Summer Loving, Los Angeles - Summer Patio Ideas

1. Above - Light grey is a great colour for the exterior of a house. If you have other out buildings in view, keep the same colour palette.

Since my little art studio was finished, it has meant an entire shake up of my rather tired deck and "lawn-less" back garden. In fact, I now realise more than ever how the patio/deck and garden definitely need to be an extension of your indoor living. This means a great flow from indoors to outdoors, the style of outdoor furniture, landscaping and those all important finishing touches as seen in the patio and pool area of this Californian home.

Today's feature home has an overall plan, each section flows seamlessly into the next. The design is by Talianko Design Group. I love the colour chosen for the exterior of the house, it is very similar to my own home, maybe this was why I was initially drawn to it. I find soft, muted greys restful, especially if they have the slightest hint of green to them. I am not a fan of blue or mauve based greys but until you start looking for the right grey you don't realise how difficult it is to pick one for an exterior. If you live in NZ or Australia, Resene Foggy Grey is a wonderful soft grey with a slight hint of green and Half Friar grey, used at my beach house is another lovely grey that works well for exteriors, especially coastal locations.

2. Above: Shade is important for outdoor entertaining, I love the idea of a shade cloth draped over the pergola, however, remember that this may not give the protection you may require if it is raining so this style is better suited to the hot and sunny climate of California or the Mediterranean. I have also seen pergola's with glass roofs and they look fabulous. There are many different ways of adding a roof from extending canopies to louvred pergolas.

3. Don't forget potted colour, pot plants can lift a bare area and add life. I have green and white only in my garden theme and find white geraniums a stunning addition. Personally I would have picked larger pots than these to make more of a statement

4. The voile curtains most definitely bring that indoors out and soften the lines of the pergola. I love the adjacent matching pergola, I feel symmetry is as important outside as it is inside, in fact more so.

5. Splashes of colour can be added by way of flowers or soft furnishing such as this quirky applique fish cushion. Use every part of your garden, if you have a sunny corner, place a seat and a pot of flowers or a potted tree

6. If you love blue and white and it features inside your home, carry the theme outdoors with cushions and accessories. Ceramic stools make great side tables and can cope with most weather conditions and I they most definitely bring the inside out

7. Above: I love this idea of keeping poolside towels neat and tidy in a rattan basket

8. Above: don't forget to carry your theme to your tablescapes, in this case blue and white has some added zing with some zesty, yellow lemons

9. Above: Blue and white china is timeless and looks just as good outside as inside

9. Above: Pots of vibrant colour are a great addition to a deck or patio or if you prefer to keep things more subtle, a pot of white geraniums or white hydrangeas can look stunning

I hope you've been inspired by this lovely summer patio and it has given you food for thought for your summe patio plans.