[02/11/2023]

Designing your alfresco area can be a lot of fun - especially when you finally get to fire up the BBQ, sit back with some family and friends and let the good times roll. So how do you make sure that your outdoor dining area is a sure-fire hit? 

Read on for our top 5 tips to plan the perfect alfresco entertaining area for your home.

1.  Integrating Inside & Outside

Tip number 1, and the biggest key to a winning alfresco area is inside/outside access. 

Days and evenings in your beautiful outdoor entertaining area will always be punctuated by trips indoors for drink refills, footy score-checks, and to retrieve the all-important salad to accompany your freshly grilled BBQ handiwork.  

There are so many great window and door choices to help give you this open ‘indoor/outdoor access' to turn any outdoor dinner party into something special. 

Door options like sliding-stacking doors and bifold doors were practically invented for the alfresco dining and offer amazing indoor and outdoor access for you and your guests.

2.  Outdoor Kitchens & BBQ

Recent trends in alfresco dining have really taken the outdoor kitchen and BBQ area to the next level. Gone are the days of the lonely backyard Webber - modern outdoor kitchens can feature fridges, sinks and even outdoor ovens to accompany a BBQ - all of which makes for a spectacular alfresco area.

Of course, not all of us have the space or expenditure for an extravagant outdoor kitchen, but a happy alternative is a bifold window with a servery sill. Place one in your kitchen and your BBQ underneath the window outside and you’ll have the kitchen at your fingertips. 

3.  Shelter

Depending on how and where you’re using your alfresco dining area you may want to think about shelter or shades. For Queenslanders accustomed to torrential rain in warm and humid temperatures, a covered area might be necessary so you can enjoy outdoor dining all year round. 

But for Victorians likely only to use their alfresco in the warmer months a hard roof may not be necessary. That said a cloth shade, umbrella or pergola for those hot summer days will go a long way for the comfort of you and your guests. 

4.  Privacy

A big part of the appeal of an outdoor dining area is the ‘sheltered’ feeling of being away from the prying eyes of the neighbourhood and enjoying your own private oasis. No one wants neighbours gawking at them while they read the paper over a coffee in their bathrobe. 

Clever landscaping can provide much-needed privacy while helping you feel even more connected to the outdoors - with hedges and bamboo offering the best levels of privacy. Side fences, screens and roofs can also help but don’t overdo it. You don’t want your alfresco area to feel like a prison courtyard.

5.  Lighting

Lighting is important in any backyard, but proper lighting can really make an alfresco area into something special. Try and work with the alfresco and yard space with lights while having an ‘atmospheric’ goal in mind - ask yourself how you want your outdoor space to feel. 

Whether you want LED downlights over your dining space, festoon lights around your boundary, lanterns as a centrepiece or solar dining to line your walkways, there are plenty of options to help you create the look you’re going for. 

Talk To the Experts

If you’re in the planning stage of your dream alfresco area, get in touch with our team. They can talk you through your window and door options to help you create the ultimate outdoor dining experience for you and your friends and family.

Get in touch with our team of experts.

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