent, so check early.
Hello Saturday Projects: Left: Coastal Charm - Major Renovation - Narrow Neck, Auckland. Right: Colour Splash - Bungalow Renovation - Mount Albert, Auckland.
Then the walls
We all know what the wind can do here. There's nothing worse than a cold breeze sneaking in just as you've poured your G&T.
Batten screens are great for taking the edge off the wind while still letting the air through. Louvred walls give you something solid that you can open and close as you need. And if your deck cops the full afternoon sun, a sheer outdoor drape softens the light beautifully.
You don't always need to wall in every side. One or two is often enough for shelter and privacy. But if you want somewhere you can use all year, enclose it fully with high-level glass louvres. You can still let the breeze in on a hot day, and you'll be dry and cosy when it cools down.
Hello Saturday Project: Urban Oasis - New Build - Mount Albert, Auckland.
Keep it warm
A roof gets you outside, but warmth is what keeps you there. A fireplace, fire pit or some discreet heating will stretch your evenings out well into autumn. Plan it in from the start, while it's still easy to sort the power and placement.
Materials
Give your outdoor walls and floors as much thought as you would inside. Timber cladding adds instant warmth. Natural stone and textured, handmade tiles bring depth and character, and they only get better with age. Just make sure whatever you choose can handle our weather without needing constant attention. Nobody wants to spend their weekends maintaining the deck they're meant to be relaxing in.
Images from Pinterest
Bring the garden in
Plants are what connect your patio, deck or courtyard to the garden beyond, and it's often the difference between a space that feels finished and one that feels truly considered. Be generous with them. Layer foliage at different heights, soften the hard edges, and let greenery climb walls and screens so the whole area feels settled into its surroundings.
When working with a patio or courtyard, large pots do a lot of the heavy lifting. I'd always choose a few substantial pieces over lots of little ones. Cluster them together at different heights, or pair them either side of a doorway, and suddenly a hard, paved space feels soft, green and sheltered, without a garden bed in sight. Go bigger than you think. A pot that looks almost too large sitting empty will look just right once it's planted. And pick ones that suit the colours and textures of your courtyard, so they feel like part of the design.
Left to right: Hall Wall Light, Black Out Outdoor Light by Social Light and Cestita Alubat from ECC
Lighting
Lighting is what makes a patio or courtyard feel special at night. Wall lights do the hard work. If you've got a solid roof, try hanging a pendant or two. Paired with a high ceiling and lots of greenery, it gives you that gorgeous resort feel. Then add some low lighting out into the garden so the view doesn't stop at the edge of the deck.
And don't overlook portable lights. Rechargeable lamps and lanterns are one of my favourite finishing touches. Pop one on the outdoor table for dinner, move it to the side table when you settle in on the sofa, and bring it back inside when you're done. Solar lanterns are lovely tucked into garden beds or grouped on steps, and there's no wiring to worry about. They're also a great way to add a warm glow to a rental, or anywhere hardwired lighting isn't an option.
Hello Saturday Project: Classic Haven - Major Renovation - Mount Eden, Auckland.
Outdoor areas from various Hello Saturday projects.
Furniture
It's easy to fill a deck with a big dining table, but it takes up a lot of room and often doesn't get used as much as you'd think. If you've got good indoor-outdoor flow, eat at your indoor table and save the patio for kicking back on a big comfy sofa. I always ask clients how they actually want to live out there. Where will you eat? Where will you lounge? Is there a spot you could sneak off to for five minutes of quiet? Plan around those moments and the layout tends to sort itself out.
And please, try before you buy! An outdoor sofa should be comfortable and generous. Generally you get what you pay for. If it's cheap, it's probably too small, too hard or not going to last. If anything, your outdoor sofa has more to put up with than the one inside, so it shouldn't cost less.
Outdoor fabrics have come such a long way. They handle wind and rain, don't fade in the sun nearly as much, and some feel just as lovely as anything you'd have inside. I'm loving earthy, sun-washed tones and textured weaves out there at the moment.
Rug images from Baya Living.
Don't forget the rug
An outdoor rug is what really brings the inside out. It's soft underfoot, adds warmth and richness, and helps zone a bigger deck, giving you a cosy spot to settle into.
Hello Saturday Founder and lead designer Mary Ellen - eco-outdoor Shoalhaven outdoor furniture collection.
We do the shopping
We visit showrooms whether or not we have a project on. So when your patio, deck or courtyard comes together, you're choosing from pieces we already know — some of them trade-only — rather than starting a search from scratch. Nothing in your home is there because it was available. It's there because it was chosen.
Planning a new patio, deck or courtyard for this summer? Book a consultation and let's make it happen.
