By Diana Elizabeth Steffen
Summer means longer days outside, whether on the lawn, in the pool, or by the firepit. With friends and family gatherings this season, you want to have your backyard set up as the perfect spot to make this summer's memories.
Keep your backyard summer ready with a few ideas to enhance outdoor entertaining and establish your house as the go-to spot this season.
Outdoor Games
We always set out outdoor games when we host parties. It allows guests to interact, entertains the little ones unattended, and leads to friends enjoying themselves and laughing over a casual game. Our favorites include a giant 4 in a row game, which is fun, and the little and big kids love it.
Another favorite is Ladder Golf, which is a great game for adults and teens – a bit more challenging, but not too difficult.
Cornhole is also a favorite outdoor game, but because of its large boards, storage when not in use can be an issue. There is a mini desktop cornhole option you can leave on a tabletop which might make the game more challenging since everything is smaller, but it is still fun.
Outdoor Speakers
You could use a portable or outdoor wall mount patio speakers that connect to your phone via Bluetooth to play your favorite tunes.
While Google Home speakers don’t specify outdoor use, I have a few under my covered patios where the speakers are safe from harsh outdoor elements. Creating speaker groups on your Google Home app will allow you to play on several speakers throughout the home using the same playlist so guests can hear the same song as they travel throughout different areas of your home.
Fire Table
Using a fire table year-round is always a favorite way to gather and have conversation. The portability of Paddy O’ Furniture’s fire tables are a plus, as are the customization abilities to match your decor – Paddy O’ has two different base finishes to select from and several durable surface tops. You can also personalize the color of the glass.
During the warm summer months you may not need it for heat but rather for ambiance. With a portable propane fire table you can adjust the flame height. Leave the umbrella closed so the heat can radiate out and not heat your company if it’s already warm outside.
Check out our portable propane fire tables
A Designated Area to Keep Drinks Cool
A side table that turns into a round ice bucket table? Genius! Yes it exists, and you can find it at Paddy O’ Furniture! When it’s not in use as an ice bucket, the 24” ice bucket table has a lid that goes over to make it a side table. It is very light-weight, with a long-lasting, powder-coated aluminum finish.
It’s fabulous to have a chilled bottle close by the seating area, and no need to look for an ice bucket which requires extra storage or another thing to bring out and set up! You can easily reach for a chilled drink or bottle when guests need a refill.
Another item I enjoy using for drinks for the bigger parties is by MacKenzie Childs – a metal planter table that can flip over to turn the shelf into a tub that we fill with ice for drinks, or flip to be a table for food. In the photo below, I placed a silver tray across the top that displayed cups, straws and an ice scoop so guests could serve themselves. I also added a sign to explain how to create their own drink mixture.
Outdoor Wireless Dimmer for String Lights
Café string lights are a must to turn on at night and extend the evening entertaining. Since café string lights come in one brightness sometimes that can be too bright! Plug in the string lights to this outdoor dimmer that comes with a remote and you can adjust the level of brightness by 25%, 50%, or 75%.
Plenty of Seating
Of course, ample seating is important to make guests comfortable. This is my set up in our backyard featuring Paddy O’s Rancho Cushion Collection. This sectional and loveseat set up can seat a lot of friends – and the ottomans double as extra seating when not used as foot rests!
On the topic of seating, have you heard about Paddy O’s new Bliss Pouf? It comes in three shapes: 36” round, 24” square, and a 48” x 24” rectangle. The fabric on Bliss Poufs are available in the same colors as the Bliss Cushions, which means you can expect lasting beauty and comfort, whether you use them as a table, a foot rest, or as additional seating. You can even let your wet, furry best friend on it after a dip in the pool. Bliss Poufs are durable! Just use a hose to rinse them off!
Shade
Everyone needs relief from the sun, and porches are great, but sometimes you want to sit further out on the lawn to enjoy a breeze or be near the pool. The cantilever umbrella comes in 11’ and 13’ widths and can tilt as the sun rotates. It is easy to adjust and maneuver, and offers more flexibility when it comes to creating a shaded seating arrangement. Use more than one to shade your entire pool!
With all these ideas, you’ll be the most popular house on the block!
Stop into one of the Paddy O’ Furniture showrooms in Arizona or Tennessee and let them help you design a great backyard space.You’ll find the styles and colors to personalize your outdoors. Order online and know your furniture can ship nationwide. And the furniture from Paddy O’ comes with exceptional warranties, like the Bliss Cushion’s 5-year warranty or the Bliss EcoLumber collections’ 25-year frame warranty.
Paddy O’ Furniture is designed and built to last through the years. Get your backyard ready this summer, and it will be ready for next summer, and the next, and the next!
