It's 5 o'clock somewhere, why not in your backyard? If you set up a hopping backyard bar, your house will be the place everyone wants to hang out and forget about their work week. The way to be the popular place is to have the right outdoor bar furniture.
First, compare the space you have to the furniture you need. If you have a large area outside, and a lot of people who usually like to come over to your house, you are going to need a larger bar. If you only have a small circle of friends, you may want to keep the bar small as well, as a large bar can detract from the intimacy of the experience.
Next you need to decide what you would like your outdoor bar furniture to look like. Are you going for a specific theme? If you would prefer an upper-class, sophisticated look to your backyard bar, you may want to look into an ornately carved teak bar countertop. Looking for more of a tiki-hut experience, how about wicker and bamboo? They'll create the right theme.
When you're looking at outdoor bar furniture, remember this not only has to look good, but also be a functional bar area. You need to make sure there is enough serving space to get the job done. You also may want to look for some extras like a wine rack, drawers to put napkins and other items away or shelves for your tumbles. If you really want to go all out, some outdoor bars have refrigerators and lighting worked into them so you can always be open for business, day or night.
Next you need to think of the seating you are going to use with your bar. Not all bar stools are really supposed to be this type of furniture. You need to first look at the material they are made out of. are they really going to last with the weather that comes through your backyard? You should stick to an outdoor bar furniture line for choosing the bar seating, unless you want to drag the bar stools in every night and put them back out as people show up for the evening festivities. Be honest with yourself. Eventually you will forget them, leave them outside, and then kick yourself the next day when you realize you have ruined them. Instead, you should use all-weather seating up front. You don't want to sit on a cushion that's soaked up the rain, or has a weird smell from all the weather it hasn't been able to deflect. You need weather-proof materials that are resistant to mildew, mold and staining so you don't' spend all your time cleaning, but instead get to enjoy your bar.
With a little forethought, and some smart shopping, you can skip going out to the bars on a Friday night. Everyone will be coming in, to your bar, to have a great time and enjoy good drinks and good company.
As the owner of many online sites, author Jennifer Akre, shares her insight on how to make your outdoor living space more comfortable with gorgeous teak furniture, posh patio furniture and classic teak tables.
Source: www.isnare.com
