Ever since Lockdown, we’ve all learned the value of living outdoors and using our outdoor spaces to create more opportunities for entertaining and gathering family and friends. Perhaps you have been doing okay with a bare garden furniture suite but may be looking for ways to add more comfort and flair to outdoor hospitality in your home.

Many accessories and styling techniques can help you enhance your basic garden furniture and turn that outdoor space into a more welcoming space.

Read on for the simple, budget-friendly additions you can make:

Rally Round The Firepit

Extend your ability to entertain outside for more months of the year and longer hours in the day by investing in a fire pit or chiminea. It’s a great way to make the most of summer evenings and keep them outside. Why not roast some smores around the fire?

Let’s take a look at some simple options:

Fire Baskets

The Red Fire Basket is sturdy and has a steel thickness of 2mm. AND it has a dual purpose! First, the fire basket includes a barbecue grill. An ash plate knockdown is underneath to save you the hassle of cleaning up. The perfect addition to any size garden!

Chimeneas

For a rustic look and better control of the smoke emanating from your fire, opt for a Chiminea. The RedFire Acopulco Chimenea helps you keep it cosy with a Mediterranean-style finish in a textured clay design. It also includes a matching lid and handy poker.

Patio Heaters

A patio heater is a worthwhile investment if you see yourself holding multiple evening parties this summer. The Sahara 13kW Heat Focus Patio Heater Charcoal is ideal for any hard-working patio party space this summer.

• This heater comes in a weighted base for stability. In addition, it boasts an easy cylinder connection and disconnection
• Safety is an added feature to consider. This model provides an anti-tilt switch and flame failure shut-off device. In addition, it comes with a fully guarded reflector
• The device is also powder coated for durability and weather resistance
• Fully guarded reflector and burner

Fend Off The Rain With A Parasol 

Every Irish Garden should have one. A large self-standing parasol will make every garden party less susceptible to the whims of our “4 seasons in a day “- style weather.  Ideal on those days with soft summer rain and even perfect for older or fairer members of the family who aren’t so good with the UV rays. 

Here are some options:

The Garden Collection 2.7M Steel Parasol

The Garden Collection red parasol will brighten up and protect any patio or outdoor seating area. This 2.7m steel parasol has a handy crank for easy winding up & down. The covering is made with a durable and rain-resistant 180grm polyester fabric.

As it is a broad and heavy structure - You should always use it with a parasol base that is sold separately.

If you have more contemporary furniture sets or minimalist tastes, you can get it black, green and grey too. Click here to check them out.

Occasional Outdoor Furniture Accessories

You may already have a full suite of chairs and a centre table, but there may be opportunities for more gathering spaces in your outdoor space. It helps to have more incidental furniture to help you manage all that catering and provide guests with more surface areas.

Seville Mosaic Side Drink’s Table

A portable drink table will do the trick. Not just a party piece but also great as an accompaniment to your lounger should you need to relocate to a sunny corner of the garden with a good book.

Part of a more extensive matching bistro set, our mosaic wine rack could be your perfect helper at indoor and outdoor drinks parties. This particular range boasts unique patterned designs to give an elegant Mediterranean feel.

The sturdy iron frame can withstand a range of weights and is powder coated for durability. The unique mosaic-tiled ceramic table top is weather-resistant and easy to wipe down. It also has a frame for securing drinks bottles in the lower tier while being portable and easy to lift.

Occasional Outdoor Seating

You may have a full suite of coordinated garden furniture perfectly sized for your family. However, there may be times when parties and gatherings demand a few more occasional seating options.

Here are some ideas

1. A Middle Eastern or Moroccan Leather Pouf brought back from your travels will do just the trick as casual incidental seating. It will work even better if you match it with a kilim matt or set of hurricane lanterns from the middle east.
2. A similar solution: use Flat Floor Cushions in a water-resistant material to double up as an option for seating kids on the grass
3. For even more casual seating for the more limber younger ones, invest in a colourful woven mat or Garden Rug.  These are so versatile and water-resistant you could use them on a patio surface or grass for picnic spots or play areas the younger ones will love
4. Weather-resistant Outdoor Beanbags will be a hit with the kids as the perfect lounging accessory for lying on or gathering around. You could get more than one in various bright colours if you’ve got a lot of garden space and many kids to entertain this summer
5. Portable Egg Chairs are all the rage with tweenagers! So this retro design stalwart from the 70s has been given a millennial upgrade! There are many options, and we even have a guide explaining different types of Egg chairs that could be used indoors and outdoors: Create a Chill-out Corner with these Egg Chair Ideas. They’re great for creating cosy corners and portable enough to move around
6. Slim Folding Chairs will be a handy addition to any frequently hosted outdoor space. In addition, Foldable Bistro sets usually give you 2 extra seats and a portable foldable table for holding drinks.

Ready To Party Outdoors Yet?

These are just some ways to create more usual corners and seating areas by supplementing your garden furniture in a flash.

For more ideas, you can also visit our advice on more significant DIY projects that could enhance your outdoor space: From Gazebos To Pergolas, Patios And Beyond - Create An Outdoor Room Without Blowing your Budget.

There’s more - We’ve also put together some sustainable ideas in 10 ways to Give Your Garden a Budget-Friendly Glow-Up During Summer Party Season.

We are looking forward to enjoying the grand stretch in the evenings yet! We’re here to help if you need a steer on your next garden project or good old-fashioned friendly DIY advice in any of our stores.