How To Create The Best Entertaining Space

If you love entertaining and you are looking for some ideas for your next party then you have come to the right place. When we decorate and furnish our homes, the impression it makes on our friends and guests is foremost in our minds. We look in trendy magazines and websites for ideas. Everything from lighting, wallpaper, storage and flooring needs to be considered.

There are times when we wish the clean up after a party wasn’t quite so devastating. The carpet always picks up a new stain, and the walls seem to have interesting spatter decorations in places we didn’t expect anyone to be! Undoubtedly something ornamental gets broken, and the glassware casualties are too numerous to count.

Image courtesy of Fiberon on Flickr - https://flic.kr/p/6X1oKC

Moving the party to the garden can help restrict some of these breakage occurrences in the house. The neighbors may need to be invited though to keep everyone happy with the additional noise from the yard. If you do have space out the back for a good gathering, now may be the time to fix up your yard and turn it into a great entertaining space.

Firstly, work out what kind of budget you have. You can do a little or a lot to your outside spaces. A good garden and entertaining space will cost you as much as a high-end kitchen though. Factor in a landscape or garden architect into your budget too. You may need help from a builder for paving or decking.

Decking can be designed to suit any space. It is usually raised off the lower ground level and provides walkways, sun areas and dining spaces. You can buy wooden or composite materials. You can look at suppliers like Softwoods for hardwood or softwood decking. It is more popular but also more expensive. Either can look stunning and provide a good non-slip and non-muddy surface.

You will need to buy railings for your deck, but you can use cheaper woods or steel and iron here. Some postings for deck railings incorporate your outside lights. Lighting can be mains or solar powered. Popular lighting solutions include ground stake solar lights along the paths, and wall or fence mounted mains lighting around your perimeter.

Dining sets for outside spaces vary in price and design wildly, but there is something for every taste and budget. Metal finish tables with glass tops are an alternative to the small iron bistro tables that were popular a few years ago. Wooden dining sets can be supplied in several treated woods that weather to a silvery finish. These can be perfect for the garden, but stay wetter for longer after a shower.

Finally, think about planting some flowers, shrubs and small trees. These will add colour and character to your new party space. You can colour match, or mood enhance with your choice of planting. Try to avoid larger trees near boundaries and buildings. Large roots will interfere with foundations and branches will hang over neighboring properties.

Designing your outside entertaining space can be great fun. Browsing online or visiting your local garden supply store will also help give you great ideas for your yard conversion.