There’s something rather charming and warm about having an outdoor dining area for your family and guests to enjoy when the weather allows it. It’s not an expensive or complicated addition to make to your home, and it makes a great setting to make new memories.
A great thing about setting up such an area is that it can be as simple as you need it to be, but it could also be expanded and improved as time goes by and you have more resources at your disposal.
Flooring
Flooring is the first thing to consider since it’s a necessity both in terms of comfort and safety of your new dining area. Using quick set concrete is probably the best way to go if you want to make a flat surface on which you can add any flooring option you decide is best suited to your home.
The key should be the durability of the surface since it’s going to be used often and if you plan to barbeque in the yard, it will be cleaned pretty much every time you’re done using it. Besides that, you should try to make it fit with the rest of the home.
Storage space
It’s often overlooked how much storage space is needed for an average dining room. An outdoor area can’t provide this space and you’ll need to plan for it when setting up the patio. There are two ways to do so. You can make sure that the outdoor dining area is close enough to your main dining room. Alternatively, you’ll need to build in the needed storage area as well.
The storage space needs to be covered and protected from the elements while staying clean and neat so that you can use it at any time.
Ambiance
Setting up an ambiance is much more difficult outdoors than it is in your kitchen. Mostly this is because no one really considers the lighting in the patio area and they just end up using what’s available. Putting a little thought into it could make all the difference.
Accent lights are the easiest way to do so and you shouldn’t worry about going overboard with them, since you can always tone done them down when needed. Don’t forget that putting some of these lights on the floor saves space and helps make a mood.
Rugs and linen
Even when you plan for it and take your time setting up the outdoor dining room, eating outside could feel a bit less comfortable and fancy than it would be in a nicely set up kitchen. This can be remedied with simple rugs and table linen.
The rugs need to be chosen based on the fact that they will be placed outside. The materials should be easier to clean and less fragile than it would be if it’s indoors. Linen however, needs to be as fancy as it would be inside.
A parasol
This isn’t an area you could use at all times, but you should do what you can to protect yourself from the elements while you’re outside. This doesn’t mean you should try to enclose the area since it will lose all its charm if you do so. Adding a parasol is probably the best middle ground solution.
It provides a nice shade and allows you to use the dining area during summer. You can choose a variety of different colors and sizes based on your needs at any given time.
Cooking outside
This isn’t a necessity, but many dining areas benefit from being connecting with the cooking space as well. A small outdoor cooking space could make things much easier and cleaner for you in the long run. Invest in a separate set of dishes and appliances, but keep things simple and easy to maintain.
It might also be a good idea to plant a few herbs and always be sure you have fresh ingredients at your disposal. This doesn’t mean you should be able to make every meal you might want both in your kitchen and in the yard. Design the cooking area based on what it will be used for.
How to pay for it?
In the end, there’s a matter of how to budget for this addition. It doesn’t have to be an expensive undertaking and you could organize doing it in phases. Safety, hygiene and comfort shouldn’t be compromised, but there are many corners you can cut along the way.
It’s also a project most homeowners could take up on their own. The construction itself could turn into a fun project as long as you’re sure you could do good work.
An outdoor dining area isn’t that hard to put together and it adds a lot to your home. The key is for it to complement both your yard and your kitchen.
