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One of the things we wanted in a house was space to entertain so the teenagers would want to be here and hang out. In Phoenix, the toughest space to make comfortable in the Summer is the backyard – especially if you’re not swimming! Over the years we’ve found what works and what doesn’t in creating a comfortable outdoor summer space in Phoenix. Here are 5 essentials for creating an entertaining backyard in the summer.
5 Summer Essentials for an Entertaining Backyard
- Comfortable seating. I’ve found that when you think you have enough seating – add a bit more. Especially in the summer, guests don’t want to be squished together. Think a big sectional, extra chairs, hammocks etc. Add pillows so everyone can customize to their comfort level.
- Shade. Even on a patio in Phoenix we often need extra shade. Whether it’s umbrellas, a pop up shade, or, like we did, add some pull down shades to the sides of the patio that gets the most incoming sun.
- Soft lighting. Adding string lights outside is so simple but adds such a great ambiance to an outdoor area. Especially in the desert when we spend a lot of time outdoors after dark in the Summer.
- Things to do. Add lots of things to do to your backyard. Even if you don’t have a pool, you can create a really fun, entertaining backyard with things to do. Think outdoor games, a mounted tv, or pop-up movie screen to watch projected movies on. We love a good movie night, but it also helps to have games out ready to go like ladder toss or cornhole.
- Cool air. Fans only take you so far in the desert summers. We finally found an awesome solution from Honeywell with their portable evaporative cooler. This thing is an outdoor summer GAME CHANGER for desert dwellers! We just set this up on our patio and have already used it every weekend.
This particular unit comes with a remote making it easy to adjust as well as storage space and cupholders. The air cooler reduces temperature through water evaporation which is perfect for the dry summer air. Moist, cool breeze can cool you down without soaking the floor and furniture with water (a problem we had with misters).
This unit works perfect for us because it has low power consumption, a copper continuous water supply, and a high-pressure blower that produces vigorous, long airflow for long spaces. I cannot tell you how much more comfortable this makes your outdoor space in the summer meaning more time and memories made at home!
You can check out all the Honeywell options for evaporative air coolers on AMAZON / HOME DEPOT / LOWES / WALMART / BEST BUY / TARGET. Just make sure you’re getting one that’s appropriate for your space.
