When you feel the temperatures warm up, you might want to start getting your outdoor space ready. Outdoor living is beneficial, providing you motivation to be more active, productive, and having fun with your friends and family. This spring, consider exploring the full potential of your backyard and enjoy the warm seasons from the comforts of your home.
To prepare your outdoor space for your guests, you want to bring out different spaces where they can gather. No matter how big or small you’re thinking about changing, it’s always best to have a plan before acting on anything. Whether you’re thinking of a lounge, a dining area, or even both, nothing is too small to neglect the planning process. Better yet, consider starting planning before winter ends.
Cleaning and decluttering
Making space and decluttering your outdoor living area is always an excellent way to start to welcome new ideas. Get rid of accessories and decors that you don’t want there anymore. Clean out all traces of dust and wash your upholstery and other furniture. Get rid of every grim that’s caused by the harsh winter. Get a leaf blower or rent a pressure washer and wash the hell out of your patio flooring, making it shiny again. It will definitely make a difference.
During the cleaning process, you also want to get rid of unwanted insects flying around and biting your guests, such as mosquitoes and gnats. Have your yard sprayed for a day and prepare some mosquito repellents for your company.
Don’t forget to scrub your patio railings, gate, and fencing. If you think they’re too old and grubby, it might be time to replace them with durable alternatives like Trex industrial gates to prevent them from becoming a safety hazard.
Providing enough shade
While it’s fun and relaxing to spend your time outdoors in the warm seasons, you still have to think about too much exposure to the sun’s rays. You can have the most comfortable and the prettiest outdoor furniture, but you won’t be able to get to enjoy them with the sun blinding you. Some days can be too hot and too bright, and you don’t want your company to have the inconvenience.
Opt for at least one source of shade or on both sides, where the sun hits the harshest in the morning and afternoon. Also, you don’t want to put too much shade since you can’t enjoy the sun that way.
Create a calming and inviting ambiance
Your outdoor area may or not already have an existing ambiance that attracts and impresses your guests. Either way, you might want to change it up and give it a boost for more comfort. Consider upgrading your lighting and reach for more cozy ones so it would be more inviting even in the evenings. Add a centerpiece and planters that you can display around the dining area. This can be good, especially if you don’t have much grass or greenery in your yard.
Adding a lounge area
Adding a separate area for lounging doesn’t have to be a big space, but just enough to make your guests more comfortable if they want to sit on something softer and cozier before or after the meal. You can also use this lounge to have drinks as the night comes to an end, being all comfortable and almost ready for bed. You can also make this a reading spot or perhaps an outdoor movie theater when guests aren’t around.
Making space for hobbies
You can make a special space for physical activities or other hobbies if you have more space, such as a kiddie pool, a pet playground, or a swing set. You can even invest in a piece of gym equipment or two, like a treadmill or a space where you can do yoga and other workouts. If you have a smaller space, you can provide this instead of a lounge or a dining area.
Creating this kind of space will encourage you and your family to be more physically active instead of just hanging around indoors with your phones and laptops. This is also a way of having more space for a gathering or even a party, flexible enough to be whatever you want it to be.
If you’re lucky enough to have yard space, whether big or small, take the opportunity to create something that makes you more excited to spend time outdoors. Take advantage of using the area to create something you enjoy and love by giving it more of your personality to make it feel like home.