Now that the weather is warmer, it’s time to start planning a few weekends of easy outdoor entertaining around the barbecue. Barbecuing is a great Australian tradition and although you can enjoy an impromptu barbecue with no more than some sausages on sticks over an open fire, a home grilling setup should be a little bit more sophisticated. This week, we take a look at the key elements required for a stylish home grill station setup.
Paving
A good grilling area should start from the ground up with stylish, durable paving that’s easy to clean and maintain. Exposed aggregate concrete is ideal for this purpose as it comes in every colour combination imaginable, looks great on the ground, and will stay looking neat and clean even if you neglect it.
Seating
For an outdoor entertaining area to be effective, it has to be comfortable and inviting. An outdoor dining table and chairs are of course essential, but it’s also a good idea to have an informal seating area like a lounge or bar where your guests can relax and mingle before the meal starts.
Shade
The harsh Australian sun can make dining outdoors an incredibly uncomfortable experience if there is no shade available. Make sure at least three quarters of your grilling area (and completely covering the dining table) so that your guests can enjoy the weather and move out of the sun when it gets too hot.
Prep space
One of the greatest charms of a barbecue is that guests can get involved with the cooking process. For this to happen, there needs to be some prep space outside for things like drink making and seasonings to add to the meat whilst it cooks.
Lighting
Once the sun goes down, lighting will play an important practical and ornamental role in your barbecue area. Task lighting is important so you can see what you’re doing on the barbecue, whilst ornamental lighting such as lanterns or candles can help create atmosphere at the dining table.
Greenery
Without plants, outdoor entertainment areas tend to look rather sterile. Whilst low maintenance foliage and succulents are the obvious options for this area but if you want to do something a little bit different, potted herbs can look very attractive and can also be used for last minute flavouring during a cook up.
A Better Driveway specialise in installing decorative outdoor concrete surfacing such as paths, patios and driveways around Melbourne. To learn more about our capabilities, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us by calling 03 5783 4746.