Summer is the most socially invigorating season; pub gardens open up for business, the kids are off school and the weather is primed for barbeques. Whether you’re prepping for fire-pit parties or outdoor dinners, we’ve got some top tips for your home so you can be the host with the most this season.

Change the layout

Whether it’s your garden setup or your living room layout, changing up the furniture positioning is a great way to get your guests mingling. For example, if all your sofas are facing the TV, try repositioning them so that they’re facing each other instead. This will enable both intimacy and openness, without distraction. For a garden layout, try to section off as many small spaces as possible, so guests have the opportunity to break off into smaller groups.

Set up a drinks station

What could be more summery than a cocktail bar? Set one up on a small table and leave it there for the entire summer. On the other hand, if you have a designated bar inside or outside, then add fruit, flowers, and you and your guests’ favourite drinks. Ice or a small fridge in a nice outdoor cocktail bar conveniently located near your decking, sun lounging area, or outdoor sitting room will somehow make your cocktails taste even more fabulous. 

Lay a pretty table in the conservatory

Now is the perfect time to allocate all your dinner parties to your conservatory. With the sunlight flooding in and views over the blooming garden, it would be a shame to sit down for a meal anywhere else! Flip your conservatory into a dining room this season by laying a beautiful table. Sometimes referred to as ‘tablescaping’, concentrating all your favourite patterns, textures and colours into the dining table is the perfect way to bring a room to life and honour the season of vibrancy.

Create a break space

Adding cushions, a firepit, nibbles, an outdoor rug, or real flame lanterns are just some of the things you can do to make your outdoor spaces feel as comfortable as your indoors. Your guests need to feel at home and if they are comfortable, they will relax. And if your guests feel relaxed, then so will you, and fun-filled memories can start to be forged. Planting a few new blooms and keeping your garden in good order is important, and stops the conversation from becoming reasons why you could not get around to pruning the bushes.

Let guests flow in and out

For larger gatherings, make sure there is a flow between your indoor and outdoor living spaces so that you and your guests can easily move around and mingle. To get your indoors better connected to the outside, consider implementing sliding doors and large windows to maximise natural light and create a sense of hybrid living. If guests will be flowing in and out through the conservatory doors, prioritise traffic flow by moving furniture away from the central floor space.

Contact Us

Seeking your ideal summer home where you can host to your heart’s content? Get in touch with your local Guild Member to start your search.