Functional office furnishings

Posted on: 29 October 2015

Summertime is the very best time of the year, particularly in Australia when friends and family gather together at each other's houses and have epic pool parties, barbecues, and other fun gatherings. But if you want to be the summer party host with the most, you have to make sure that your patio is kitted out with the things that will make people want to come back to your garden again and again. Here are four must-haves for your patio this summer:

An Upgraded Barbecue. Right at the heart of any summer garden gathering is the food, so you really don't want to let yourself down with last season's substandard barbecue. Instead, you need to upgrade to something like Weber barbeques – no matter which barbecue or brand you choose, a newer model will be a robust piece of kit that will be a great improvement to your food. Whichever brand of barbecue you end up choosing, try and opt for something with temperature control so you never have that burned on the outside/raw on the inside problem with your chicken wings again!

A Fire Pit. Having slick looking patio furniture is one thing, but making a statement with a roaring fire pit is quite another. Imagine what kind of an impression flames licking up and down in the centre of your patio will make on your friends and family. And as well as being a statement design item, you can also use the fire pit to toast marshmallows in the evening time.

A Plunge Pool. Those Australian summer days are hot, hot, hot, and they are only getting hotter (especially if you have a fire pit in your garden), and while you might not have room for an Olympic sized pool in your back garden, you can probably think about adding a small plunge pool to your patio area. It doesn't need to be dug into the ground but can be built above ground and filled with icy cold water.

A Fountain. There is nothing that quite screams "I am a patio owner, and you better know it" more than a huge fountain in the middle of a paved space. Again, this is a statement feature for homeowners that want to make a splash, but it can also do a great job of bringing birdlife to your garden, who will be attracted to the drinking water. Falling water also has a relaxing effect, so a fountain could be just the patio feature for you if you want to create a tranquil space.