If you’re looking for some new renovation ideas for the home, it’s always a good idea to start with the space that you don’t use as often as you might like. For a lot of people, that might be the backyard. Suppose you don’t have as many kids running around as you used to, nor the green thumbs required to actually enjoy taking care of all of that space. In that case, there is one way that you could make it something you love to return to time and again: by making it a relaxing and inviting dining space to enjoy eating and socialising when the weather allows for it.
Setting up the right space
First of all, acknowledge that people aren’t going to want to eat on the grass, with the fear of creepy crawlies scaling their legs and the uneven ground beneath them. As such, you should make sure that you establish the right place for your dining setup, and the two most popular ways to do this are to erect some wooden decking or to set down a patio, often made of stone or similar materials. Take the time to work out how much space is available, how much you need, and the pros and cons of decking vs. patios to work out which best suits your needs.
Choosing the right kind of furniture
There are two different things you need to make sure that your furniture is suitable for being outdoors and offering enough room for the whole group that you want to invite. Making sure that you choose furniture that’s either suitable for outdoor use or has easily removable cushions or things that might not do well in the rain is crucial. Furniture like restaurant tables can offer an excellent place to both eat and socialize, allowing you to make room for everyone without taking up too much space. Kitchen tables can tend to be a little too big, by comparison.
Give it some climate adaptability
If you want to be able to enjoy your outdoor dining space a little more often, then you have better be prepared to reckon with the weather. Both rain and shine can ruin your evening out, after all. One of the best things you can do is to install some sort of canopy, be it an awning or standalone, that can extend over the whole area. It might not be able to keep you nice and dry if there’s a rainstorm happening, but it might mean that a light drizzle isn’t the end of the world and can offer some much-needed shade from the sun.
Make sure you can keep it comfy at night
There’s more that you can do other than shading the area to make it better suited to different weather. For instance, one of the things that might well bring your party to an early end is if there starts to be a chill in the air. There are plenty of outdoor heating options that you can take the time to peruse, able to safely heat up an area. Just be mindful that exterior heating is rarely very energy efficient since there’s no insulation, so you don’t want to become over-reliant on it.
Lighting is more than aesthetic
You need to light up any exterior socialising or dining space, that should be a top priority. For one, you can really set some ambience and mood with the right exterior lighting. Furthermore, you can keep your party going longer, allowing it to extend even as the sun starts to dip in the evening. Most importantly, lighting offers visibility, which can be crucial for safety. Light up the whole area as best as you can, but be especially mindful to highlight any steps or dips with them.
Make it your private space
If you want people to be able to more easily relax in your outdoor dining space, then you want to make sure that they aren’t going to feel too self-conscious about it. Giving the space some privacy, whether it’s by installing a green wall on your exterior fence, arranging plant-life to surround the dining space, or even using fabric hangings can make the space feel both a little more luxurious and exclusive, while offering some good sound insulation.
The tips above can help you ensure that you’re able to turn an unused and unloved space within your garden into something that you’re actually likely to use. Now you’ll have even more reason to look forward to the spring and summertime.