Looking for outdoor entertaining area ideas before the family arrives for Christmas? On a Northland section, the sun’s strong, the coastal wind is salty, and summer happily runs into March. What looks great in a magazine doesn’t always hold up in Mangawhai or Waipu.
At Plantpro & Sons, we’ve spent 30 to 40 years designing and building outdoor spaces across Northland. Here are the ideas we come back to most, in the order we’d plan them.
Start with the Whole Picture: Outdoor Living Space Design
Plan the patio, pool surround, dining spot, and shade as one space before you build any single piece. Otherwise, you end up with a pool where the afternoon shade should be, or paving that stops a metre short of the table.
Good outdoor living space design thinks ahead, too. Level access from the house, wide shallow steps, and easy-care planting mean the space works as well in 15 years as it does this summer. For quality enduring landscape design in New Zealand, contact Plantpro & Sons.
Patio Design Ideas: Choose the Right Surface
Everything else sits on your patio, so get the surface right first. These are the patio design ideas NZ coastal homes use most.
Exposed Aggregate or Concrete Pavers
Hard-wearing and easy to keep clean, even with sand tracked up from the beach all summer.
Natural Stone
Lighter-coloured stone stays cooler underfoot than dark surfaces in full sun, which you’ll notice barefoot at 3 pm in January.
Hardwood or Composite Decking
Decking is often the best answer on a sloped section, giving you a flat, usable area where the ground won’t. On coastal properties, stainless steel fixings are worth it so salt air doesn’t rust them out.
See our paving services for more options.
Pool Surround Ideas That Tie It All Together
If a pool is part of the plan, treat it as part of the entertaining area rather than a separate project. The surround is where the patio and pool meet, so design them as one.
- Run the same paving from the patio around the pool so it reads as one area.
- Choose non-slip surfaces that stay cooler underfoot, ready for grandkids running from the pool to the table.
- Leave room for loungers and shade, not just a narrow strip of paving.
- Use planting to soften pool fencing rather than trying to hide it.
Because we design and build the pool surround, paving, and planting ourselves, it all comes from one plan. Find out more about our pool installation services.
Summer Patio Ideas NZ: Shade & Shelter
A Northland summer gathering usually runs through three stages: lunch in hard sun, a sea breeze in the afternoon, then drinks after dark. The best summer patio ideas in NZ plan for all three.
Shade That Suits the Spot
A pergola with a deciduous vine gives shade in summer and lets the sun through in winter. A shade sail angled for afternoon sun, or adjustable louvres, also work well.
Shelter from the Sea Breeze
Hedging or screen planting on the windward side filters the wind rather than blocking it outright. Taupata and harakeke both cope with salt wind, as covered in our guide to the best native flowering plants for Northland summers.
Light It for the Evening
Soft, warm-white lights along steps, paths, and the pool edge help everyone get around safely after dark. Add festoon lights over the table and the evening looks after itself.
Outdoor Dining Area Design for Small Dinners and Big Christmases
Most nights it might just be the two of you. At Christmas, it’s the kids, their partners, and the grandkids. Good outdoor dining area design handles both without feeling empty or cramped.
Built-in Bench Seating
A bench along a wall or planter edge seats extra people without a stack of spare chairs to store.
A BBQ Bench, Not a Full Outdoor Kitchen
A solid benchtop with prep space beside the BBQ covers most of what hosting needs. It costs less than a full outdoor kitchen, and there’s less to look after.
Face the Table the Right Way
Position the table for the evening view, then check it against the wind. On an exposed Langs Beach section, tucking the table behind a hedge can be the difference between a long lunch and everyone heading inside by two o’clock.
Courtyard Patio Design Ideas for Smaller Sections
Plenty of new builds in Mangawhai, Waipu, and Ruakaka subdivisions come with tighter sections and neighbours close by. These courtyard patio design ideas make a small space work harder:
- Screen planting or slatted timber screens for privacy from the neighbour’s deck.
- A small water feature to soften road or neighbour noise.
- Climbers on walls and fences keep the floor clear for seating.
Up in Kerikeri, where it’s warmer and more sheltered, courtyards suit lush, subtropical planting that would struggle on the exposed coast.
Ready to Plan Your Outdoor Entertaining Area?
No matter when you’re reading this, it’s not too late to start planning your outdoor entertaining area for summer. Paving and planting can often be done before Christmas, while bigger builds may be better planned now for next summer.
Get in touch and we’ll tell you what’s realistic. From the first sketch to the last paver around the pool, our design team turns your outdoor entertaining area ideas into a plan, and our landscapers build it. We work across Waipu, Mangawhai, Ruakaka, Langs Beach, Kerikeri, and the rest of Northland, 7 am to 5 pm, Monday to Sunday.
