That
area behind your house? No, that’s no longer the backyard. That’s an outdoor
living space. It’s where you can entertain. Or staycate. Or just relax. What it
is, really, is another room—only one without walls or ceilings. It’s
also the perfect spot for a fireplace, a cauldron, even a pizza oven.
While
the backyard has traditionally given way to swimming pools and gardens, this
reconceptualization of the backyard as an outdoor living space really just means
that that other part of the backyard—the back patio, the area between the back
of the house and the lip of the pool or the edge of a row of flowers, that
space where your grill has tended to sit lonely and neglected (even during the
spring and summer), yes, that prime piece of real estate—has plenty of
potential. And people have finally realized it. They’ve taken the indoors to
the outside; they’ve started creating their own backyard getaways.
The
centerpiece to any outdoor entertaining, of course, revolves around food.
Grilled food. And grilled food requires a grill. Which we have plenty of at The Firebird—gas and charcoal grills
from Napoleon, Primo’s ceramic wood grills, the infrared gas grills of Saber and TEC, and FireMagic’s BBQ
gas grills. Once you’ve picked out the grill that’s right
for you, that’ll help you build out the rest of your backyard from there.
In a sense, then, the
grilling area of your backyard becomes your outdoor kitchen, which can range
from a simple built-in grill to something more expansive—refrigeration,
plumbing, audio-visual hookups, architectural lighting. And whether the grill
you choose is a tote-able or a built-in, having your kitchen outside means you
can prepare meals and be around your guests.
And if a grill alone isn’t enough, if you’re intent on larger
seating areas, a bigger patio, installing
cold-water and waste lines for a sink or an out door refrigerator, or task
lighting; keep in mind that whatever money you
spend on your outdoor kitchen will increase your home’s value.
But
you don’t have to entirely remodel your backyard in order to entertain outside.
A pergola, or an umbrella or even curtains strung up to keep the New Mexico sun
off the cooks and the guests during the day; a big enough surface for food prep
(stone is often the best, as it’s made to weather); and a simple picnic-style
table with a bench or fold-out chairs. You don’t need much more than these
basics to entertain and enjoy.
And
the ultimate outdoor-kitchen accessory, of
course—a fireplace. Or a fire pit. And just by raising the hearth around
either you’ve turned it into another bench for you and your guests. Your
outdoor fireplace will provide enjoyment year-round.
