Decide on the budget : Installing a patio is expensive but it is worth spending as much as you can afford as the patio is such an important part of the garden. The garden should be viewed as an outdoor room and if you are prepared to spend a little extra on getting it right it will be useable for most of the year. Allow around £120 per square metre as an all-in cost to get a contractor to lay your patio.
Location of the patio : Most patios are sited immediately adjacent to the rear exit from the house because it is convenient - this may not be the best location for your patio. The back of the house may be shaded all day and therefore not ideal if you wish to like to sit in the sun. Consider a small terrace to the rear of the house with another seating area somewhere else in the garden which gets more sun. When designing a garden it's a good idea to include more than one patio.. One patio can be sited so that it catches the last of the evening sun to provide a warm spot for an evening drink or meal. This makes the garden much more interesting and ensures that you are using more of the garden.
All the above mentioned are excellent patio materials to be use for your patio. In addition, you can even use a combination of different types of patio materials to make your patio comfortable. Also, you have to consider the drainage properties of each material. For instance, individual stones, bricks, or pavers will let water through more than a whole slab of concrete.
You can also add patio string lights to your garden. Patio string lights are great for adding touches of colors and creating an entirely different mood for several occasions. Since they are generally colored and not too bright, you can use them both temporary or on occasions only and permanently as an integrated part of the overall patio lighting design.