Modern Patio Design Ideas for Your Sarasota Landscape
A Florida home without a patio is, well, we can’t even find the words to describe it, that’s how ridiculous it is.
A patio is the hardworking hub for your outdoor life. It’s where you dine, relax, entertain and maybe even cook, enjoy a cold plunge or practice your golf game, depending on what great amenities you include out there.
What’s the latest in Sarasota patio design? Natural stone embedded with prehistoric seashells. Serene secluded nooks to escape life’s bustle. Adjacent game spots for golf, pickleball or bocce ball. Backyard wellness retreats for health boosts and rejuvenation.
It’s pretty cool stuff.
Let’s learn more about patio landscaping ideas, including:
First, How Will You Use Your Patio Space?
A good landscape designer is kind of like a 4-year-old who just realized everything is interesting — they’re full of questions.
How will you use your patio?
Will you entertain a lot of people out there, or mostly use it for romantic dinners for two?
Do you need a space for morning yoga? Afternoon book club? Evening wine club?
Do you want a lot of furniture? An outdoor kitchen?
How would you like your shade? Beneath a pergola, a motorized awning, cute umbrellas? A tropical tiki hut?
You get the idea. A lot of careful planning needs to happen to create a patio you’ll actually use and enjoy.
A skilled designer will help you figure out everything from how big your patio should be to what materials will look great to what amenities you’ll really use and love.
Modern Backyard Patio Materials
It all starts underfoot. What do you want to see when you look down?
Here’s a look at some popular options in Sarasota landscape design:
Travertine
There are lots of reasons Florida homeowners choose this pretty natural stone for their patios.
Travertine is a form of limestone formed by mineral deposits in hot springs. It stays cooler under bare feet in the intense sun compared to concrete pavers; offers a natural slip-resistant grip when wet if you choose a tumbled or brushed finish; and has a high-end, luxury aesthetic that holds up in intense UV rays without fading.
It’s famous for its earthy beauty, textured surface and durability.
Travertine is porous, which means it naturally absorbs water, making its surface cooler to the touch than other patio materials. That’s a nice plus for Sarasota landscape design as we sizzle under the sun. It also makes travertine a popular choice for poolside patios, along with its textured slip resistance, for barefoot comfort on hot days.
Travertine is great for Sarasota contemporary homes. Its elegant, sleek look goes great with modern lines.
Because travertine is natural stone, it comes from quarries, making it a pricier patio installation choice than concrete pavers.
Pro tip: avoid polished travertine for outdoor use, as it becomes dangerously slick when wet. (You only want to end up in the pool if you’re wearing your swimsuit, right?) Choose a tumbled or brushed finish for your Sarasota patio design.
Shellstone
If you think it would be cool to have a Florida patio full of seashells, you’re right. Meet shellstone.
This rare, natural limestone was formed over millions of years from fossilized shells, coral, and marine sediments. It has a light, creamy color, porous texture, and is known for durability. The fun part: you can actually see fossilized shell imprints in it. Each installation is unique, with a soft, beachy vibe perfect for a modern backyard patio in Sarasota.
Shellstone’s natural texture makes it slip resistant, great for a poolside patio. It also stays cool in the heat.
While shellstone deposits are found in Florida, Mexico, and the Caribbean, most high-quality shellstone comes from quarries in Turkey, where the geological conditions create a high-quality stone.
Leathered Marble
How does marble get leathered?
Workers start with a flat matte marble slab, then they pass heavy, diamond-tipped wire brushes across the top.
Softer parts of the stone wear down faster than hard parts, creating tiny peaks and valleys that feel like leather to the touch.
This stone offers a unique, non-reflective, warm look that feels fantastic underfoot and takes a luxury property to the next level.
Its textured, matte surface provides good slip resistance when wet, stays cooler under direct sunlight than darker or polished stones, and cuts down on harsh glare.
Plus, when you invite your friends over to see your new leathered marble patio, you’ll be the cool friend, which, be honest, has been your goal since high school.
Concrete Pavers
While unique natural stone gets a lot of attention, dependable concrete pavers will always be a classic choice for Sarasota patio design. They’re sturdy, readily available, less expensive than natural stone and offer a multitude of color, texture and style choices.
Concrete pavers are design chameleons — they come in a host of styles that mimic other materials, from sleek slate to quaint cobblestones.
Concrete pavers let you mix things up with innovative combinations of textures and contrasting borders. A skilled patio designer is a huge help with patio landscaping ideas, because the choices you have can be pretty overwhelming.
Meanwhile, concrete pavers are durable and sturdy. Even if pesky tree roots grow underneath and start to push your patio pavers up, you can pick them up, remove the offending tree roots, and replace them.
If a paver gets chipped or damaged, it can be easily replaced, too, no biggie. Save a few from your original installation.
Want the cool organic seashell look of shellstone with the lower price point of pavers?
Belgard makes a line of pavers called Oceanside that combines natural aggregates with exposed shells for an organic coastal charm. The downside? They only manufacture it to order, so it takes 12 weeks or longer to arrive.
Secluded Serenity Spots
One of the most popular Sarasota patio design ideas is creating separate patio areas for different uses. Call them “zones” and your kids will think that’s cool.
Carve out an area for dining, one for lounging, one for a fire pit gathering spot, maybe a nice spot for morning yoga.
Consider using different materials to help physically divide your patio space into different zones: maybe smooth pavers for the dining area so chairs scoot easily; bamboo decking for a yoga or spa retreat; rugged gravel or stone around the fire pit.
We love creating serene, secluded patio areas connected to the main space by a winding walkway.
Craving a tucked-away spot where nobody can find you eating the last brownie?
We designed one for two busy parents complete with a spa area where they can get away from the bustle of kids, dogs and responsibilities. Mom and dad totally deserve their own zone.
Areca palms provide privacy. A curved walkway leads to it from the main patio so there’s built-in intrigue: What’s back there?
Two large coconut palms curve over the hot tub.
Another client asked for a private patio reading area with a soothing water feature. You can hear the trickle before you see it, making the stroll to get there kind of magical. Patio perfection.
When you’re pondering outdoor living space ideas, include a relaxing spot just for you.
Patio-Adjacent Game Courts
Bocce ball, anyone?
Sarasota homeowners are increasingly asking for game areas adjacent to their patio.
Putting greens are popular. So are bocce ball courts and pickleball courts.
A custom patio-side putting green offers lots of fun choices: How many holes do you want? How about a berm? A water hazard? A sand trap?
Downside: if your putting still stinks, you have no excuse.
Modern Patio Design Ideas Include Wellness
How’s your stress level lately? Have you been sleeping OK? No, this isn’t your mother on the phone. Just a reminder that your patio could help.
One of the latest modern patio design ideas is backyard wellness retreats.
Soak that in for a minute. Think outdoor saunas. Refreshing cold plunge pools. Peaceful areas for meditation or yoga.
Surround it all with lush plants for privacy. Plants make it feel cooler, soften the hardscape, and add shade. Include an arbor covered with climbing star jasmine for privacy and enjoy clusters of star-shaped flowers that emit a sweet, honey-like scent.
Stress? What stress?
A bubbling water feature offers a soothing vibe, helps drown out neighborhood noise and makes your wellness retreat feel more private.
Artistic landscape lighting makes your stroll to the sauna safer at night and creates a magical glow that adds to the healing atmosphere.
You’re feeling more relaxed already, right?
Sarasota Patio Design: Don’t Forget Shade
You have several choices for adding shade to your Sarasota patio design, but whatever you do, don’t forget it.
Pergolas, tiki huts, retractable awnings and shade sails all do the trick. You can go old school with patio umbrellas, tropical with a tiki, or modern with a motorized, louvered pergola roof that easily adjusts sunlight and shade.
Bottom line: If your patio is sizzling in the intense Sarasota sun, you won’t use it. And that’s a huge waste. Just the idea is kind of stressful. Too bad you don’t have a backyard wellness retreat.
Ready for the Latest Patio Design Ideas? Talk to Us
You’re pretty preoccupied with your patio plans right now. It makes sense to us. There’s a lot to ponder.
But as you happily plan your patio space, realize you’ll need a full-service landscaping company with skilled designers to bring it all to life.
Sure, a patio installation company can give you a nice flat patio. That’s a decent start. But when you want to add a cozy fire pit, some impressive landscaping, a cooling shade structure, and a bubbling water feature, the experts at Tropical Gardens can create an integrated design that incorporates it all seamlessly.
Hire a Sarasota landscape design company that does it all.
We’re happy to help, with patio design services in Sarasota that make this whole patio process super easy.
Trust your Florida patio — and the rest of your Sarasota landscape design — to us.
Let’s get started. We’ll help you figure it all out.
Give us a call or fill out our form today! Our team of Sarasota landscape experts can’t wait to help you choose materials, create stunning designs and plan your serene patio retreat. Get ready to claim your zone.
