5 Outdoor Living Space Ideas for Game Day
It’s that time of year: Fans across the country are gearing up to cheer for their favorite team. Football is back, and that means it’s the perfect time to build or upgrade your outdoor living space to help make this season one to remember. With the right game-day features on your deck, it can feel like you have home-field advantage every week.
While turning an outdoor living space into a reflection of your favorite stadium takes careful consideration, it can boost the game-day experience and the value of your home. Join fellow football fans as we show you the playbook on five outdoor living space ideas for game day.
1. Add Speakers to Your Outdoor Living Space
Think about the last time you were at a stadium, tailgate, or watch party for a football game. No matter where you went, you were able to hear the game and what was happening on the field. For the ultimate game-day outdoor living space, it’s important to make sure that you can hear the game clearly on the deck. That’s where outdoor speakers come into play. Set up a network of connected speakers around the edge of the deck. They can be secured on the ground, attached to the deck railing, or even built into the deck itself with small cut-out holes.
The goal is to be able to hear every touchdown, snap, and cheer of the game no matter where you are on the deck.
2. Warm Up Night Games with a Little Fire
Every team in the NFL has night games, which means a fire feature is a must-have for any game-day outdoor living space. A fire pit or fire table will help keep you and any guests warm while adding a nice element of ambiance. Before installing a fire feature, it’s important to ensure it goes in a space with proper ventilation. This fact is one of the reasons why gas-fueled fire tables are growing in popularity. Gas fire tables are easy to control, helping make sure that the fire doesn’t get out of hand or produce too much smoke.
Learn more about the do’s and don’ts of fire pits on your composite deck by reading our blog.
3. Add an Outdoor Kitchen to Your Deck
Whether it’s grilling burgers for a tailgate party or whipping up some snacks during halftime, food and kitchens are at the core of the football experience. Some of the best outdoor kitchens are equipped with a sink, a grill, a fridge, and even a pizza oven. In practice, having these amenities close to the home makes the installation process easier. For example, it can be much more costly and time consuming to run utility lines to a patio in the middle of the backyard instead of to a deck right outside the back door.
Be sure to only select kitchen appliances designed and built specifically for outdoor use.
4. Install a Patio Cover or Shade Structure
Football games happen in heat, rain, snow, and wind. A game-day outdoor living space needs to be able to perform in these conditions as well. A patio cover or shade structure can help keep the TV protected while you enjoy the game. Plus, the structure itself creates a natural division of the space, so it’s easy to tell where the viewing area for the game is.
A pergola is another good option to keep a deck comfortable on game day. Pergolas have more flexibility in terms of design and fit in naturally with the composite decking used for the space. You’ll also be able to adjust the amount of shade depending on the design and construction of the pergola itself.
5. Don’t Forget About Deck Lighting
Whether it’s early morning prepping for a tailgate or catching the final play of a Sunday night football game, deck lighting is essential. And the options are nearly endless for lighting a truly unforgettable game-day space. For starters, you could:
- Install smart string lights that can show off your team’s colors.
- Install lights into the deck stairs for an added sense of safety and ambiance.
- Consider using solar lights for added efficiency.
Make Every Game a Home Game with Envision Outdoor Living
As the Official Composite Decking and Railing Partner of the Kansas City Chiefs, we know how to make a deck that’s the highlight of the season. Our outdoor living products are Designed for Style and Built for Performance, allowing you to create a deck that’s the perfect stage for every touchdown celebration and halftime hangout.
Get your next project started by heading over to our idea gallery and see how our decking performs on the field by ordering a sample.
