Spring has sprung, and the time to plan your summer social calendar is upon us. If you love to entertain, there is nothing better than having friends and family over during the warm summer months with a beautifully crafted outdoor space to while away the hours.
Whether its a small patio, elevated wooden deck or expansive backyard with barbecue area, your outdoors should reflect your personal style. Here are some tips on how to create the perfectly stylish outdoor entertaining space.
Creating height variation in your outdoor space can make a space feel larger than it actually is. The beautiful inspiration image above demonstrates that If you can build up and create a separate barbecue and deck space, it brings weight and variation to an otherwise normal backyard.
As you can see, ample lighting is essential for the perfect entertaining space, however its very important what type of lighting you choose.
Directional deck lighting provides an important light source for your guests and highlights your flower beds while outdoor wall lighting sheds light on your surface area and illuminates the space enough that you don't feel like you are stuck outside in the dark.
If you don't want to hardwire the lighting in your space, attractive outdoor table lamps are a great option to create a nice glow once the sun has set.
A variation in material can also designate one space from the other. The mix of hardwood, concrete and pebbles gives the outdoor area above a ton of visual variation and has as much thought and style behind it as any indoor space.
Furniture and accessories for your outdoor entertaining space are also very important because, after all, you want your guests to be as comfortable outside as they would be inside. Think of your patio/deck/backyard as your outdoor living room and you're off to a great start.
Your outdoor seating choices should be in scale with the space you have, and not overwhelmingly large or uselessly dinky. If you don't have the space for a table of eight and a lounge area don't push it.
Accessories like tranquil outdoor fountains can help to create a calm atmosphere as well as drown out any unwanted noises from neighbors or street traffic.
And finally, finishing touches like decorative outdoor pillows are a perfect way to bring in color, texture and your own personal style to the space.