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This summer season, expand your social calendar — and hosting prowess — by ensuring your home outdoor areas are well-equipped for gathering your loved ones. Below are examples of how to set the scene in your own backyard for memories you all won’t soon forget.
For a Bonfire Night
Arrange your patio furniture around a steel sphere fire pit for a fresh take on the everyday wood hearth. From s’mores to hot dogs to roast corn, your bonfire night can be accompanied by a mouth-watering menu that can be cooked to perfection even by young ones. Summer nights may be warm, but the draw of a crackling fire will lend itself to the right atmosphere for bonding with friends and family.
For a Romantic Evening
Install a hanging chair in your patio or under your favorite tree and you might just have the best seat in the house. Wind down with your loved one in a cozy, private nook that can sway the two of you into ultimate relaxation mode. Just because you are spending a night at home doesn’t mean you can’t have a change of scenery, too. Gain a newfound appreciation for your own backyard by spending more time in it together.
For a Wine Tasting
A slatted pergola can lend the right atmosphere to an at-home wine tasting and transport your guests to a Napa vineyard or the French countryside. Whether it is stand-alone or attached to your home, a pergola can function as a chic outdoor covering, especially when bedecked with honeysuckle vine or climbing roses. Nestle a lounge underneath and let the wine — and accompanying stories — flow.
Go beyond barbecues and cook-outs this season. When you outfit your areas with pieces that both inspire and foster social gatherings and conversation, you and your guests might find yourself having a summer for the books.