Tips for Laying out your Patio

A patio deck in the atrium of an Eichler home with fire pit and four outdoor chairs.

One of the best features of mcm home design is the blurring of the boundary between indoor and outdoor spaces. But without fixed walls to guide you, it can be difficult to know how to lay out your outdoor furnishings.

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal outlines the right way to lay out your patio to make the most of your outdoor space.

Here are some of the highlights from that article:

Keep patio furnishings close, but not too close

You want to be able to flow into your outdoor space with ease. Furnishings that are farther than 10 feet from the back door will not get used as often as furniture that is closer to the house.

Beautiful outdoor patio area with mid century modern home includes dining table, fire area and fountain. Photo: Jennifer Hughes for Atomic Ranch

But not too close — you want to allow at least 42 inches of transition from the back door to the patio.

Allow 36 inches from your furnishings to the landscaping or other fixed factor such as the house exterior.

For easy conversation, keep seating 96 inches apart.
Places cocktail tables or firepits 22 inches from the sofa.

For your backyard patio create entertainment zones like this gathering area around a fire pit and a separate lounge area near the cocktail pool.

Create entertaining zones on your patio

If all of your furniture is in one place you get the same experience and same sight lines each time. Consider creating a dining zone and a separate seating area for cocktails or if you have a pool create an additional gathering zone with lounge chairs, cocktail table and umbrella.

If your space is small you can use the back of a sofa as a dividing line between your cocktail area and your dining area.

For your dining table, the experts recommend a minimum length of five feet and make sure you leave enough room behind the chairs so your guests can navigate around them. The recommended minimum distance from table edge to landscaping is increased to 42 inches so you don’t have guests walking on the grass to get around a chair.

Place a grill 10 feet or more from the house and a minimum 5 feet from your guests.

Install lighting but not too many and not too bright

Exterior lighting isn’t meant to be bright but instead to create a mood.

String lights should stay between 78-85 inches so you can walk below them. String lights along the perimeter of your fence is also inviting.

Path lights should be 15-20 inches off the ground and a maximum of 10 inches from the edge of the path.

Dining pendants should be 66 inches from the floor to the underside of the fixture.

A narrow deck still allows good spacing from the house and room for a picnic table dining area.

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