Given the right furniture placement, lighting and interest, a patio can be a journey and a destination.

Just as with indoor furniture placement, your traffic patterns should be winding or meandering on the patio and in the yard, and placed to enjoy a focal point. This allows the visitor to discover hidden treasures along the way, rather than taking everything in at once the minute they step outside. First, determine if you have a natural focal point in your yard, such as a water feature, fountain, garden statuary, an espalier of fruit trees against a back wall, a rose trellis, a garden bench or an area of favorite perennials. If your yard has no focal point, you can easily create one using any item.

Next, divide the patio space into three areas: 1. Place your outdoor eating area closest to the door to your home for convenience. 2. Place your conversation area with chairs and side tables diagonally to the left of the eating area, directed at your focal point. 3. For a relaxation or "retreat" area, place one or more chaises and table diagonally to the right of the eating area, also directed at your focal point. For added ambiance, place a table-top fountain next to the chaise. You will see there is now a winding traffic pattern among these three distinct areas, which is much more interesting than having all the pieces lined up against a wall.

Think highs and lows, or "peaks" and "valleys" across the patio to give interest to the space -- this can be accomplished with a tree or topiary between the chairs in your conversation area, and to one side of your chaise in the "retreat" area. You have your umbrella on your table, which creates another "peak."

Connect the patio space and yard by bringing similarly colored flowers onto the patio that you have in your yard. Many people find the colors of flowers they gravitate toward are similar to the colors they enjoy indoors (pink and purple, yellow and red, etc.). Consider hanging a wrought iron planter or two on a back wall or fence, and fill with trailing ivy and colorful blooms.

Next is lighting. In addition to any permanent light you may have on the outside wall of your home, place lighting so you have a light source in the three separate areas. This can be accomplished with candles in wind-proof glass containers, or the many other options available for outdoor illumination.

Your yard can be charming and visually interesting also if you remember that Mother Nature naturally gives us meandering traffic patterns and "peaks" and "valleys" (take a walk in the woods and you'll notice nothing is straight or static, and the surrounding hills and mountains are of varying heights). So take a clue from nature, and create meandering paths, as well as high and low plantings. For evening drama, line your umbrella with small white lights (the type that can fold up with the umbrella), and place spotlights and uplights at the base of trees, tall ornamental grasses, shrubbery or other areas you'd like to highlight. Low solar lighting can also be used to define those meandering pathways in your yard. Now you're ready to enjoy your outdoor living space for many months to come.

(Ruthanne Hatfield of Napa is an interior designer. She can be reached at (877) 441-2844 or www.interiorplacement.com)