3 Tips to Get Your Backyard Summer Ready

Summer temperatures may be here, but don’t let that keep you penned up inside for the next three months! For Shea Homes® homeowners, summer may be the perfect time to enjoy your thoughtfully designed interior spaces, but don’t forget about all the possibilities just beyond your back door.

There’s something special about gathering friends and family, firing up the grill, and enjoying an afternoon of good food, great conversation, and yard games, or lounging on the patio as dusk slips away into a pleasant summer night. Don’t let these summer days drift away! To help you get the most out of your backyard this summer, we’ve put together a shortlist of tips that will inspire you to get out to your backyard this summer and soak up the fun:

1. Create activity spaces

Your backyard is more than something to admire out your window. It can be a place for cooking and dining, lounging and drinking (responsibly of course!), and laughing and playing – so you should design it with that in mind. Create multiple seating areas around your outdoor space with different functions in mind, like a shaded dining table near the grill for meals, cushy chairs and couches arranged to face each other for relaxing with friends, and lawn chairs near cornhole or horseshoes for when it’s time to play. Distinct areas with lots of comfortable seating will make your outdoor spaces more inviting and exciting!

2. Cool it down

After you’ve decided how you’ll zone your backyard, it’s time to consider comfort. If you have a grilling and dining area beneath your covered patio, consider an overhead fan or inexpensive floor fan to keep the air moving and keep your guests cool. Or maybe you want a relaxing space for quiet lounging – a pergola with thin curtains and misters will make the perfect shady refuge. Play around with ways to introduce shade and air circulation to your backyard and maximize year-round comfort.

3. Use thoughtful lighting

You’ve got your shade, your misters, and your fans all in place, and your backyard is ready to go for those summer afternoon cookouts. But the real magic comes along as the sun sets, and day turns to night.  The key to nailing that cozy, after-dark feeling in your outdoor living spaces is the ambiance you create, and the quickest and most effective way to do that is through your lighting. Instead of harsh overhead lights, think about creating a soft, warm glow through string lights, particularly around where you’ll be eating. For your lounge spaces, consider lanterns, candles, light cubes, and other smaller sources of light that attract the eye and give off just the right amount of enticing glow. For a little extra pop, use colored LED strips and bulbs for a splash of emphasis.

To learn more about Shea’s outdoor living spaces - and the opportunity to create the backyard of your dreams - visit sheahomes.com.