Custom Patio Blog

Outdoor kitchens connote a sense of celebration and evoke prosperity all-year round. If you’ve been hankering to have one, then feast on these outdoor kitchen layouts that will have you preparing a meal and entertaining your loved ones with a breeze.

Compact Outdoor Kitchen

Starting with this simple setup, this mini-L-shaped kitchen counter installed with your cooking appliance of choice complete with ample countertop for meal preparation. A small sink completes your compact outdoor kitchen. This just dispels all notion that one needs a massive outdoor space for an outdoor kitchen. All it takes is to find the right size and proportion of appliances that will fit your space and needs.

Simple Summer Kitchen

If you’re looking forward to relaxing with freshly pressed fruit juices or other well-prepared drinks by your patio, this outdoor kitchen is the perfect example of how your kitchen might look like. With a small sink, a compact refrigerator, an ice box and even a couple of drawers to store your liquids, this outdoor kitchen will be ready to serve your drink orders in a flash.

The Complete indoor-Outdoor Experience

If you find the outdoors so relaxing, this setup will give you more reason to stay in your patio for longer. Complete with your favorite lounge spot and a fireplace to keep you warm, there is an outdoor kitchen strip where you can prepare and grill your favorite meat right by your side.

Standalone Outdoor Kitchen

Even if you don’t have a patio, this standalone outdoor kitchen shows you can have it installed anywhere you please. With a customized concrete platform, this setup sports the highly-coveted grill for those mouthwatering barbecues. There is also ample bar countertop ready to host your ingredients and display an array of grilled feast.

Remember to always consider your budget, space and needs when deciding on which outdoor kitchen layout you should have installed in your patio.

Most are familiar with landscaping and installing outdoor structures to emulate and enrich their outdoor lifestyle. However, more than just landscaping your outdoors, lightscaping should also be done to give emphasis on your garden even after the sun goes down. In this article, we give you guides and tips on how a proper lightscaping is done.

Secure your property with adequate amount of outdoor lights.

Shield your home from nasty invasions and theft by making sure your open spaces are well lit. The simple existence of proper lighting prevents a would-be robber from stealthily entering and exiting your home without breaking his cover or having his tracks discovered. Usually wall-mounted, these lights cover a wider space, giving you peace of mind.

Enjoy staying outdoors even at night.

For those busy with work and errands throughout the day, find time to relax and bask in the calming atmosphere provided by your garden at night. With garden highlights hidden in the foliage, you’ll still be able to appreciate the beauty of your plants.

Prevent slips and mishaps at night.

Accidents happen whether we like it or not but some slips and falls can be easily prevented with adequate outdoor lighting. Lights give us better visibility and help us manage slippery steps better during an inclement weather.

Highlight nocturnal plants.

Some plants are known to bloom under the moonlight. Give them the highlight they need with proper lighting set up to boost their beauty.

Energy-efficient lighting system can also be cost-effective.

Opting to install green energy-oriented lights means a lower effect on your total energy bill. From solar-powered lights to those with a great energy-saving features, you’ll have a well-lit outdoor area without breaking your bank account.

With these lightscaping tips, have a brighter outdoors at night you can enjoy even after the sun has set.

For those who love to stay outdoors until nighttime, having a source of heat is a must for a comfortable evening out. In this article we list a few of different fire pit ideas which will give you warm inspiration to work with for your own fire pit!

A bare fire pit in the middle of the yard keeps you warm despite the chill brought by the night. Feel free to customize the size of the fire pit or the thickness and depth of the pit according to your wants and needs. You can also opt to either use the same patio material you used for your patio surface or a different one altogether.

Make it easier for family and friends to gather round and keep the conversation going by installing a fire pit and seat combination. Whether it’s a semi-circle or two curves around the fire pit, you’ll make sure warmth is evenly distributed for everyone.

If you have an outdoor living room, then why not imbibe the whole living room ambience too by setting up a great fireplace in the middle of it? Sit by the glowing fireplace and bask in the warmth while seated cozily in your chair. Appreciate the great night sky littered with stars and still feel comfortable as if you’re in your indoor living room. With this grand setup, the grand fireplace takes center stage and gives the outdoor living room.

For your outdoor room, maximize your outdoor wall by installing a fireplace on it. The wall’s existence not only gives you a prime location for your pit but also keeps the warmth reverberating off the walls. This ensures a better, more comfortable stay on your porch or outdoor room even if it’s an extra chilly or even a rainy night!
Whichever fire pit design fits your yard, we’re sure our Sugarland Patio team can customize it according to your needs!

In this article, we run down how your patio can look like if you were to use a paver patio material. From your driveway to your pathway and even a raised deck, pavers create an even surface that gives off a clean look.

Driveway

Show your patriotism and allegiance to the lone star state by incorporating a paver-styled star right in the heart of your driveway. Not only will your garage look interesting with the varied colors pavers sport, it also provides a bit of friction for your wheel avoiding mishaps when the rain comes in.

Outdoor room

Moving on to an outdoor room, this house used a paver for their patio surface material to truly make their patio feel like an extension of their home. Not only does the paver provide an interesting detail, it also seamlessly blends with the existing brick façade of the home.

Outdoor kitchen

To show just how versatile pavers are, this outdoor kitchen meshed ceramic tiles and pavers for a neat look. While the kitchen floor was done in tiles, first glance can easily fool anyone into thinking that the floor was made of a single patio surface material. You can also see how the paver blends well with the brick façade.

Deck

This homeowner also opted for pavers when it came to constructing their home deck. Not only does it mesh well with the existing color scheme of their home, pavers are also made sturdy. Whether it’s a full sun or steady rainfall, you can expect a paver patio to withstand it all with barely any difference on its appearance.

Border

If you want a multi-functional patio surface material, paver is your best bet. In this outdoor project, not only did the paver serve as a pathway but also a border to the blooming pocket garden.

Are you an avid gardener with an expansive green and innumerable plants that need constant care? Or perhaps you might have a medium to small patch of floral paradise but constantly finds it hard to squeeze a watering session for your garden? If this is the case, then maybe you can lessen your watering time but still ensure your plants will be watered on time and with the right amount the need in order to bloom beautifully! How is this possible? Read on and find out how you can be both time and water efficient below.

Consider the layout of your garden.

Do you have a group of plants together? Do you do container gardening? Or you might have a raised bed? Do you let your plants run wild and recreate a small manicured jungle or a tropical paradise perhaps? Determining your garden type will help in easily identifying the sprinkler system that will best serve you and your plants.

Pick the plants with special watering requirements.

Not all plants are created equal. Thus, aside from determining your garden layout, you also mark out those plants whose watering requirements are more unique. When identified, take note so that your sprinkler system will be positioned in a better place serving your plants which will welcome the scheduled watering.

Consult with a professional.

Let a professional walk through your garden and evaluate what you have planned so far. There might be key details you might have missed. As they say, it’s better to have a cheap prevention than a costly solution. More often than not, certified professionals like Sugarland Patio team also have a free in-home consultation and inspection which will leave no room for over estimation. Sugarland Patio is also committed to delivering the best service no matter what budget you may have.

Keep your home looking attractive from afar by checking if your home has all of these 5 signs for curb appeal.

The lawn is green on your side.

If you chose to have a lawn, make sure it’s green and clean. Quickly resolve any early signs of patches you see on your lawn. Check if there are parasites sucking all the soil nutrients by below. If you have a garden, perform a weekly or monthly check on their health. Prune dead or infected leaves and cut dried flowers.

Add shade to your outdoors.

While a sun shining bright on your property looks great, it might appear too hot and dry for onlookers. Plant a tree for shade or install a patio cover to lend respite from the heat. Whether it’s a pergola, a patio roof or a tree, make your outdoors look comfortable to stay in from afar with a shade-giving element.

Impress them with your doorway.

Your door is the star of your façade. Bank on it and make a bold statement by highlighting its color, putting a chic knocker or displaying your house number prominently. Frame your doorway to give it further emphasis. Do this by putting container plants, lighting implements or chairs beside it.

Lay down a pretty pathway.

Direct the observer’s eyes to your doorway with a pretty pathway. Use a sturdy patio material that complements your house’s exteriors. Pick a material which also ages well and can withstand the harsh weather elements to keep your pathway lasting a lifetime.

Clean spot is the best spot.

Whether it’s dried leaves on your lawn or your trash bins on the curb, make sure everything is cleaned up or organized. Make sure your trash bins are aligned neatly and wheel it away right after collection.

Having a pond isn’t always the first outdoor feature that comes to the mind when one thinks of improving their outdoors. Since space is usually a factor in making homeowners think a pond is out of their outdoor picture, here’s how you can have it in your backyard without having to dig it all up for a pond.

Pick a pot.
Pick a sturdy pot to act as the main water vessel for your pot. Then pick a much more flamboyant exterior pot. The interior pot will hold the water while the exterior pot will hold the interest for the onlooker.

Pick a spot.
You can have it in the center as the main attraction, in the midst of your garden plots or even on the center gardening table. You can also have it submerged to create a pond-like look and feel or have it standing proudly in your backyard.

Pick a plant.
Aquatic plants which you only saw in large botanical gardens can now have a home in your own backyard. There are those which float and those which still need to be potted while in your pond-in-a-pot. Aside from the usual floaters like water hyacinth, you can also plant an American lotus or a banana lily.

Pick away the pests.
Another deterring factor from having a pond is its tendency to attract pests like mosquitoes. To deter it from making your pond its home, put in a mosquito-repellent which is specifically manufactured for ponds.

Now, you know how a pond can fit in a pot and in your yard without ever having to allot a huge space for it. Just make sure to maintain it properly by regularly changing the water and no sooner will you have a gleaming pond you can be proud of.

Installing a pond may be unrealistic for your outdoors just to have the calming burbling brook waters as your background. But this doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to have water features for your outdoors. Below, find great ideas on how to have that calming sound for a lot less which won’t have you digging just to get a pond.

Funnel your drainage.
When the rain comes, don’t just let your rain water go to waste. Fashion your water pipes into great passageways and create rainwater art which resembles a fall. Play with your waterways and get a source of water entertainment when the rainy days come.

Bird Bath
You may not be able to create a life-size pond for yourself but you may entice the little residents of your yard with a bird bath. If you have a bigger space to make room for an aquatic flowering plant, why not plant it, too?

Zen Water Garden
Let your thoughts calm down by syncing your mind with the calm and steady tick of your zen-inspired water pipe design. You can opt for a pre-fabricated bamboo water pipe system which makes it easier to install. If, however, you lay hands on a single bamboo stick, you can have holes poked in it and a tube inserted for the water source. Turn the faucet own and you have your thrifty water fall courtesy of a bamboo.

Bamboo Drainage
Another water feature which won’t have you rerouting your water sources is by installing a bamboo ledge as a water pipe on your fence or wall. By placing it in a slanting fashion where the next bamboo segment perfectly captures the passing water, you’d get a water feature installation that’s also one with nature.

Other than giving shape and form to your outdoor area, a deck can be transformed into purposeful outdoor rooms that suit your lifestyle. From giving you a personal rest and relaxation spot to simply being one with the skies, there are more ways than one to set up a deck. Here are some deck ideas you may want to try.

The Bar
Get the feel of having a boys’ night out by simply designing your deck rails like a bar table. With a wider finish and some bar stools, you’ll get the bar atmosphere in a space that’s all your own. You can also put a mini-bar storage and you’re always well-equipped to entertain friends and guests in the comfort of your bar deck.

Diner Deck
Using the same table design, you can set up your deck to look like a diner where you can get your breakfast or dinner under the stars. You can even make the diner table also act as a storage area for your salt and pepper shakers and other condiments. Now, eating out need not be as expensive when you can simply go and take your dinner plate out to your diner deck area.

Mini Observatory
If you love staring at the galaxies above, take advantage of your wide vantage point courtesy of your deck. Set up your telescope and never miss any rare galactic phenomena. You can also mount a binocular for some bird watching.

Outdoor Jacuzzi
Step up your bathtub game and install a Jacuzzi and spa bath right on your deck. Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy a relaxing bath under a sky full of stars after a long day? As for privacy, there’s nothing like an intricately woven trellis or potted shrubs to screen you from prying eyes.

While a straight and narrow patio might limit your landscape designs, we’re here to prove to you that it only takes a few twists and turns to turn that small and narrow patio into a charming outdoor space you’d love to spend your whole day in.

A Circular Pattern

While we are oriented to think in straight lines when dealing with small confined areas to design, incorporating circular patterns to a straight and narrow space may actually do wonders for your patio. Instead of focusing the eyes on the narrowness of your space, the circular shape lends a wider foot area to the space than it actually is.

Pots, pots and more pots

Given the limited space, having a flower bed may be too space-consuming. But before you swear off flowers for your narrow space, pots can be great alternatives to a flowerbed. By limiting the space a plant occupies, you can have a variety of blooms without eating up too much space. You can even display your floral pots in a shelf and have a blooming privacy wall, too!

Snug and Cozy

Instead of thinking of your space as straight and narrow, why not convert it into a snug and cozy place? Do this by putting comfortable chairs with inviting pillows and a tea table waiting for your tête-à-tête sessions with friends and loved ones. For a doubly functional seat, consider those which also pose as storage boxes for your pillows and trinkets so that when the rainy days come, your outdoor stuff can easily be stored and kept dry.

Extend that Lawn

If you prefer to keep a lawn for your outdoors, consider extending a section of that lawn vertically if you have the space. This creates continuity which in turn creates an illusion that your lawn space is actually bigger. It also helps in breaking the frame that defines the narrowness of your space. Plant some aerial blooms or ones that grow best in a vertical position and get living décor for your outdoors, too!