Each summer I’m brimming with excitement to set up my outdoor living space. Maybe the fleeting summer season makes it that much sweeter, but I get enormous satisfaction in being able to host outdoor gatherings in these spaces. I always have admired Italians, who seem to have mastered the art of entertaining. Whenever I’ve envisioned my perfect outdoor space, I picture a drawn-out alfresco dining on a balmy summer evening.
When we are living in such a busy time, there’s just something nostalgic and romantic to being able to slow life down and enjoy dinner outside in the late evening glow or cuddle up under blankets and twinkling string lights to sip a glass of wine and watch an outdoor movie.
Setting up your outdoor space comes with a little (or a lot) of hard work, but it doesn’t have to come at a huge cost. I also love having Bella Amari on hand for easy entertaining, because all that hard work should have you relaxed and enjoying your space as much as possible. Because finding the sweetness amongst the bitterness of life is exactly the art of slow living that the Italians have perfected during the summer and what Bella Amari was inspired by!
In my quest to set up a great outdoor living space, I’ve found a few tips at making your area cozy but still cost effective that I wanted to share:
Re-Use Holiday Décor that would Otherwise Be Sitting in Storage: Have some pretty lanterns or string lights that only come out at Christmas time? Make your space warm and inviting by digging these out for your outdoor space as well. I also like to use my serving trays or wine coolers that usually only find themselves out for the holidays- I feel like the Italians would add some elegant, sophisticated décor on when hosting so why not do double duty on the patio as well?
Recover old cushions/pillows with outdoor fabric: Is your outdoor furniture starting to look a little dingy or faded? Throw on a new coat of protective lacquer or paint and save yourself some $$ and find some outdoor fabric to recover the old cushions or pillows! It’s super easy to do and you can find a pattern online or at the fabric store.
Save on power with solar lighting: Lighting around your outdoor space is the finishing touch to add ambiance on any outdoor space and there are so many solar options on the market these days you can add it pretty much everywhere and save yourself the hassle of unsightly cords and the extra cost on your power bills to stay out into the wee hours of the night enjoying your space!
Easy Entertaining- And once you have your space set up, you want to enjoy it with guests and not be stuck in the kitchen making complicated cocktails or snacks. I love having Bella Amari on hand for guests as it’s an Italian inspired spritz (6.5% alcohol) that pairs perfectly with a sunny patio on ice and a simple garnish. Add a great charcuterie board for guests to graze on I feel like you’re transported to a European vacation. I love both the refreshingly light flavours of Limone and Blood Orange. Move over Rosé, because this has been my go to drink so far. Because just like our short summer days, it’s bittersweet and sophisticated and you’re going to want to enjoy it!
This post is sponsored by Bella Amari. For more information on Bella Amari follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
