Patio Furniture • Outdoor Living Essentials • Christmas

7 Recommendations for Outdoor Living in 2021

Outdoor Living is a bigger trend than ever as we move into 2021. New design, colors and products are arriving to our showroom now. The Pantone color of the year for 2021 is highlighted in our feature image, the surprise for 2021…”two independent colors that highlight how different elements come together to support one another, best express the mood for 2021.” Serene Ultimate Gray and sunny Illuminating Yellow. So how can you optimize your outdoor living space for the best experience while currently spending more time at home? We have a few recommendations for you:

 

  1. Turn things inside out!  Have breakfast on the patio, take the laptop outside under the umbrella for the next Zoom meeting, invite the neighbor over for a social distanced happy hour. With a great patio dining set you can dine outside, relax in the sun with a cold beverage, and most important of all change your perspective with a new view outside the house!
  2. Add an outdoor kitchen or bar. Create a vacation atmosphere in your backyard with a convenient cooking space, cooler table and beverage cart, or both. Add a portable pizza oven for your own patio bistro. If you can’t take that vacation this year, invest in a staycation environment in your own backyard.
  3. Add some light and extend your outdoor time. Add some outdoor lighting features. Nothing creates an inviting atmosphere more than the warmth of soft lighting. Decorative string lights, lanterns, outdoor LED candles,  lamps and solar lighting are all great options.
  4. Create some warmth outdoors.  From an outdoor fireplace, fire pit, fire table, tabletop fire feature and outdoor heaters…we have a plethora of fire options available to suit any space.
  5. Don’t forget to accessorize. Cushions, pillows, blankets, rugs…all of the comforts of your indoor living space are now available and made for outdoor living. Store your accessories in a convenient deck box for ease of access and to keep them clean and dry. Small water features can add some peace, serenity and visual interest to your space.
  6. Don’t forget the kiddos! A creative play area adjacent to your outdoor living space can create fun for the whole family. Check out these cute kids adirondack chairs sized just for them. The adults get a break and the kids are occupied with outdoor fun and away from screens.
  7. Create a garden.  Healthy and beneficial to the grocery budget, a edible garden can be a home school project for the kids to participate in as well.  A few planters or flower beds can create a beautiful view from the home office window to brighten the work-from-home day.

Do you need to create a foundation for your outdoor space? Visit Belgard for more tips on setting up the area before you deck it out. Come see us at our Overland Park Seasonal Concepts showroom or work with our experienced customer service representative live online to customize your space today.  You could be enjoying a great outdoors in your own back yard now.

How To Create Your Own Backyard Bistro

Entertaining at home is a trend that has been growing in popularity the past few years, in part because of economics and also in part to the ease and comfort of being in one’s own home. Closely connected to the home entertaining trend is the idea of making your outdoor space an extension of indoor living.

Inviting friends and family over for a dinner party is the most common form of at-home entertaining, while going out to dinner is also a stand-by for those who choose to leave home for a night out. Why not fuse these two concepts by transforming your backyard into a dining destination? To create your own backyard bistro, you’ll need three things: great atmosphere, the right set-up and fantastic food. Remember to keep it simple (after all, that’s the beauty of entertaining at home) and follow these suggestions:

1) A great atmosphere. Set the mood with soft lighting. Setting up outdoor candles or fire features make all the difference. When the sun goes down, keep things from getting too dark by stringing up a couple sets of patio lights, which are weather resistant and easy to install. The right lighting makes outdoor entertaining cozy and inviting.

2) The right set-up. Instead of one table, try something unexpected by arranging a few smaller tables in your backyard, which will also contribute to the bistro vibe. Check out our bistro sets and add a beautiful spot for the perfect outdoor dining atmosphere to your backyard that looks as though it came from a five-star restaurant.

The other trick to your set-up is convenience. Plan to cook food outdoors, so you don’t have to be away from your guests for a long period of time. Prepare everything you’ll need before their arrival, and then roll everything outside on a bistro cart once it’s time to cook. On a similar note, keeping beverages in a convenient cooler outside will prevent your guests from being forced to trek in and out of the house too often.

3) Fantastic food. ‘Tis the season for burgers, brats and barbeque. A space-saving portable electric grill can easily sit atop your bistro cart, giving you a one-stop location for cooking. Or a flexible pizza oven/smoker is a unique outdoor cooking feature that is also portable and gives you more cooking options than a standard grill.  Finally, when it comes to the fare, depart from traditional barbeque and go for interesting flavor combinations such as chipotle and maple, brown sugar and bourbon, sweet red chili and mango or applewood and plum.

Unique flavors and a unique take on outdoor entertaining are sure to impress your guests and keep your backyard bistro in business!

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