Create Your Outdoor Living Space

If you build it, they will come. People are drawn to outdoor spaces and if you build an outdoor patio or entertaining area, they will visit and spend time there. Barbecues and gatherings are what make summertime fun, so providing the perfect retreat to kick back and relax with a few (or ten) of your closest friends and family makes your house or cabin the place where they all want to be.

So what are the important elements that make a successful outdoor entertaining space? First of all, have a good plan in mind before starting out. There’s nothing worse than digging, moving gravel, planting things and toiling with yardwork only to discover it’s all wrong. Hiring a skilled landscape contractor may be just what the doctor ordered. They have the experience and expertise to help plan the space and then execute the plan to perfection. Here’s a foolproof checklist to help you plan your perfect outdoor entertaining space.

Create a focal point – Figure out where you want the outdoor entertainment space. If you put it too far from the house, you should plan on many trips back and forth when entertaining for both setting up as well as cleanup, unless you incorporate storage space nearby. For seating, a good idea might include outdoor waterproof ottomans or benches with storage underneath to keep things like s’more sticks, fire starter, bug spray, beer koozies and more.

Make a direct path - Create a path from your house to this entertainment area so that it’s easy to find. Incorporating flagstone walk-ways is a great look. When first creating this walkway, you should dig down about 6 inches, making sure that the flagstone pavers sit below the surface of the grass. I learned that mowing over them doesn’t work so well if they aren’t at or below grade and may cause you to replace a lawnmower blade sooner rather than later. Sorry honey. Once the pavers are placed, you can fill around them with dirt and plant a creeping moss that will spread throughout the season, sprinkle some grass seed and let it grow back around the flagstones or fill the joints of the flagstones with pea gravel.

Greenery - Natural vegetation is also a must. Planting flowers, shrubs, hanging baskets and vegetation provide natural colors and scents throughout your outdoor space. Certain plants are known to be natural bug repellents. The majority of insect repelling plants are most effective alive (not as concentrated scents derived from the plant, such as candles and sprays) with their naturally occurring fragrances. Planting things such as citronella grasses that keep mosquitos away can also be decorative. Catmint, also known as catnip, is also effective as a mosquito repellant. According to a study conducted at Iowa State University, it is 10 times more effective than DEET, the chemical in most mosquito spray repellents. There are several herbs that are natural pest repellants that could be used as accents throughout your garden. Rosemary might be a good option but does best in hot, dry climates. Basil, lavender, lemon-scented geraniums and marigolds are also options that provide pest control and good vibrant leaves, colors and hearty vegetation. Also, having mint around never hurts – it smells good, and who doesn’t like fresh mint muddled in their mojito?

Deck/Floor – Having a permanent, stable area on which to put your chairs is necessary. Even if you just level off an area and put down flagstone pavers, it not only designates the area, it also gives you a level place for seating. Erecting a pergola over this area also provides a focal point. The vegetation can creep up the columns, you can wind lights around the beams and columns, and it provides uprights to hang plants from and also provides a stable place to mount sun screen shades (keep reading for more on this).

Seating – There needs to be an area dedicated to seating and plenty of room for people to make themselves comfortable. I like standing around looking at a fire and enjoying a beer or glass of wine but only want to stand for so long. After a while, it feels good to sit down and give your feet a rest. Adirondack chairs seem to be popular because of their larger seats, flat arm rests that are not only good for resting your arms but are awesome built-in places to set your drink. The angle of the seating is nice – you are able to sit back against the sturdy backs, rest your head – and the angle for your legs is also comfortable. Incorporating stacked or raised pavers as seating is a great idea as well. Large pavers allow people to sit together, are naturally weather resistant and easy to clean. Just hose them off as needed. Also, when you don’t have people over, they look great, are integrated into the natural setting and have an organic appearance. Having seating for everyone is imperative to your guests staying longer and being comfortable late into the evening. Speaking of comfort late in the evening, what better thing to gather around than a fire, right?

Fire – Having a fire pit in the center of this outdoor space encourages people to gather around. Not only does it help them to stay warm, but the quiet flickering casts incredible ambient light so you can still see each other even though it may be dark enough to see the stars. Creating a barrier around the fire is also a great idea — it will help keep the kids (and guests) from getting too close to the flames. Digging the pit down into the dirt and then building rocks up around it will work for this barrier. This built-up wall provides a place to rest your feet up close to the fire when you’re kicked back in the seats around the pit. The built-up wall also gives the kids something on which to lean their s’mores sticks.

Privacy – You don’t have to have acreage to make an outdoor entertainment space work for your yard. There are ways to create an oasis for your outdoor get-togethers, yet still provide privacy from the neighbor across the fence. Not only will it make your party more enjoyable, your neighbors may appreciate it too. You can purchase weatherproof ready-made drapery panels. Remember that pergola that we talked about earlier? Now you already have a place to hang them. Not only does this provide visual privacy, it also helps absorb some of the sound. Providing soft fabric is a great acoustical quality to add when neighbors are close by. Also, when you consider which plants will benefit your outdoor space, planting taller bushes or even trees between your place and your neighbor’s may be a good option too.

Add Color – Add color to your space with outdoor seat cushions, drape a few throws over chairs not only to add some color, but also for people to cozy up with as they sit around the fire later in the evening.

Happy summertime – Hope you can enjoy your new outdoor entertainment space to the max!

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