There’s nothing quite like entertaining in your own outdoor dining or living space. Enjoying a glass of wine in your garden or cooking out with friends are amongst some of the most ideal ways to spend any comfortable evening.
Of course, in order to ensure that you and your guests stay comfortable outdoors, you’ll need to think about what design elements you’d like to add to your outdoor entertaining space. Thankfully, a few key tips and tools are all you really need to streamline any hosting occasion whilst still making sure that you can be a present and relaxed host.
If your typical gatherings are more of a buffet than a banquet, there are plenty of productivity hacks and cool cooking gadgets like free standing pizza ovens or even hot plates that’ll help you feed a crowd with minimal fuss. Alongside this, providing seating for all your guests and plenty of illumination and warmth to help them enjoy a luxury alfresco dining experience, can all help your home become the garden party destination for all your friends.
If you do like to flex your master chef muscles or want to wow everyone with your mixology training at your next outdoor dinner party or any other celebration in your garden space, then this is the read for you. Let’s explore how you can design the most picture-perfect, functional outdoor garden space for hosting this social season.
Designated Spaces
Even if you’re not living in your dream home, considering how you can transform your space can actually provide you with more creative control than you might think possible. When it comes to home design, a good rule of thumb to think about the flow of your outdoor dining and entertainment areas in order to create comfortable zones for your guests. Think about the pathway that your guests will be following from your front door and interior living spaces, straight through to your back door and out into your garden. Are there comfortable places to stand, sit, and eat? Are there tabletops available for guests to place their drinks?
If you have children or are preparing to host families with younger kids or even teens, then you’ll also need to consider how your space caters to these guests. House plans that incorporate areas for kids to sit amongst themselves or enjoy their food at their own pace can go a long way when it comes to keeping both them and their parents comfortable. And if you’re preparing for any overnight guests, then make sure that guest rooms are just as comfortable as your party spaces.
Storage Hideaways
As much as it’s great having people over, that last-minute dash to prep your entertainment areas followed by the inevitable clearing and cleaning up afterwards can inhibit many from actually enjoying the process of hosting. So how can you simplify the logistics of hosting?
Building some storage hideaways in your home is essential, from organising your hall closet so you can quickly and easily store your guests’ belongings to putting miscellaneous clutter in their own spaces (i.e. hideaways for toys, home cleaning equipment, spare cables, etc.). Investing in storage won’t just streamline your hosting experiences but also your daily life.
But what storage solutions are best suited to your new home? Identifying what kind of host you are can actually help here. For instance, if you live for communal connection and open-plan living then choosing open storage like shelving, overhanging storage, or even modular storage cubbies that allow for easy access can help complement the open flow of your home.On the other hand, those who would rather their visitors not see some of the chaos can instead invest in a butler’s pantry set-up that provides extra space and privacy.
Style & Function
Drawing back to the idea of maintaining functionality alongside style, it’s also imperative that you consider the amenities that you may like to add to your space. Some functional elements that you may wish to incorporate include a drinks cabinet for a makeshift outdoor bar, a BBQ or outdoor oven as we mentioned earlier, a sideboard for serving ware, and extra table accessories that are within easy reach, like candles, extra silverware, and coasters or drink napkins.
Keeping additional soft furnishings in the hallway or outdoor benches is a great way to easily transition between inside and out over the course of your at-home gathering. With the right house design elements in place, you can pull extra seating, crockery, and other equipment virtually out of nowhere, ensuring that you can stay as present as possible whilst playing host.
Tools Of The Trade
You know how you like to entertain better than anyone else, so be sure to take the time to consider what tools could best compliment your entertaining style. For example, campfire lovers can get a year-round ambience they will love by simply installing a fire pit. Budding grill masters will benefit from a range of cooking tools like tongs, grill racks, and perhaps even skewers to plate up your very own shish kabob.
Supplies like napkins, tissues, cocktail umbrellas, and other niceties that will be sure to enhance the dining experience of your guests can also go a long way. Similarly, having a few games on hand, even for an adult setting is never a bad idea. And for those looking to go the extra mile when it comes to curating the perfect ambience, investing in soft and flattering lighting, portable speakers, shelter, and even outdoor heaters for warmth, will ensure that your alfresco area is the ultimate hangout space for all your loved ones year-round.
Set Yourself Up To Be The Host With The Most Moving Forward
Making sure you create a space that ensures the comfort of your guests is paramount to being a good host. Following the tips above, you can ensure that you are set up to be the host with the most the next time you are entertaining family and friends.
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