In Perth, we enjoy the beautiful weather and the sunshine all year round. This year I have been biking every evening along the coast and through the landscape.
Image courtesy of The Urban List
For a Perth home, a patio is a wonderful investment, as it can be enjoyed almost 365 days of the year.
However, as the nights are getting colder, most of us are hibernating indoors. Here are 7 ideas to turn your patio into a luxurious haven from the cold, where you can relax and entertain all year round. Consider your patio a precious part of your living space that you should maximise.
1. Blend Outdoors with Indoors.
Create an outdoor area that blends seamlessly with the indoors. If the patio feels like just another room of the house, it will be appealing and accessible any time of year.
This patio is an outdoor room that blends seamlessly with the indoors. It can be used for lounging, dining, cooking, or watching TV.
Outdoor blinds can help create an outdoor room by enclosing your space to retain heat and protect you from the elements.
Image courtesy of Bozzy Blinds
Outdoor Blinds can enclose a patio on a cold or wet day.
2. Relaxing Outdoor Furniture
The Deluxe Lounge Suite from Urbani Furniture with the white wicker and blue fabric evokes a winter theme. Relaxing outdoor furniture will lure you onto your patio and give you a place to snuggle up on colder nights.
Sofa settings with comfortable, puffy backrests, as well as large day beds are ideal. A soft plush rug, cushions, and blankets will help keep you warm and cosy.
A patio is essential to protect your furniture from the weather and prolong its life. For patios that are not fully enclosed, choose materials such as PE-wicker that can tolerate the winter wetness and the summer sun.
The Infinity Modular is decorated with gold for a winter theme.
3. Gas Heaters
Large gas heaters at outdoor restaurants and bars have always caught my attention as being grand and luxurious. They are not as common in home patios- but they should be.
Image courtesy of The Outdoor Chef
They emit tonnes of heat and allow you and your guests to sit outdoors in comfort. They are quite affordable, and an excellent investment for making full use of your outdoors during the colder months.
Other eye-catching heating options to warm you up include fire pits and electric patio heaters.
Image courtesy of HeatStrip USA
Great Aussie Patios has written more about patio heating options in this article.
The patio above is ready for winter with a gas heater, an outdoor stove and a spa.
4. Outdoor Kitchen
We have all seen portable BBQs used on Perth patios. Step up the sophistication with an inbuilt kitchen. It will allow you to bring the cooking experience outdoors and prepare hot meals and treats for winter entertaining.
A wood fire stove or grill will also radiate heat and double as a place to warm up.
5. A Spa
A spa is one of the best ways to enjoy your patio during winter as cold weather makes it even more wonderful to dip into. A patio that covers a spa or a pool is not often seen in Perth and creates an extravagant sanctuary.
A below ground spa gives the feeling of luxury as it blends into your patio space.
For above ground spas, use the same material for the spa and the decking to create a seamless look. Surround the spa with luscious pot plants for a tropical resort theme.
6. A Bar
Alcohol is a great winter warmer. Install a bar to turn your patio into your own holiday destination, where you can serve cocktails to your guests. A bar table and chairs are a great addition for socialising and creating a resort atmosphere.
A pool table looks deluxe, and will really complete the theme, as well as creating a fun place for entertaining.
7. Lighting and Decoration
Outdoor lighting evokes a luxurious and inspiring winter mood, and it doesn't need to be expensive. Lanterns, candles and string lights will create a festive and inviting atmosphere.Recycle glass jars of the same type to create trendy tea light lanterns.
Image courtesy of Country Living
Drape nearby trees and plants with solar lights and admire the scenery from your patio.Although we enjoy the beautiful weather in Perth, we need some help to make the most of our patios through the colder months. These ideas will help you relax and entertain in luxury this winter.
About the author
Whitney is the owner of Urbani Furniture, an outdoor furniture shop in Perth that sells wicker garden furniture. Urbani specialises in modern and unique styles; such as compact dining sets, circular sofas, and large day beds.
They offer outdoor settings in styles and colours that can’t be found anywhere else.