My Wish – Sears Perfect Outdoor Evening Entertaining Space

 Entry #1405, July 23, 2012

Now that the summer is half way through, there isn’t a better time to rethink your backyard and entertaining outdoor home areas. Here in Florida, I am fortunate to have great outdoor weather 9 months of the year! So to say that I was excited to plan out my wish for the perfect outdoor evening entertaining space for #SummerWithSears, is an understatement, my creative juices were already flowing.

I wished the perfect outdoor entertaining space with Sears Patio

One of the best parts about planning out your space in a “wishing mode” is there are no limits to your creativity. Why not have the top of the line gas grill along side your 2 entertaining spaces complete with a firepit and fountain? To illustrate my wishing journey I utilized the helpful resources of the Sears Local Ad Deals, Sears online catalog, and the Sears Style Hub which is in a blog format that I love!

Creating my outdoor evening outdoor space

Here is my space I used to start off my Polyvore inspiration board. If you aren’t familiar with Polyvore it is an online resource that enables you to create collages of your favorite decor, ideas, fashion and more. If you can clip it from the web, you can utilize it as an inspiration board. I created my wish inspiration board with items I found in the #SearsPatio online resources.

I chose this space for its evening entertaining opportunities – looks dark, but I will brighten it up!

I found my lounging furniture, firepit, grill and bistro seating, and even lanterns and bubbling fountains for ambiance! Here’s how I created my ideal outdoor entertaining space. When I think of outdoor entertaining I think of the magic of the nighttime. There is something to be said about friends and family enjoying great food and beverages in the comfort of a beautiful backyard setting.  So I set out to create a scene where you could feel the warmth and magic of the evening.

My Polyvore wish board can be easily accessed here. Share with your friends these ideas and “steal” some of these ideas for your backyard patio.

How to find all of my Sears items

See all the Sears items in my Listly. list.’Thumbs up” the items you would love in your backyard and what items are your style too.

The list helped me envision my space in an orderly fashion, without having to make a commitment. I encourage you to try this when trying to make a wish list in planning out your next design area of your home.

In my Google+ album I share step – by- step my experience with the Sears online tools, how I chose my pieces, and I pointed out the great features, and a few areas that I found could be improved. 🙂

I headed over to the Sears Local Ad Deals to determine which pieces I liked.

From the helpful navigation to the direct links to the Sears online site, I easily could envision my outdoor space, page by page.

When I saw this set from Country Living, I knew this was the mood I wanted to create. Evening entertaining can be a challenge because landscaping and outside amenities can get lost from view because it is dark. That’s why subtle lighting in the forms of candles, lanterns, string lights in adjacent trees, and a firepit can provide just the right amount of light to create a magical ambiance without feeling overpowering from your entertaining scene.

I loved this setting, plenty of warmth from the firepit but also in the ambiance with subtle lighting. Perfect for my inspiration for my board.

One of the resources I enjoyed while searching through the Sears online tools was the Grilling is Happiness and the Sears Style Hub. I’ve always felt that a blog-type platform from brands is important. It gives helpful lifestyle tips for grilling ideas, entertaining, and making your outdoor home welcoming without being overwhelming for you to plan.

Chef and TV Host, George Hirsch shows you great tips in You Tube videos that are short, but helpful in choosing the right furniture, and accessories for your next event. Here’s my favorite Sears You Tube Video:

Summer with Sears: Outdoor Seating & Dining Styles

The Grilling is Happiness blog had helpful tips to think about before planning my space. For example eating areas and where the food is prepared should be considered before placing your patio furniture and grill. Your grill should be placed away from guests so the smoke doesn’t bother them, but close enough to still be able to mingle. Also, areas where people want to share conversation in a more intimate setting I placed around the firepit, and for those who wanted to sit and eat and be part of the party I placed closer to the grilling area.

From saving money to creative grilling techniques, I especially liked the Grilling is Happiness blog.

Once I had chosen my furniture and accessories I realized my Polyvore setting was very dark, so I chose to bring lanterns, string lights, and my favorite item – the Electric Garden Oasis chandelier into the scene. This created the warmth I was looking for and it ensured that guests wouldn’t feel in the dark in certain areas of the patio.

Who would of known a chandelier could go outside? This one is offered with the great selection of gazebos. Couldn’t fit the gazebo in my Polyvore board!

The most useful tool of all the resources was the Patio Finder. It gave you an idea of the brands, styles, colors of the patio furniture at one time. I was able to quickly narrow down my choices for seating. They also have a cushion and grill finder to help anyone makeup their minds!

Save time and get patio inspiration with the “Patio Finder”

Creating my idea of a perfect summer outdoor entertaining space with Sears was truly a treat. The pricing of all the items were clearly marked in all the resources and the Sears Weekly Deals can help you determine what the latest sale is and how long those prices are valid.

So this summer get inspired to create your own outdoor evening space perfect for entertaining. When you’re online follow Sears Facebook & Sears on Twitter. Looking for ways to save? Follow Sears Shop Your Way Rewards on Twitter to get the latest savings on your favorite items.

Please note:

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Sears. #CBias #SocialFabric.

For more outdoor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.