How To Transform Your Patio Into an Outdoor Entertaining Space I Blank Slate

The trick to making the most of a sprawling outdoor space? “I think about outdoor space the same way I do indoors,” says Los Angeles designer Linda Hayslett of LH.Designs. “Every area needs to have a purpose.” The pool at our 2021 Whole Home—a necessity in scorching hot Texas—became the central feature of the home’s patio, so she built her plan around it. A conversation area near the fireplace features a sectional and some youthful (but adult-friendly) swings, and a grilling area was equipped with an outdoor beverage-and-wine fridge, sink, and its own dining table to make it the secondary “heart of the home.”