Easy Ways to Ensure You're Ready for Summer Entertaining

Warm, balmy summer evenings are even better if you can enjoy them with friends and family while you're relaxing on a stunning patio or balcony. After the cold and wet winter that we've had, it's likely that your outdoor space has been a bit neglected and could do with a good spruce-up before anyone comes round.

If you want to ensure that it looks its best before you invite people for dinner or drinks, here are some great ways to get it looking its best again.

Have a Good Declutter

Just as you'd declutter and spring-clean rooms in your house, it's helpful to do the same with your garden or balcony at the start and end of the summer. Spend an afternoon throwing all the broken toys, pots and bits of garden furniture away, and sell or donate any items that you no longer want but that are in good condition. This way you can see exactly what needs doing and where you could do with spending some money, and it will be far easier to clean.

Have a Good Clean

Before you start cleaning the patio or wrought iron railings on your balcony, have a look at the exterior of the property and give this a good clean first. Otherwise, it simply results in a lot of muck and debris getting on to your nice clean patio. Pressure washers are useful for cleaning walls, patios or decking areas, or you could hire a professional company to do the work for you. Once it's finished, you'll have a fantastic-looking outdoor space and you can start planning your next get-together.

Create an Outdoor Room

If you really want to make your patio space feel like part of the home, you need to bring a touch of the inside to the outside, such as using rugs, blankets or cushions to inject some warmth, texture and colour into the space. You could complement these with some pretty outdoor lights, like sparkling fairy lights along your wrought iron railings or hanging tea light holders to provide a cosy atmosphere. These ideas will all give the space a more homely feel that stops it looking like just another patio.

A Tropical Paradise

Even the smallest of patios or balconies can be transformed with just a few oversized shrubs and plants to create the feeling that you're in a tropical oasis. With the use of tall foliage you'll give more height to the space and prevent it from being overlooked, so you'll have a cosy and intimate garden.

Have a Feature

If you bring a feature into your balcony or patio design, this can help it to stand out, and it will become a focal point that draws people into the space. For instance, you could use a beautiful water feature, which will be relaxing and take the emphasis off any traffic noise, or a fire pit would keep everyone warm, so you can still enjoy the area on a cooler day.