Escape the hustle and bustle of pub beer gardens this summer by creating a laid back drinks destination in your very own backyard. It’s surprisingly easy to create an elegant garden bar that’s perfect for enjoying your favourite beverages with loved ones, whilst soaking up the sunshine. Here’s how it’s done!
Provide Plenty Of Comfortable Seating Options
One of the most important considerations to make when creating the perfect garden bar area is comfort. Ultimately, you want to ensure that you and your guests have plenty of relaxed seating options for kicking back and enjoying the sunshine. Lightweight, freestanding options are best as they are flexible to move around so that you can accommodate different sized parties and create a social setup. The bar stools that are included in the Bramblecrest La Rochelle Garden Bar Table Set feature tall, curved back and inbuilt footbars to ensure maximum comfort, and are easy to move around the patio area. Modern garden benches are ideal for providing additional flexible seating, or for a really relaxed vibe, hanging swing seats provide ultimate relaxation whilst creating a standout look. Our swing seats are freestanding, meaning you can move them into different positions on a flat surface without hassle.
Add Character With Glassware & Soft Furnishings
Creating a fun yet elegant looking garden bar setup doesn’t have to involve spending a fortune on decorative features. One of the easiest ways to add a splash of character is by choosing a few pieces of colourful or unique glassware for serving your drinks in. The Pebley Jug features a hammered glass finish and is available in amber or dusk, making it perfect for adding a touch of texture and colour, whilst acting as a practical addition for creating cocktail pitchers for guests to help themselves to. In addition to this, a few standout serving glasses, such as the Melbury Cocktail Glass are sure to be a talking point amongst guests. Intertwine more hints of colour and pattern throughout your garden bar with colourful soft furnishings. The simple addition of a patterned cushion or throw to your outdoor seating area will do wonders to lift the look of the space, whilst making it even more cosy to enjoy.
Create Ambience With Lighting
When looking to make the most of those long summer evenings, there’s no doubt you’ll be wanting to ensure that the drinks can carry on flowing into the night. In order to ensure that your garden bar is just as hospitable for use in the dark as it is in the daylight, your choice of lighting is key. If you have an overhead feature, such as a canopy or parasol, you can intertwine fairy lights to create a cosy look that never fails to deliver on ambience. If you don’t have the option of overhead lighting, wall lights and freestanding options are just as great. Wall lights are ideal for making your garden bar area safe to access when it’s dark, whilst lanterns, candles and solar lighting are all effective in lighting up the drinking area, or paths leading to the drinking area, whilst creating a more cosy atmosphere for you and your guests to enjoy.
Think About Heating
Lighting isn’t the only factor to consider when setting your garden bar up for the night time. Heating is also crucial. As much as summer evenings are, of course, a lot warmer than winter nights, it can still get a little chilly as the sun goes down. That’s why outdoor heating solutions should be a key consideration when planning the perfect garden bar area. There are many different ways to heat your outdoor bar depending on the space that you have available to you. Fire pits are perfect for creating warmth whilst ensuring a cosy look, and fire pit tables are an ideal way to incorporate the bar area with al fresco dining solutions for the complete summer setup. For smaller patio areas, freestanding heaters are a practical yet elegant solution. The Kettler Copper Patio Lantern with a contemporary finish and cage design is ideal for keeping guests warm, without taking up too much space. If your outdoor space accommodates it, the Kettler Copper Pendant Hanging Heater is another great option for creating cosy overhead heating.
Be Smart About Storage
One of the biggest challenges that comes with making a garden bar area is creating storage for keeping drinks cold, as well as for storing glassware and other serving essentials. The Bramblecrest La Rochelle Garden Bar Table Set features in-built storage compartments that are integrated into the table’s inner sides for storing glassware and drinks supplies at arms reach. This is important for providing sleek and compact storage that does not take away from the elegant look of the outdoor bar space. Depending on how many guests you’re planning on accommodating, you may also wish to invest in additional outdoor storage boxes. These can be used for keeping all your garden bar essentials, including cushions and glassware, packed securely in one place, when not in use.
For more inspiration on how to create the perfect garden bar area for summer, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team at IOL.