Don’t try emulating a neighbor, decide how you wish to use the space and plan for adjacent landscaping. We had a hot tub, dining area fire pit and conversation place plus grilling.

This is the back of your house?

Which room does the door lead to?

For a back patio, common items as you mention are couches, chairs, tables. I like the look of the black aluminum but personally I use it for the tables and not the seating as I prefer more comfortable cushioned back/bottom seating.

Do you also need grilling space or a cabinet for garden supplies?

Do the ceiling fans have lights?

Consider whether to also add music speakers, heating source, soft lighting, an outdoor rug, side tables and pots of flowers/herbs/vegetables. I also like to have my wi-fi include my patios.

Your black bakers rack might fit in fine for plants.

Good luck and please post after pictures!

Thanks y'all! This is the back of my house, & the door goes into my open floor plan dining room/kitchen/ living room. My ceiling fans do have lights & my baker's rack has several different potted cactus & succulents. A cabinet for my cactus supplies is a great idea! I don't know what to do with my yard, it's huge & empty but it faces the pond so it has a pretty view :-)

Is that facing West? It seems like you'll want shade to use that space. At least until sunset.

It is facing west, the sun is really obnoxious between 3-5pm then it moves behind the trees. I picked out Coolaroo shades for the back patio but Blinds.com said I'd have to drill into the patio to place anchors to hold them down in the middle, since the patio is too long for a single shade. That sort of discouraged me :-/

You can work with the face of the patio and mount a bracket anchor below the soil line to keep the surface of the patio clean. You'll only need two.

Some of the best advice I was given was to engage a local landscaper to design planting beds adjacent to the DIY patio. They have knowledge to recommend plants for the soil/exposure and to space them properly.

No problem idea where the light came from - this pix was the intended

What a pretty backyard Fnm!!! I love the garden around the tree & definitely would need professional help to do something like that but landscaping is big bucks :-/ I'll hire someone to drill the anchors into the concrete Dan, I don't feel confident enough to do that myself. I like the idea of them being in the grass :-)

@jennifer faust - it’s been quite a few years but we purchased the professional plans, then planted ourselves. I believe the plans were about $350 and came with a 1-year discount on purchased plants. Buy small ones, they suffer less transplant shock and grow quickly.

Here’s the entire product after roughly 20 years

https://youtu.be/H5t9G-Gujqw?si=FaOMyIgn_3to5P9Q

Do you want the furniture to just look attractive or do you plan to spend a lot of time on the porch? It's an important distinction. Do you plan to eat there, take afternoon naps, read, entertain? Do you have young children or is it an adult household? Function first, then form.

Benches, IMO, look good but are aren't great sitting for any length of time. Comfortable chairs, maybe with an ottoman or a chaise are best for lounging. Rockers are good if you like them. Bistro tables work for a cup of coffee but don't work well for meals -- you'll want a larger table and more comfortable chairs if you plan to eat outside. Will you need to store anything outdoors? Cushions? Play equipment? BBQ supplies? Factor that into your furniture choices.

Metal furniture with a western exposure will get dangerously hot to the touch so I'd avoid it. Wood would be a better option. There are some good quality synthetic products but the good ones are expensive and they're . . . synthetic.

A relatively affordable way to dress up porches is to invest in a few colorful large ceramic pots. You can fill them with seasonal flowers or dwarf evergreen shrubs that will look good all year. Colorful furniture cushions and outdoor rugs dress up the place too.

Take you time and over a few years you'll transform your lovely home into a fabulous outdoor spot. With that view you can't go wrong. Enjoy!

Have you looked into retractable awnings? You would need two side by side. I suggest more comfortable furniture for lounging outdoors. Here's one of several ideas...

Retractable awnings are a great idea Lis!!! Ein I agree the black metal I picked out will be way too hot to sit on once it bakes in the sun. It's pretty hot here most of the year (I live just north of New Orleans), so the only time I go outside is to water things lol. I got the ceiling fans because I have a couple friends who are smokers, so I wanted to have a place for them to sit when they go outside. I want it to look good more than I want them to be comfortable smoking lol, but I agree comfy furniture would be better:-)

Check with your friends who smoke and see if one has a hammer drill. You only need a couple holes.

Good idea Dan thanks:-)

I hope it was helpful. Get it here

such a nice spot! quality outdoor furniture is expensive and usually worth it as you won’t have to toss it after a year (I don’t think the Amazon pieces will last) and it will be comfortable

if it were me I would really want something comfortable with a nice deep seat, not just a perch - how is your Facebook Marketplace? i’ve seen very nice outdoor furniture on ours when folks don’t want to deal with moving it - I’ve also bought deep vintage iron armchairs on FB and just gotten new cushions from Home Depot. just some ideas :)

8' is not very mich space to fit any kind of real dining space so IMO concentrate on nice seating and a sofa type piece along the wall and maybe 2 smaller scaled chairs place perpendicular to the sofa a nice coffee table to serve all the pieces those at one end sort of like a LR and then a long dining table against the wall at the other end 39" deep and long maybe custom so you can sit at least 6-8 people put some really fun art if there is room on that wall and lots of color with cushions , dinner ware etc to make facing the wall for dining fun. Lots of pots filled with seasonal plants . For me I would be enlarging that patio to really enjoy the whole space . Then even a grill area too It does not all have to be covered .This is a bit over the top but the idea works for inspirstion

The furniture you choose depends on how your porch will function. Will it mainly be a sitting and lounging area or will there be dining also?

Hi! No dining just sitting & lounging :-)

Forget about what the neighbors chose and get what works good and is comfortable for your space. Wood/wicker with beige cushions is 85% of the market right now; it’s difficult to choose something else.🙂

My mom said it's too humid in Louisiana for wicker furniture outside & cushions get mildewy. I'd like something pretty & comfy if possible:-)

I know LA is high-humidity but mildew may be less of an issue these days. A lot of the wicker sold today is not true wicker but rather a plastic resin woven product. You can buy moisture resistant fabric cushions.

Is there an outdoor furniture shop like patio.com in your area where you can see what types of products are recommended for you area?

There are outdoor furniture stores around New Orleans but they're smaller. I'll have to go check some out thanks :-)

Didn’t you say your neighbor picked wicker? There is also plywood, and metal, which may do better in humid weather. But please do get what you like, even if it similar to the neighbor.

I like metal furniture better than wicker but I don't want it to burn people people when it gets hot :-/

Thanks K I'll check it out!

I actually typed POLYwood, not plywood!,😂 tf!!! I have rocking chairs and it’s quite nice.

Ty! Google knew it was polywood when I tried to search :-)