Designing the Perfect Outdoor Space for the Fourth of July

by Lauren Busser Direct from the Designers™’ Editorial Director

With the Fourth of July only days away, families are gearing up for one of the most popular grilling holidays of the year. Whether your gathering includes an outdoor kitchen, a poolside get-together, or stories around a campfire, your home’s outdoor space deserves to stand out. You can make your outdoor space uniquely yours with everything from a great grill to intricate personal details like tile and outdoor fireplaces. Combining these amenities is a surefire way to get the party started, from the cookout to the fireworks.

A Great Grill

The cornerstone of great outdoor entertaining is an awesome grill. There are many grills on the market right now, including some that put restaurant power and control at your fingertips. Some of our favorites in this caregory are the Viking® Professional Outdoor 5 Series Grills. New to the market this year, this new series of pro-level gas grills from Viking® has elevated the practice of grilling to restaurant level heights. With superior ceramic heat distribution and powerful burners you are sure to grill the most delicious steaks, burgers, veggies... you name it, perfect every time.

Fiery Elements

A campfire is a time-honored summer tradition. Whether you plan on roasting s’mores and telling ghost stories, or relaxing with a fine cigar a fireplace or firepit is a great addition to your outdoor space. There are a number of fabulous options out there but our favorites are by Heat & Glo™. They offer a wide variety of fireplaces with options galore in either gas or wood burning varieties. They even offer a couple of fireplaces that include double facades, like the Twilight Modern and the Twilight II, so you can enjoy the fire both indoors and out.

Personalized Details

Whether you want a creative motif for your stair risers, or you are looking for a charming accent to your outdoor kitchen island, take a look at these handpainted tiles from Fireclay Tile. Recently, Fireclay introduced a number of preselected motifs and colors in a variety of styles from contemporary to Moroccan. If you want something that is uniquely yours, you can use their Color-It option, where you can select from over 100 designs and 80 pigments. As an added bonus, these tiles are made of 70 percent recycled materials and are all handpainted by artisans in Northern California.

Bring Up Your Soundtrack

Whether you plan on hosting outdoor cookouts, sitting around a firepit with your family, or simply catching some warm summer sun and taking in the gentle breeze, you can unobtrusively add your favorite music to any indoor or outdoor entertainment spot. LG’s® Sound Bar Audio System is a home theater system that can transform any TV into an entertainment center. The Sound Bar system is designed with four specially engineered speakers and a subwoofer that create a thrilling virtual surround effect from a single, sleek and compact unit.

You may think that the LG® Sound Bar is strictly an indoor system but you can move it out to the deck, plug it in and then wirelessly connect it via Bluetooth® to your laptop, smartphone, MP3 player etc. The speakers deliver surprising volume, detail and depth while the subwoofer underscores your tracks with powerful bass. You could even pair it up with the LG® Projector for the ultimate outdoor theatre movie night.

These additions to your outdoor living space can not only make your Fourth of July celebration the talk of the neighborhood but will also help liven up all of your outdoor entertainment events, large and small alike.