Inviting friends and family over to your home is easier to do once you have a fantastic outdoor entertaining area. Your home will become the envy of others and the regular spot for all of your friends to stop by and hang out. Check out these ways to create the ultimate outdoor entertaining area that will keep your house status at party central:
Comfortable Seating
Having enough seating for everyone that comes over is important when entertaining outdoors. Make sure to have different options of seating in different areas of your outdoor living space. Consider adding some comfortable conversational seating like this beautiful Topaz Collection piece that will invite guests to stay awhile. Other seating options like chaise loungers and folding chairs are also good ways to provide additional seating space.
Grilling Area
The ultimate outdoor entertaining area needs adequate space to grill food and provide a meal for hungry guests. Make sure that your grilling area is nearby the seating area but far enough away that guests don’t choke on the smoke coming from the grill. Perhaps have a few different cooking areas like a grill, smoker, or even a fire pit that can provide fun cooking opportunities. Add a few tables and shelves with those outdoor grilling items that you always need, like tongs and seasonings, to create the ultimate outdoor kitchen while entertaining outdoors.
Outdoor Dining
One of the key areas of a successful outdoor living space is to provide enough table room for guests to enjoy their food and drinks. Choose a large enough dining table that will fit you plus a few friends as well as extra room for those unexpected guests. Items like a large rectangle shaped table are great for seating many guests as well as smaller round tables that take advantage of other areas of the yard. Make sure that dining areas also provide enough adequate shade for guests with either umbrellas or sun sails to keep the atmosphere cool even on the hottest of days.
Outdoor Activities
An important part of creating an entertaining space is to provide some sort of game or activity for guests to do when they come over for a party. Consider adding lawn games like horseshoes or bean bag toss to your outdoor living area for easy games that can be played by both kids and adults. Bocce ball and carpet ball are other options for outdoor friendly games that will keep guests entertained. Other options for kids who tag along would include water game, bubbles or chalk to keep little ones entertained for hours.
Cozy Atmosphere
Any great outdoor entertaining space needs to feel inviting and comforting. Add elements of beauty to your outdoor living areas by adding fragrant potted plants on outdoor dining tables and near seating areas. Another great feature for a home is to add a hot tub that will provide guests with a relaxing soak after a tough week at work. Make sure that your outdoor seating has pillows and blankets in case the air gets chilly as well as hang outdoor lights to create a romantic ambience far after the sun goes down.
Natural Pest Repellent
There's nothing worse than having a backyard gathering ruined by mosquitos and gnats. Fortunately, there are a number of options for ensuring your backyard stays as pest free as possible. For starters, make sure there is no standing water on your property. If you have bodies of water such as bird baths or coy ponds, make sure the water is constantly circulating, otherwise it becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Installing pest repelling plants can also be an effective method of ensuring your guests don't get eaten my mosquitos. According to WikiLawn, "The most effective plant repellant is lemongrass and any close relatives." Finally, tiki torches with Citronella oil will both repel mosquitoes and add a nice ambience for evening gatherings.
Creating the ultimate outdoor entertaining area is easy with these quick tips. Consider choosing multiple options for seating as well as having a dedicated space to grill and prepare food for guests. Other options include having enough dining space for everyone as well as creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere to welcome guests. Finish off your outdoor living space with enough games to keep everyone busy and having fun all day long. All of these items put together will make the ultimate outdoor entertaining area for you and your guests to enjoy all year long.
