It is no fun being cooped up in your house all of the time – even on those colder wintry days. Having an outdoor space that doubles up as a retreat and as an entertaining space is important. However, how can you create this awesome space – even in the smallest of gardens or yards?

Firstly, it is important to get to grips with the size of the area you are working with. Even if you have large-scale ambitions, you still need to establish how much space you have. Setting out a plan for the space will allow you to fill it with everything you want and need.

Have a Flat Space or Area

Once you have established the size of the area you are working with, you then need to begin creating a flat space. This flat space could be a decked area, or it could be a patio area. The area is important as it is going to house everything you need to entertain – including seating, tables, and chairs. The preparation work in creating a flat space or area will take time, so do not underestimate how big this job can be. Once you have created a flat space or area, you can then begin adding all the elements you want.

Introduce Plenty of Seating Areas

All good entertaining spaces have plenty of places to sit and relax. This could be cozy sofas, or it could be large dining tables and chairs. When you are introducing seating areas, it is important that they look good but that they also last well too. Making sure that all furniture is suitable for outdoor use (and suitably protected using a stain or paint) is essential. Seating areas will get heavy use all year round, and they need to be weather resistant.

Install an Outdoor Kitchen

When you are outside enjoying the company of others, you will not want to keep going inside to get snacks or food. Having an outdoor kitchen or bar area installed gives you the chance to cook and prepare the food and snacks you want outdoors, which is fantastic during the summer months when you want to enjoy the weather and host garden parties.

Before heading to Google and typing common search queries like “outdoor kitchens near me“, it is important that you decide what you want first. For instance, do you want plenty of workspaces, a sink, a preparation area, and a cooking area? What does your ideal (or dream) outdoor kitchen look like, and what does it feature? When you can establish this, you can then start shopping.

Create Visual Interest

Outdoor entertaining spaces have to be visually entertaining. So, what are you going to do to create this all-important visual interest? Are you going to have an outdoor cinema screening area? Are you going to have bespoke lighting? Are there going to be pieces of artwork featured throughout the entertaining space? What do you think is visually attractive, and what do you feel would be appealing to others? Having water features or even an entertainment system can be appealing and a great conversation starter too.