How to prepare your outdoor space for entertaining this summer

An outdoor space for entertaining friends and family should reflect the home owner’s personality and style; a place that lifts their spirit and makes them feel comfortable and safe.

That’s the view of landscape designer, Betsy-Sue Clarke, who is passionate about the healing power or nature and has a spiritual approach to her work. “I start with finding out what people need in an outdoor space to help them connect with positive, uplifting memories. It might be a holiday they’ve had or some lovely childhood memories.

“It’s about having a style or theme that makes them feel totally comfortable and uplifted. This way, they will always be drawn to it.”

Clarke asks her clients to scrapbook their ideas and then creates a mood board. “I have the mood board in front of me while I’m designing, so I can incorporate practical elements which fit in with the client’s style.”

Clarke says anyone can have a professionally designed outdoor space regardless of their budget. She is highly regarded in the industry for her sustainable approach – some of her award-winning work consists almost entirely of recycled materials.

“When it comes to hard landscaping – the surfaces and structures – you can’t avoid costs, but having said that, you can achieve beautiful results using recycled timber.” She has found all manner of “treasures” on old farms, in tips and from Mother Nature. Some of her structures are made using tree trunks and branches.

Urban nest: Outhouse Design turns a small area into an uber-cool spot for outdoor entertaining. Photo: Outhouse Design

Steve Warner, principal landscape designer at Outhouse Design says his job is to “maximise the value of external spaces”.

“A good design will engage your interest and draw you outside. It has to be visually exciting but also practical and designed for year-round use,” he says.

“The best garden doesn’t have to be the most expensive, just well-considered. It’s all about planning the space and that starts with asking the client ‘How do you want to use the space?’ It needs to have the capacity to extend for those times when you have a larger gathering, and the structures need more than one purpose.

“For example, fire pits are popular, but they are only useful in winter. So, we would suggest one that can be used as an ice bucket in the warmer months.

“A garden for all seasons has a combination of plants that flower at different times of the year, so you have blooms year-round.”

The furniture

Design consultant and national retail manager for Cosh Living, Shane Saunders, says the first thing people should consider is how they’ll be using the area. “We often have people asking for a 16-seat dining table when they are only likely to entertain that many people once or twice a year.”

Saunders says it would be more practical to buy a smaller table with fewer chairs, or an extension table and a combination of dining chairs and bench seats “which can fit more bottoms on them” for when you have a crowd.

A well-designed outdoor space can be used all year-round. Photo: Dirtscape dreaming

Next, Saunders says people should consider “what’s inside the house” to create a seamless transition from indoors to outdoors. “Now days, outdoor areas are seen as an extension of the indoors. The outdoors have become as important as the indoors – not only does the style carry through but people are giving it as much consideration.

“People are paying a premium for real estate, so they want to maximise the value of each space and get as much use from it as possible.”

Saunders says outdoor furniture needs to be “fit for purpose”. “It needs to fit comfortably in the space and not dominate or overwhelm it. He suggests keeping things simple so “Mother Nature can dominate”.

Use hardwearing furniture for the outdoors. Photo: Dirtscape dreaming

Obviously, outdoor furniture has to be hardwearing and able to withstand the elements. “There’s a trend towards powder-coated metal over stainless steel [because of its weather resilience] and new ceramic surfaces instead of glass. Teak is massively popular because it’s natural, really tough and ages gracefully,” he says.

Spruce up existing space

Deck it out: bring an older deck back to life. Photo: Bunnings

Bring an older deck back to life with the following tips from Bunnings national paint buyer, Barry Murphy.

• Ensure your deck is safe by replacing damaged boards and securing loose panels and screws;
• Use a deck cleaning agent or high pressure hose to remove dirt, mould and moss;
• Sand back the timber (if required) and apply two to three coats of stain or sealant using a lamb’s wool applicator;
• Install lighting for nighttime ambience – perhaps wall-mounted spot or up-lights. Drape fairy lights (on the railing or in the surrounding garden) for a festive look.

DesignByThem is a Sydney-based furniture company. 

Download our Essentials for entertaining outside checklist for more tips.