Landscape Design
Party-Friendly Patio and Backyard Arrangements
Whether you’re looking to host a small group or a crowd, use these patios made for entertaining to inspire your setup
What makes a backyard party-friendly? It’s a combination of factors, including comfortable places where guests can sit and mood-setting elements like cafe lights twinkling overhead. Underlying it all, there also needs to be a well-designed layout that allows for easy movement, has multiple areas for hanging out and offers flexibility for hosting groups of various sizes.
If you’re seeking ideas to inspire your outdoor entertaining setup, take a look at the following six backyards. They offer ideas for layouts and furnishings that work well for relaxing with just a few people or hosting a larger group.
If you’re seeking ideas to inspire your outdoor entertaining setup, take a look at the following six backyards. They offer ideas for layouts and furnishings that work well for relaxing with just a few people or hosting a larger group.
An outdoor structure protects the kitchen and bar and another small seating area, offering a shady place for hanging out. Although the yard is modest in size, it provides plenty of spaces for entertaining and relaxing.
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Design tip: Squeeze in extra seating. Instead of extending the counter of the outdoor kitchen, Wood used the few square yards of extra space under the shade structure to add built-in seating.
Adding permanent seating in the outdoor kitchen — where guests often congregate anyway — was a smart way to provide yet one more hangout spot in the backyard and to capitalize on the shade.
Adding permanent seating in the outdoor kitchen — where guests often congregate anyway — was a smart way to provide yet one more hangout spot in the backyard and to capitalize on the shade.
2. Lake House Party Deck in Texas
Features: Dining table, kitchen, bar and lounge
This home and backyard in the Dallas area, refurbished and decorated by Beth Dotolo of Pulp Design Studios, was designed for hosting the client’s large family. A generously proportioned deck provides plenty of places for hanging out and appreciating views of the water.
Features: Dining table, kitchen, bar and lounge
This home and backyard in the Dallas area, refurbished and decorated by Beth Dotolo of Pulp Design Studios, was designed for hosting the client’s large family. A generously proportioned deck provides plenty of places for hanging out and appreciating views of the water.
In addition to an outdoor kitchen and bar (seen in the previous photo), the deck features a large built-in lounge where friends and family can comfortably sit and relax. Bright accent chairs and stools can be moved around as needed to provide additional seating for the lounge or a separate seating area.
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Shop for outdoor lounge chairs on Houzz
Tip: Divide an open deck or patio into multiple outdoor rooms. Even modest-size outdoor spaces can be divided into different outdoor rooms, which can help make the space feel more expansive by offering guests multiple destinations. Here, the designers used built-in deck seating to create a room divider, separating the dining area from the lounge without losing any floor space to a standing wall or planters.
3. Scandinavian-Inspired in Vancouver
Features: Lounge around a fire pit
In this Scandinavian-inspired home by Alex Glegg Design, bifold glass doors open straight onto the back patio, where guests are greeted with a wraparound sofa and a gas fire pit. All the seating is flexible, allowing the homeowners to move pieces around to accommodate larger or smaller groups.
Features: Lounge around a fire pit
In this Scandinavian-inspired home by Alex Glegg Design, bifold glass doors open straight onto the back patio, where guests are greeted with a wraparound sofa and a gas fire pit. All the seating is flexible, allowing the homeowners to move pieces around to accommodate larger or smaller groups.
Tip: Foster easy indoor-outdoor flow. The home’s ability to be completely opened to the outdoor area effectively doubles the available entertaining space. While the folding doors and their corner placement really stand out in this design, a similar indoor-outdoor connection could be achieved with large sliding glass doors.
4. Rooftop Terrace in Chicago
Features: High-top dining table, kitchen, bar and lounge
Set on the top floor of a building in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood, this renovated roof deck offers plenty of spots where the homeowners can host friends. Its rooftop locale offers 360-degree views of the city skyline.
The rooftop, designed by Reveal Design, features an L-shape lounge and dining table, which both rest under a wooden pergola with shade provided by retractable mesh panels. Orange stools provide additional seating that can be moved around the rooftop as needed, and offer a hit of bright color.
Features: High-top dining table, kitchen, bar and lounge
Set on the top floor of a building in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood, this renovated roof deck offers plenty of spots where the homeowners can host friends. Its rooftop locale offers 360-degree views of the city skyline.
The rooftop, designed by Reveal Design, features an L-shape lounge and dining table, which both rest under a wooden pergola with shade provided by retractable mesh panels. Orange stools provide additional seating that can be moved around the rooftop as needed, and offer a hit of bright color.
The design team selected a high-top dining table, so guests can see over the rooftop walls while enjoying a meal, and tangerine-colored seats.
Tip: Have what you need for hosting on hand. Entertaining outside feels unnecessarily complicated if you’re constantly heading back and forth to the indoor kitchen. Reduce trips by planning ahead and stocking an outdoor setup accordingly. For this Chicago rooftop, the well-stocked outdoor kitchen, fridge and bar cut down on trips up and down inside the home.
Tip: Have what you need for hosting on hand. Entertaining outside feels unnecessarily complicated if you’re constantly heading back and forth to the indoor kitchen. Reduce trips by planning ahead and stocking an outdoor setup accordingly. For this Chicago rooftop, the well-stocked outdoor kitchen, fridge and bar cut down on trips up and down inside the home.
In addition to a grill and plenty of counter space for prepping dishes and serving drinks, appliances make outdoor entertaining easier. This deck has a fridge to keep drinks cool, a sink for water and washing up, and a warming oven.
Find outdoor cooking appliances and outdoor kitchen appliances.
Find outdoor cooking appliances and outdoor kitchen appliances.
5. Family-Friendly in Texas
Features: Dining table, fire pit lounge and satellite seating areas
While there’s no swing set or play structure in this Austin, Texas, backyard designed by B. Jane Gardens, the open layout and soft plot of grass running down the center make it fit for all ages. Parents can relax on the deck, which includes a dining table for six and a pair of high-back accent chairs, while children toss a ball around on the lawn.
Features: Dining table, fire pit lounge and satellite seating areas
While there’s no swing set or play structure in this Austin, Texas, backyard designed by B. Jane Gardens, the open layout and soft plot of grass running down the center make it fit for all ages. Parents can relax on the deck, which includes a dining table for six and a pair of high-back accent chairs, while children toss a ball around on the lawn.
A satellite patio anchored around a gas-burning fire pit is another area where adults can hang out or children can roast marshmallows (with supervision, depending on the child’s age). The built-in bench seating arranged in an L shape could easily accommodate a group.
Tip: Consider all ages. Think about safety if you’re setting up a backyard to host families with children. Can adults keep an eye on their children from the seating areas? Are there any areas, like stairs or a pool, that should be fenced off from the open spaces?
Next, think about adding a few kid-centered elements. What could you include that would keep children happily occupied while adults catch up? Whether you have a few inflatable balls for the grassy area or pass out tubes for making bubbles, a little can go along way for making a gathering more child-friendly.
Next, think about adding a few kid-centered elements. What could you include that would keep children happily occupied while adults catch up? Whether you have a few inflatable balls for the grassy area or pass out tubes for making bubbles, a little can go along way for making a gathering more child-friendly.
6. Ready for Entertaining in Massachusetts
Features: Dining table, kitchen, bar with seating, poolside seating and generous-size fire pit lounge
Creating a backyard that would feel intimate for a family of four and offer space for hosting large groups was the primary goal for this landscape remodel in Brookline, Massachusetts. The landscape architects at ZEN Associates accomplished this goal with smart design planning and multiple spaces for various-size groups.
Features: Dining table, kitchen, bar with seating, poolside seating and generous-size fire pit lounge
Creating a backyard that would feel intimate for a family of four and offer space for hosting large groups was the primary goal for this landscape remodel in Brookline, Massachusetts. The landscape architects at ZEN Associates accomplished this goal with smart design planning and multiple spaces for various-size groups.
The backyard features a shaded dining terrace with seats for six, a large outdoor kitchen and bar with seating, and a generous-size fire pit lounge, called “the social terrace.”
In addition, the patio area that runs between the outdoor dining space and fire pit lounge and the house has been kept open. This allows the area to be tented, enabling the homeowners to entertain larger groups in inclement weather.
In addition, the patio area that runs between the outdoor dining space and fire pit lounge and the house has been kept open. This allows the area to be tented, enabling the homeowners to entertain larger groups in inclement weather.
Tip: Consider evening comfort and ambiance. If you’re planning to use outdoor rooms once the sun goes down, add light and heat sources to make them feel inviting. Here, the fire pit acts as a nighttime focal point and source of warmth. The architects used LED strip lights to highlight the rim of the fire pit and the steps, adding both beauty and function. The dining terrace is also equipped with ceiling-mounted outdoor heaters.
Features: Dining table, kitchen, bar with seating and fire pit seating area
Landscape designer Molly Wood divided this Southern California backyard into multiple outdoor rooms, each designed to draw guests outside to a specific destination. First, there’s an outdoor dining terrace with a table for six set on a brick patio. A change in flooring from brick to gravel helps define the second gathering area, centered around a gas-burning fire pit and with seats for four (partially seen here between the dining area and outdoor kitchen).