As we get closer and closer to our favorite season, and we can’t help but start dreaming about spending summer nights outside with friends and family. Backyards can quickly become overgrown and disorganized during the months they aren’t used quite as often – so let’s use this spring season to transform your backyard into an ideal outdoor entertaining space so you can turn those summer night dreams into realities. Check out our suggestions below for some inspiration.

While part of the point of hanging out in the great outdoors is the ambiance of being out in the darkness, adding some sweet & delicate lighting will help make the space feel more purposeful & defined – and also help you see on a super dark night! We suggest some large bulb string lights, known as “cafe lights.” These are our absolute favorite, both stylistically and practically for illuminating your outdoor entertaining area.

With a fire pit, you have endless options. You can either dig out a simple pit, using a metal ring or a hand-built stone edge to enclose it, or go all out and construct an elegant pit on top of the ground level. If you opt for the latter, we highly recommend using natural stone. Not only is it beautiful but also extremely practical for this purpose. Either way, a fire pit is the perfect centerpiece for an outdoor entertaining space.

This one might seem pretty obvious – but go out and buy yourself a hammock! This simple addition will turn your backyard into a mini-sanctuary, with a beautiful spot to relax at any time of day. Plus if you opt for a decorative hammock, it’ll add a really nice design touch to your outdoor space.