The first step in planning your flagstone patio is deciding where you want it. Most people would be inclined to put their patio right outside the patio door if they have one, or outside a back door leading off a kitchen or living room. This might be the best place for your patio, as long as it’s an area that gets lots of light and is exposed to the sun during the times that you will want to use it the most. It’s a simple fact that recreation spaces which are placed on a northern exposure that gets little or no sun WILL NOT BE USED.
The book “A Pattern Language” is a manual on the design of living spaces at all levels — cities, towns, businesses, homes, outdoor spaces, etc. — and it makes this point very strongly. It gives the example of an office complex that was built with a very large lovely space off the north side of the building, where employees could go on breaks to relax and get some air, to enjoy each other’s company. This dedicated space, that was beautifully built, was always deserted — in favor of the south side of the building where people could sit in the sun, even though it was very close to the street, with little space and no privacy.
We want to spend time outdoors with access to light and sunshine. So, if the obvious place for a patio happens to be on the north side of your house, stop and take another look at your property. Is there some spot for the patio where it will get lots of light, and full sun for at least part of the day? The ideal location would be a southeast corner of the house; you get lovely morning and daytime sun, without being overheated by the setting sun on the west. If that is not possible, full southern exposure would be the next best. If that’s not possible, look for partial southern and eastern exposure, or south and west. You can always plant some shade trees or put up a trellis to screen the late western sun if necessary.
What if you have no place immediately off the house that provides any decent light or sunshine? Let’s get creative. If your backyard faces north, is the middle or edge of the yard far enough from the house to get sunshine? If so, that’s where you put your patio. It may seem radical, but what good is a patio that looks wonderful if no one ever uses it? You can build a very attractive path leading from the house door to the patio. You can get creative and build yourself a tiny outdoor kitchen, to house the barbeque and have a couple of outlets to run a portable induction cooker. Get a patio table with an umbrella, and put some solar-powered lights along the patio edge. It can become a lovely functional space even it it’s not immediately outside the door. Hey, that might be an advantage – Mum and Dad can go have some peace and quiet!
Let’s say your house is too tall, or your yard is too small to get any sun even by putting the patio as far out as possible. Have a look at the east or west side of the house. Do you have a kitchen door off the east or west side, with room to squeeze your patio in there? Failing that, could you put the patio out front, on the south side? If you have some space between the house and the street you can build the patio on the front, with a walkway leading around to a side door; you can build an airy trellis, covered with a climbing hydrangea or other greenery that will give you privacy and still let filtered sunlight through. Of course, if you’re lucky enough to have a huge lot, or you live in the country, there won’t be any problem finding the right spot.
To find the best possible spot for your patio, take some photos over the course of a few days, at various times of day, to see where the sun tracks across your yard. If you already have a deck, or other area that everyone naturally goes to when they are outside, that’s where you want your patio — and I can guarantee it will be an area that gets sunlight. Yes, I’m repeating myself — I want your hard work to be rewarded with a well-place flagstone patio that everyone will use and enjoy because they are drawn to it naturally.
Remember, don’t get hung up on where your patio “should” go; you’re building it so that you’ll have a beautiful place where you and your family will want to spend time. Wherever that will happen is where your patio should go!
Once you’ve found the perfect spot for your flagstone patio, it’s time to have some fun figuring out what size and shape it should be.