Mediterranean Outdoor Patio Ideas With Terracotta, Olive Trees and Warm Stone

One bougainvillea spilling over a wooden pergola is enough of a ceiling. Everything underneath can stay simple.

• Terracotta colored walls give the hot pink flowers a warm backdrop instead of a clash.
• A turquoise tiled tabletop and deep blue seat cushions bring in the cool color the orange needs.
• Patterned floor tiles keep the ground busy, so the table can stay small.
• Little pots on the post and frames on the wall hold herbs and flowers without using floor space.

Hang the bulbs low in the beams so the evening glow lands right on the blooms. In a cool climate, grow the bougainvillea in a big pot you can wheel indoors before frost.

White walls and blue woodwork do most of the island work on this terrace. The plants handle the rest. A lemon tree in a large terracotta pot stands by the railing, with red geraniums and lavender in smaller clay pots close by. Magenta bougainvillea climbs the wall beside the window. The bench is weathered wood with blue and green cushions and one yellow pillow that echoes the fruit. Woven lanterns hang at different heights, and the floor is a patchwork of painted tiles.

The small space never feels crowded because every pot is the same clay color.

Lemons in pots need the sunniest spot you have, and a frost free corner in winter.

Pattern belongs on the floor here, and everything else stays quiet.

The geometric tile runs up the steps and across the landing, so the patio reads as one designed room. The sofa is plain white with black and white pillows. A striped blue throw picks up the tile color. A copper side table and a woven pouf add warmth without adding another pattern. Pale pink climbing roses grow up the stucco wall, and copper string lights run along the roofline. Fig leaves frame one side of the photo.

Tile only the steps if the full floor feels like too much. You still get the look.

Evening is when this patio earns its keep. Pale paving, a rounded oak style table and chairs with cream cushions stay calm, so the lighting does the talking. A string of bulbs crosses overhead, and two woven lanterns glow on the table beside a dark pot of soft green foliage. It is a simple, low cost setup, and it works in a small brick and fence enclosed yard.

Swap the dark pot for terracotta and the whole table leans more Mediterranean.

Why does this corner feel so calm? Almost everything is the same sandy cream.

The plaster walls, the low built in sofa, the round woven tables and the raised hearth all sit in one color family. A white flowering vine drapes across the timber beams and does the only real decorating. Small cacti in pots sit by the fireplace, and white blooms spill from the beds on the left. The gravel path drains well and crunches underfoot, which makes it feel like a courtyard.

Build the seating low and wide. It looks relaxed, and you can add more cushions when friends come.

A window shaped opening in a white plaster wall turns a bed of tall cacti, golden barrels and spiky agave into the view. Purple bougainvillea covers the pergola roof above, and big blue and white ceramic jars stand at the left. Below, a built in bench with a wood base faces a round white coffee table holding a copper tea tray. The floor mixes mosaic with a graphic rug, so the pale furniture has something to sit on.

This suits hot, dry gardens best. For wetter climates, use the same framing trick with lavender and rosemary.

Sunlight comes through the white roof slats and lands in diagonal stripes across the stone wall, the table and the floor. No extra decor needed.

• Natural stone walls hold warmth and add texture.
• A long wood table and chunky woven chairs keep the palette to sand and tan.
• A plaster counter and an opening to the indoor kitchen make serving easy.
• One clay style jar stands in the corner, with a few green leaves at the edge of the frame.

Tilting the slats changes how much light you get.

Tall, narrow evergreens in big pots stand at the corners like Italian cypress. In front of them, clipped round shrubs soften the edge where paving meets lawn. Under the white pergola sits a beige corner sofa with two white poufs and a low table. Behind it, a slatted fence and a flowering shrub keep things private. A bed of lavender and white pebbles runs along the front, and a rope woven dining chair waits at the left.

Plant in pairs and in different heights. It gives the patio a clear shape.

Dappled leaf shade is the whole trick in this walled courtyard. A grapevine runs across the beams overhead, and black iron lanterns hang from the vine and the wall. The scrolled iron sofa and two chairs carry cream cushions, with a round iron table and a jug of lemonade in the middle. Irregular stone slabs are outlined with dark pebbles, and terracotta pots hold purple flowers and green herbs in the corners.

Grow the vine on the sunny side, so the shade lands where you sit.