Increasingly, people are looking to move their social lives from their interiors to their outdoor spaces. Gardens should be more than just places for your plants and reading. They should also serve a social function.
Making that happen, though, is a challenge. Bridging outdoor and indoor spaces is notoriously difficult, mainly thanks to the weather.
Fortunately, we’ve got you covered. On this checklist, you’ll learn about all the essential features you need for outdoor entertaining. You’ll find out how to adapt your environment, no matter what kind of social gathering you’re planning, whether it’s a pool party, alfresco dining on the patio, or making your deck more inviting.
Add A Permanent Source Of Warmth
What’s the main reason you don’t go outside more in the winter? Partly it’s the wind and rain. But mostly it’s the fact that it is so darn cold during the months from November to March.
Now imagine you could get around this problem by installing something that provides a continuous supply of warmth in your outdoor spaces. It would make a big difference, wouldn’t it?
When it comes to adding warmth to outdoor spaces, you’ve got several options.
The first is to go to your local garden store and purchase a chimenea. These are just large clay pots with a chimney and an opening for you to place fuel. They’re suitable for small gatherings, but probably don’t offer enough warmth to keep a large number of guests happy.
The next option is to use infrared heaters, like the ones you see in some bars. These connect to the mains and use heating elements to blast out IF radiation, smothering the entire area in warmth and a little orange light.
The type of heat these provide isn’t particularly intense, but they work over a wide area. That means that you can heat an entire patio relatively easily, all while avoiding open flames.
The third idea is to build a central fire pit around which you place all your chairs and seating. When we say fire pit, we don’t just mean a hole in the ground. Instead, it is more like a patio feature, with a column of stonework in the middle with the material you would like to burn on the inside.
The benefit of having an actual permanent fire pit is that it looks great and serves as a focal point for your exteriors. Everyone can gather around it, no matter what the season. Plus, it is safe: the stone enclosure prevents embers from setting light to anything else in your garden.
Large Patio Windows
Having large patio windows like those on display at renewalbyandersendenver.com can be a boon for those looking to entertain more outside. When the only thing you have between your interiors and outdoor space is large panes of glass, it encourages everyone to move outside. What’s more, it helps create flow between the indoor and outdoor areas, letting them merge into one.
Add A Bar
When you’re outside entertaining guests, you want to be able to quickly and efficiently serve them drinks. In the summer, you want a bar where you can make cooling cocktails and iced sodas. In the winter, you want hot drinks, like mulled wine or coffee.
Adding a bar is a great way to enhance your setup from a social perspective and improve everyone’s experience. You can make drinks fresh in front of friends and family without having to disappear inside.
Outdoor bars work best under shelter. Most people build them in canopied patios and verandas. Some put them in garden rooms. Furthermore, manufacturers also take pains to ensure that their bars are weatherproof. Usually, they’re made of stone, just like the other features of your property.
Add A Beverage Cooler
Don’t want to go as far as building an entire bar? Not to worry – a beverage cooler should serve you just as well.
Beverage tubs and coolers are great when you want to keep ice and drinks outdoors all day long. You just stash them away, and they’ll remain chilled for the entire day, thanks to thermal insulation. It’s a cheap solution if you don’t want to place your refrigerator outside.
Patio Umbrella
Patio umbrellas are all the rage right now. Not only do they look great, but they’re also dead simple to install.
The best designs are those where the supporting pole sits outside of your seating area, providing you with a perfect view of your guests.
Umbrellas are a cheap, quick, and stylish solution that helps keep the sun and rain off your guests. It also enables you to avoid spending a significant sum of money, installing a permanent canopy. The downside, of course, is that they don’t tend to fare well in the wind. So this might be a solution you only wheel out when the weather is calm.
Mosquito Fans
Nothing is more annoying than trying to entertain guests while mosquitoes fly around.
Fortunately, there’s a simple solution: get a mosquito fan. It turns out that mosquitoes don’t like rapidly-moving air. So when you create an artificial breeze in your outdoor spaces, they’re more likely to stay away.
When it comes to fans, you’ve got two options. If you have a roof over your patio, then you can mount it to the ceiling. If you don’t, then you can place a standalone fan on a table.
Add Furniture That Suits The Space
Take a good hard, long, and honest look at the amount of space available on your patio. Now think about what you can realistically fit in the area.
Ideally, you want a setup that reflects your interiors. Place chairs around a central feature – like the firepit or table – and then allow space to walk behind and around them.
Choose pieces of furniture that also offer guests comfort. People don’t want to sit on cast iron seats that jab into their skin. They want the same experience they’d get on an indoor couch.
Soft furnishings and the outdoors don’t usually mix. But now manufacturers have come up with cushions that won’t go moldy if they get wet and dry out quickly. It’s not quite like snuggling up with a downy pillow, but it isn’t far off.
Install An Outdoor Sound System
What is a party without music? Unfortunately, most outdoor spaces don’t have speakers. Remember, nothing creates that party feel more than a bit of music according to foxnews.com.
Here, you’ve got a couple of options. The easiest is just to get a Bluetooth speaker designed for use in outdoor spaces. When guests want music, you wheel it out, connect it to your device, and start playing.
The other option is to install surround speakers designed for the outdoors. You’ll spend more money, but you’ll get a much better sound experience in return. It’ll feel more like a disco.
Purchase Durable Tableware
Guests will also want to eat food while outside, so it helps to provide them with durable tableware, whether they sit down or stand up while eating.
Ideally, you want something that isn’t going to break the moment that they drop it. You also want items that are ideal for picnics. You don’t have to use plastic if you’re worried about the effects on the environment. Many companies now offer ceramic or wood alternatives, which function fine in outdoor spaces.
Buy plates, bowls, cups, and saucers to complete your collection. Don’t forget to choose vivid colors and patterns that complement the rest of your outdoor spaces.
