The beauty of a concrete patio area lies in its versatility, as well as being a durable and easy to maintain space. With a little creative thinking, you can use your patio for everything from day-to-day living to being an entertainment and relaxation area. Here are some of our favourite ideas:

Instant garden all year round

Concrete patios can be turned into an instant garden through adding a variety of potted plants and planting at differing heights. You can ensure that you have colour all year round by changing around the flowers and foliage to suit your taste and requirements.

Once the plants start to wither, ring in the changes with other seasonal plants. Go for lush green foliage to create a jungle theme, or add potted palms and bamboo screening with garden furniture to match to create your own private hideaway.

Food for thought

If you have always wanted your own herb garden or veggie patch but cannot really be bothered with all the digging and weeding that is involved, then invest in some waist high planters, add your herbs or vegetable plants, and create an instant potager.

Keeping the planting off the ground helps you to avoid bending and also stops crawling insects from devouring what you have grown. Standing the pots on a concrete surface means it is easy to keep clean, move planters around, and prevent pets from scratching up the earth around the produce.

Fun and games for the children

Spending time with the family, especially when they are young, is really important. But let’s face it – you need some chill out time as well. Turning your concrete patio into an area where you can keep an eye on the kids, as well as kick back and relax or get on with other chores is important.

Sandpits and paddling pools, outdoor blackboards with large coloured chalks, and storage areas for play equipment can make your patio a great place for the children and their friends. To complete the area, add some seating for the adults. As the children get older, you could even mark out a chessboard and invest in outdoor chess or draughts pieces so everyone can join in.

Link the indoors with the outdoors

Concrete comes in many different colours; it can be polished, stained, have aggregates mixed in to provide a range of textures and shades, stamped to look like pavers, etc. A concrete patio can be designed to complement the design and colouring of the house and will really enhance the property’s kerb appeal.

When it comes to your concrete patio, it is important to pick a style and shape that links both the garden and the home so one seems to flow seamlessly into the other. Use geometric shapes for a modern house, or a more flowing circular design for an older property.

Keep the same style of lighting both inside and out (using the appropriate lighting and electrical fixtures suitable for the outdoors). Add a gazebo with seating that can be used both in the daytime and as the sun goes down for a private outdoor dining area, and all that is missing is that chilled bottle of wine.