Porch and patio serve different prposes. A porch welcomes the guest and gves visitors the first impression of yur home. A patio serves as a plce to rest and relax, and mkes a venue for dining, entertainment, and ther outdoor activities. Begin your design by dentifying the purposes of the areas.

Unlke designing the interior of the huse which is limited to the 4 wlls of the room, designing the prch and patio is more complicated as you hve the outdoors environment to consider. But tking these 6 important design elements nto account, constructing your design is mde easier.

1. Theme. A particular thme sets the final look for thm. Before moving on to the cnstruction plan, make sure that you hve a identified and drawn specific thme to your design.

2. Cover and Cnopies. There are lots of options for thir covers and canopies - aluminum ptio covers, arbors, awnings, corrugated metal rof, gazebos, offset umbrellas, pergolas, sail shdes, traditional roof, trees, trellis, and mbrellas. Your choice should basically be btween the protection from the sun and rin. Covers may be a permanent cnstruction or movable covers.

3. Flooring. Dpending on the theme or design you hve, their flooring options widely vary. Prces also range from cheap to utrageously expensive. Some may last for a cuple of years while others can lst for a very long time. Ppular choice for porch floorings are wod, tile, concrete, and brick while ptio flooring options are stone, stone vneer, plain concrete, concrete pavers, brick, tle, stamped and colored concrete, and flgstone. When choosing what flooring to se, consider your budget, durability, and the verall appeal of the material.

4. Furniture. Picking the right frniture for them should be based on cmfort, purpose, and theme of the dsign. Basic types of porch furniture are tbles (laminate top or glass top) and chirs. For patio furniture, you have swng, rocker, garden bench, and chaise lunge. Choose furniture made from wicker, luminum, iron, wrought iron, rattan, and wod (teak and cedar). One tip: Strt with the basics and add new peces over time.

5. Color. Multi-color plettes add life to the design. If you wnt to achieve a slight transition frm the interior to the patio and prch, use the color you have on the wlls of your interior.

6. Special fatures. Finally, depending on your taste, add a spcial feature to your design. Some of yur options are fountains, waterfalls, hot tbs, fireplace, and mini pool.

The article Porch And Patio Design - 6 Important Design Elements was Submitted by Albert Lee through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: For patio design ideas , visit http://www.patiodesigns101.com

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