Patios are extension of your homes and if you can decorate it properly, it will add to the square footage of your house. Or may be you have already done so and are looking for some change now. Either way an aptly decorated patio is more than just an open space for you to sometimes sit in. For many families it has become the focal point of the house, the so-called family room has actually shifted out of doors.

Just some mundane outdoor furniture put up haphazardly does not make a patio worth its name. Choose your décor carefully. Wicker patio furniture sets are a good choice for your patio because they go with a number of settings and so if you mean to change your setting later on, you will not have to discard them. Moreover, although they look exactly like natural wicker, such furniture is made from synthetic materials and so is weather and pest resistant and does not need much maintenance. Use the brush attached to your vacuum cleaner on regular basis to vacuum away the dust that settles on it.

If you have however, allowed the dust to settle too firmly, you may have to resort to the following steps:
• Remove the outdoor patio cushions that you generally use with wicker patio furniture sets.
• Vacuum clean the cushions and put them away.
• Vacuum clean the loose dusts and debris from the furniture sets.
• Make a solution of soapy water by adding two to three tablespoonful of dish soap in a bucket of warm water.
• Clean the furniture using soft cloth dipped in the solution. You can use a brush too if you think it necessary.
• Rinse the furniture using garden hose.
• Allow the chairs to air-dry before putting cushions back on them.

Although I myself have not tried it yet, many experts suggest that you should spray-paint your wicker patio sets to change the looks some time. However, easier option is to change the cushions off and on to bestow the whole setting a total new look. Outdoor patio cushions are different from ordinary cushions in that they are made totally out of weather resistant materials and do not take time to dry. Otherwise, they should be equally comfortable and fit for extensive use not only by man, but also by dogs, cats and squirrels…

Buy brightly colored cushions that match with your patio umbrella and other patio linen to produce a cheerful effect. If you on the other hand prefer a somber look both your outdoor patio cushions and your patio umbrellas can reflect that. In fat, your patio is a mirror to your personality. Use it to showcase the best of your traits. That is why it is important to plan thoroughly before adopting a patio décor.

If you choose a theme, make sure that it suits with your local climate. You cannot have a Mediterranean patio where it snows nine months a year. On the other hand, a place with ample sunshine is quite suitable for one. Although a true Mediterranean patio is generally located in the shady part of the garden, you can create that illusion with awnings too. Install a pergola, which is in essence a frame with latticework roof designed to support vines and plant a lot of flowering trees in a pots and planters to create the Mediterranean mood.

However, the awning and pergola cannot make the patio umbrellas totally redundant, because unless your patio is very small, you may want to sit somewhere outside some times. So buy a patio umbrella as well as a patio heater to make patio living possible through out the year. See that the opening and closing mechanism of the patio umbrella is easy and smooth and the frame is sturdy enough to stand a not-so-light breeze. The canopy should be thick enough to reflect the heat and UV rays back into the space. It should also be fade resistant and waterproof.

Buying a patio heater is little trickier. Before you buy your patio heater, read the product information carefully. The heating capacity of the heater will depend on The BTU it posses. If your patio is big enough, you may need to buy more than one patio heater. Alternately you can buy portable heaters that you can take to the extreme corner to watch the pigeons flying home or the swallows flying south in the evening. In such a case buy one that run on natural gas. They do not need any electrical outlet to run. Choose with care, do not just pick up at random. A lot of thought should go into the whole patio set up.