Add beauty, function and value with hardscaping
If you like to host events at your house, you know the key to a fun party is a well-designed backyard – and the key to a well-designed backyard is its hardscaping. Hardscaping does more than complement your home’s landscaping; it can turn a flat plane into an activity-filled living space for any event you have in mind. Turn every party you host into the one to beat with thoughtful hardscaping decisions that add beauty, functionality, and home value. Here are a few popular hardscaping ideas that are great for hosting:
Fire Pit
Fire pits are a valuable addition to your backyard, adding both year-round and day-long ambience. They’re extremely versatile, enhancing every outdoor event; whether you’re hosting a summertime family barbecue, or a quiet fall evening with some friends, a fire pit can serve not only as the social hub of your backyard, but offers functional benefits as well. Use it to grill hot dogs and roast marshmallows, or to make sure your guests stay warm even when the sun sets. In-ground fire pits also protect against stray embers flying out, decreasing the risk of accidental fires compared to portable fire pits. You can even build hardscaped benches around the fire pit to create an outdoor conversation pit.
Extended Pool Hardscape
Your pool is a natural gathering place in your backyard, creating the ideal place to host in the summer. The hardscape surrounding your pool, however, doesn’t have to be simply an overlooked sidekick to the pool; it has potential to be turned into a focal point of its own. You can extend the hardscape around your pool and transform it into a complementary tanning, grilling, or chilling area, creating a dry haven just steps from the pool. No need to worry about breaking the party up when a few guests want to hop in the pool and the rest want to stay dry; with an extended pool hardscape, everyone can stay within feet of each other regardless of what kind of fun they’re looking for, so the conversation can flow from water to land with ease. Consider adding a pergola or a gazebo over top to create a cool, shaded haven just steps from the fun in the sun, so when the time in the pool has come to a close, there’s a shaded refuge just feet away.
Gaming Area
If your friends and family are the competitive type a hardscaped gaming area in your backyard might be the perfect addition to every outdoor party. Whether the game of choice is cornhole, horseshoes, bocce ball, or can jam, a hardscaped area does more than look nice: they’re low maintenance, durable, and minimize the environmental factors that might interfere with your game, like tilted ground, weeds, and mud – so when you win, there’s no doubt that you’ve won fair and square.