With the weather warming up, now is the perfect time to prepare for summer nights full of friends, family, and fun. What better way than by building an outdoor entertaining area? There are a lot of ways to refine your outdoor living, but these four tips help you nail the basics. From refreshing your porch posts to a cooking area, here’s what you need to know.

Refresh Your Deck or Patio

The base of your outdoor entertaining area is your deck or patio. Whether it’s a cemented area in your backyard or a wood patio that wraps around the corner of your home, this is where all the action happens. Before you add anything to it, spend some time updating and refreshing what you already have.

Wash and restain your wood. Sand down any rough or splintering boards. Fix loose pieces with new nails and fill gaps with some Flex Paste. Add new porch posts to areas under an overhanging roof. Hang up some planters and fresh flowers from your new posts.

All this sets you up for success when entertaining outdoors and gives you a clean slate to build on.

Bring Your Living Room Outdoors

Now, it’s time to build your entertaining area.

One tip to live by is to create a spot that feels like your living room but outdoors.

One way to do this is with high-quality patio furniture. That way, your guests have a place to hang out, relax, and kick back. Don’t just stop at a few fold-out chairs. Really fill it out. Throw down an outdoor rug, add a dining table, and make sure you have enough seats for everyone. Sectional patio sets and a coffee table are hard to beat when it comes to outdoor entertaining.

Include a Cooking Area

If there’s one thing every good party has, it’s food. And when your friends and family say “well-done,” hopefully they mean your outdoor cooking setup and not their burgers.

You could get a commonplace grill, but you’re not aiming for common. You want something exciting.

For the best entertaining experience, add a complete outdoor kitchen to your setup. A grill enclosed by stone countertops or a modular cooking setup with multiple stations means you’ll have all the space you need to craft a three-course meal for everyone. Concrete countertops, bar carts, outdoor refrigerators, and pizza ovens can all turn the heat up to 11 in your outdoor kitchen.

Improve Your Privacy

Just because you’re outside doesn’t mean you want the whole world in on your party. This one is invitation-only. So you’ll be glad you took some privacy measures beforehand.

One way to combine nature and privacy is to border your entertaining area with tall garden fencing, wooden frames, or even just posts, and grow climbing plants to serve as your wall. It might take some time, but it helps section off your entertaining area with a beautiful border. Vines and hedges are great options because they like growing up just as much as they do out.

Another option is a pergola, gazebo, or awning with privacy-enhancing accessories like curtains or covers. This has the added benefit of extra weather protection and shade. It’s a great way to combine all the benefits of the outdoors with everything that makes indoor entertaining great. You’ll never want to go back.

About Menards®

If you want to Save Big Money® on all your favorite DIY, home improvement, and personal construction projects, it’s time to head to Menards®. Whether you’re a seasoned expert looking for new stair treads for a staircase or a newcomer working on building a bookshelf, Menards® has you covered. With an unrivaled combination of outstanding customer service, quality building materials, and affordable prices, it’s never been easier to get started on your next project. From single-day projects to year-long undertakings, Menards® will be with you every step of the way. Their Design-It Center and Project Calculator keep you on track and under budget. When you’re ready to build, build it with Menards®. 

Level up your outdoor entertaining with materials and supplies from https://www.menards.com/

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