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Posts Tagged ‘Entertaining’

What do we expect from movies? No doubt, entertainment is the first thing that we would expect from movies. What else? After long hectic schedules of daily work, we would often prefer to go for an amazing movie that can give us lot of excitement and good fun, than those tragic ones. Sport movies are the kind of movies which can give people utmost joy and pleasure.

The sport movies are built upon sports settings like football field or baseball stadium, arena, or the Olympics etc. Often you would find a competitive event or various athletic events being the central point upon which the whole story of the movie is built. Mostly the protagonist of the story is a boxer, footballer or a racer or any other sports person according to the demands of the story. Sports movies does not necessarily be fictional, they can be non-fictional also or a combination of both. However, they would surely belong to one or the other subcategories like biopics, dramas, comedies, documentaries, fantasies, film noir and melodramas.

Whatever may be their category, sport films are widely popular among the masses. The sound tracks of the sport movies are often exciting. The narrative and commentaries in the sport movies are also marvelous. Excellent sound track, good choreography and real like settings make the sport movies unique. Many sport movies have won the hearts of the audience and remained evergreen till today. Some of the most popular sport movies include Olympia (1938), Bull Durham (1988), Raging Bull (1980) , Hoop Dreams (1994), Hoosiers (1986) , Remember the Titans (2000) , Million Dollar Legs (1932) , Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2005) and Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993) etc.

Many sport movies are also based on real stories. Some of the renowned sports movies which are based on real life stories include The Great White Hope, Gentleman Jim , The Cinderella Man etc. The Pride of the Yankees (1942) is also a famous sport movie based on Lou Gehrig the reputed baseball player of the New York Yankees. Another film Ali starred by Will Smith is based on the life of boxing champion Muhammad Ali. Somebody Up There Likes Me released in 1956 is also an excellent film highlighting the life of middleweight champion Rocky Graziano.

Sport movies are always acclaimed. Till now, movies on various sports, including football, cheer leading, wrestling, chess, boxing etc have been made. But, the most popular sport themes in the Hollywood seem to be baseball, basketball, American football, soccer and boxing. However other sport themes like horse racing, golf and wrestling are also greatly appreciated by the audience.

As we sally-forth into summer, the time has arrived to start thinking about furthering your relationship building activities with your high net worth clients. After all, there is no better way to sell to or strengthen the loyalty of your clients than indulging in a few summertime intimate events.A well organised, luxury event is the perfect way to get face-to-face with your clients in a relaxed atmosphere.

You can even use them to attract new business by asking existing clients to invite along carefully selected individuals. If you want to be remembered by your client and stand out from the crowd, try something unusual, be innovative.

This will set you apart from those who entertain their clients simply because they have to. That is not to say that you should embark on an extreme sports hospitality regime – bungee jumping, sky diving or zorbing aren’t for everyone. So how can this be achieved?

The answer is simple – value your clients and they will value you. Get to know them; listen to them. A simple comment made during a routine meeting could give you an insight into their hobbies and interests. Make a note of it – they will be very impressed when you entertain them in a way that is tailored to them.

Don’t make assumptions – not every male in the world loves football and not everyone has the same interests as you.

Entertaining a group of clients can prove tricky as not everyone will be interested in the same things. The best course of action in this situation is to opt for a programme of events. That way you are sure to find elements that will appeal to all. That way you are sure to find elements that will appeal to all. For example an evening at the theatre followed by dinner and perhaps winding down to a great band.

Whatever event you decide on you must ensure your clients receive five star treatment so here are a few pointers to make sure the evening runs smoothly and impresses:

1. You must choose the perfect activity for your client e.g. ballet, theatre, a musical or the opera?

2. Book tickets at least a month or two in advance, to ensure the best seats are available – private boxes, circle and stalls usually sell out first!

3. Make a restaurant reservation – note: some exclusive restaurants like The Ivy or Gordon Ramsay’s take reservations 3 to 6 months in advance

4. Phone the venue to ask what time the show finishes. Organise a chauffeur car to meet you afterwards

5. On the night, arrive first to buy the programme to avoid the queue, rush and crowd.

6. Before you take your seats, pre-order your interval champagne at the bar to avoid wasting time in the queue during the interval – agree with them exactly where they will put it, so that you can find it easily.

To recap then, the golden rules for entertaining your clients are be innovative, tailor the event to their interests (not yours), pay attention to detail and above all be the perfect host by ensuring all their needs are met.

Leave nothing to chance. By following these simple guide lines your clients will value you as much as you value them.

Kim RixFounder and CEO of The SaVVy Club®, London’s first boutique events club

For more information visit the savVy club at http://www.savvyclub.co.uk/contact Kim at kim@savvyclub.co.uk

Pergolas and formal stylized outdoor entertaining areas have been a mainstream trend in building construction in Australia over the past few years. New and existing homes are adding style and ambiance to their outdoor facades so friends and family can easily entertain all year round. The traditional ‘Aussie’ barbecue has become much more sophisticated with emergence of gourmet cooking outdoors with chef like barbecue kitchens. The need for our outdoor entertaining areas to become more stylized and functional has been the result.

When planning and designing a new pergola one of the main construction considerations is selecting the type of roofing material you want for your pergola in line with your needs. There are a number of different types of roofing available including polycarbonate, colorbond steel, tiles and opening roofs.

The first point to consider when making your selection is that the more light you let in, the more heat comes in. The catch being of course, that you need more light in winter and less in summer. There are a few ways around this problem, firstly you can use a combination of polycarbonate and colorbond steel incorporating 2 or 3 sheets of polycarbonate inserts and having the rest of the pergola roof in colorbond steel. This will effectively still let the light in that you need and the pergola climate underneath will remain comfortably cool. Another alternative is to have colorbond steel on the west side of the pergola and polycarbonate sheeting on the other, if the pergola has a gable roof.

With the polycarbonates there are a number of different qualities and light/heat factors available. Some polycarbonates let more light in and others less heat. Within the Laserlite range, there are over 20 to choose from. Polycarbonate also comes in many profiles such as Greca, Roma, Trimdeck and Multi-wall System.

If you have a larger budget then an opening roof may be ideal, in this instance you can control how much light and heat you let in. In winter you can get all the winter sun by angling the open blades towards the sun and in summer just close the roof off. In the event of rain whilst you are out, the rain sensor will automatically close the opening roof for you.

Another style of pergola roofing to consider is an insulated roof with polystyrene in the middle, a colorbond roof at the top and a stucco finish on the bottom. With excellent insulation properties this style of roofing is often used for cool rooms. Of all the pergola roof coverings this one will keep out the most heat. The only downside is that it’s extremely hard to install light panels into this type of roofing.

Depending on the type of materials and roof design of your pergola it’s often possible to change or reposition some of the roof sheets if your pergola is too dark or too hot.

Fortunately with the emerging trend of the sophisticated pergola in outdoor entertaining there are a large range of materials and colours in pergola roofing to enhance your existing facade and to compliment your entertaining style.

© Greg Jacobs, Pergola Land 21st November 2007

The entertainment interview may be done in many ways, but the most common is an interview over a meal (generally lunch or breakfast, but sometimes a dinner) and it can include a one-on-one, but more often than not includes several interviewers who have a stake in your hiring. Why would they want to interview over a meal? There is any number of reasons; but always chief among them is the opportunity to observe and seriously scrutinize you.

#1 Be fully prepared.

Do not mistake this sort of interview for a chance to get a free lunch or it is for your enjoyment and pleasure. It is not. In fact, you must look at every type of interview, no matter how casual or informal it may seem, as the most important one of your career and there is no room for error. Treat each and every one with the seriousness of any other one you have ever had.

#2 Be on your best behavior.

If the position you are applying for is a high profile one and requires entertaining clients regularly, then this is a perfect opportunity for the interview team to see how you behave. What sort of table manners do you have? Do you know your table etiquette? Do you possess social etiquette and manners? Do you drink too much? Are you a sloppy eater? Do you have the good sense to know how to act in such a situation? Do you know how to put others at ease? Can you carry a conversation? Are you interesting? Can you sell? At every step of the way do not hesitate to think for a moment that you are not being observed and judged on every word you utter and every move you make. Your behavior is under the spotlight and you had better know how to behave to the highest social and professional standards. That said, you also need to relax and help contribute to a comfortable engagement so the interview will go smoothly and work to your advantage.

#3 Mind your manners.

Remember to be polite; say please and thank you to your fellow diners and serving staff. Do you know what to do when first taking your seat? Immediately place your napkin on your lap when everyone is seated. Sit up straight, keep elbows off the table and avoid resting your arms on the table. Your salad fork is on the far left; your entrée fork will be next to it between the salad fork and your plate while your dessert spoon and fork will be placed on top, above your plate. Liquids are on the right; solids on the left. Thus, your water glass will be on the right and your bread plate will be to the left.

#4 Sharpen your social skills and etiquette.

If you are unsure of your knowledge and practice of social and professional etiquette and manners then ask a close friend, colleague or family member to give you their assessment of you in this regard. Check out a book on the subject as there are many excellent ones out there. Practice your social skills and make sure the right ones become a part of your everyday life. Many firms will remove you from further consideration because you do not have mastery of these skills in your life and these are considered fundamental, essential and critically important to firms that use entertaining as a crucial component to the success of their business.

In fact, the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys organization takes their top cheerleader prospects out to a high end restaurant and orders an array of dishes simply to see how the women behave and eat. How do you eat king crab legs or lobster? What about BBQ ribs and corn on the cob? Can you eat spaghetti without slurping and making a mess? Do you use a spoon, fork, knife or combination thereof to eat your peas? Which is correct? Those who do not know what fork to use for which dish, or do not know when to use their hands rather than choosing a fork or knife, and vice versa, are simply eliminated. Part of organization’s try-out process includes the expectation that every candidate ought to know these fundamental social skills before trying out. After all, management reasons, they are the team’s ambassadors and all of the world’s eyes are watching their every move and listening to every word. It is not their role to teach their employees this proper behavior. You better know it and live it well. Consider your meal interview in the same way. Make sure you know what to do in every situation.

#5 Have a clue; follow the lead of your host.

As a general rule, follow the lead of the interviewer who is your host. Ask what they might recommend to eat. That will give you a clue as to what might be the most appropriate items to order, what they enjoy and can provide the opportunity to discuss a favorite dish to keep the conversation light. Most likely your host will defer to you to place the first order with your waiter. In any case, avoid ordering alcohol, even if your host insists because you want to remain as clear headed as possible throughout the interview process. Instead, order a soft drink or other non-alcoholic beverage as long as it is not a virgin-type non-alcoholic drink (i.e., virgin margarita, virgin bloody mary, etc.).

As for food, stay with simple foods that you know how to eat properly, are not messy and will not get your hands and face messy. Thus, avoid most foods you generally eat with your hands unless it is a very simple sandwich or hamburger. Best, order something simple you can eat with a knife and fork, and will not be messy or require you to eat it awkwardly. Soups are good choices (do not slurp). Eat your soup pushing the spoon away from you as this will lessen any chance of spilling it in your lap.

#6 Watch what you eat.

Opt for the lower to mid-level priced entrees. Be careful about ordering the special recommended by the server because more often than not, that is among the highest priced items on the menu. Keep in mind you are going to be talking throughout and will likely be talking considerably more than the others so you want to have a meal that is easy to cut into small bite size pieces you can easily and quickly chew and swallow before resuming your conversation. Break your dinner roll into small bite-size pieces.

#7 Mind your P’s and Q’s.

Do not talk with food in your mouth and use your napkin frequently to ensure your face remains clean. Your interviewers are watching you and you do not want sauce dripping down your chin unknowingly. If you leave the table, put your napkin on your chair, not on the table, and promptly place it back on your lap when you return. And when you are done, place your utensils at the three o’clock position on your plate so the server knows you are through. The person who invited you is your host for the meal and is expected to pay for it, so allow that person to pick up the tab. But most importantly, graciously say thank you and express how much you enjoyed your meal together.

#8 Remember this is an interview, not a free lunch.

Accept the notion you may not really eat at all, but instead be busy answering questions. Thus, it does not really matter if you eat, but you know how to eat properly. Save your appetite for an after interview meal if you need to. Keep in mind that the meal interview is designed to ascertain your habits, manners, conduct, protocol, proper social behavior and ability, and your customs.

#9 Be careful what you drink.

Included in the entertainment interview type is the cocktail interview, though this is seldom used and is highly unusual. However, if you are asked to meet for drinks, do not take this invitation lightly because you will be under the spotlight even if you think it is to just have a beer with the guys.

It makes good sense to try and avoid this by politely suggesting a meeting later over coffee or at the office. But, if you must accept such an invitation, follow the advice previously given and consider yourself to be the focus of attention. Again, avoid the alcohol and order a soft drink instead.

If your interview insists that you have a drink, and assuming you are not a teetotaler, it may be wiser to say yes as a diplomatic means of moving the interview forward on the proper note. This is a judgment call you can only make in the light of the moment. If you do have a drink, have no more than one. You must remain clearheaded at all times. Remember, this is really not the time to be socializing with the team because you are being interviewed for a job that affects your future, your life and your career. Save the social hour with the team after you have the job.

#10 Be sociable.

Keep in mind that no matter what sort of entertainment venue is chosen for your interview, it is a formal interview and you must be at the top of your game. You are being evaluated at every turn and you must be sure that you are not giving your interviewer any reason to drop you from further consideration. You are competing for a job you highly covet. Be serious and go after it with all of your highly learned skills and tact. That said, you must also have a relaxing social side to you and therefore, you want to be just as at ease as if you were sitting in the interviewer’s office.

Everyone enjoys making their home as beautiful as they can. From wall decorations to the lay out of the main room, people strive to look the best and make a good first impression when entertaining guests. This includes the presentation of the dinner table regardless of whether that is while entertaining or just for family meals.

Bill and Robin Shaw started Taste of Home Entertaining in 2006, and the company is a subsidiary of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. Featuring kitchen items that were developed with the help of Chef Mario Batali of book and screen, the company offers high-quality products they assure everyone will love. The company is also affiliated with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and donates $1.00 from every compact disk sold to the study of diabetes in children. They were featured in their first year of business in Empowering Women magazine and are also a member of the Direct Sellers Association.

Taste Of Home Entertaining has a wide array of 250 products to offer hostesses and their guests in their collection of table settings, kitchen tools, cookbooks, magazines and tabletop decorations. With unique colors, shapes and textures, the items that are offered would make any home warm and inviting. Unfortunately, in order to view their catalog to get a good sense of what the company offers in their product line, the prospective hostess must get in touch with an established consultant. The pictures on the website do not expand enough to get a very good grasp of the items being offered. There are hostess incentives, which include free products and certificates. Monthly specials for both hostesses and guests are offered, as well as gift registry, a unique idea for a home party business.

To become a Taste Of Home Entertaining consultant, the prospective person may want to contact a current consultant first. This person will be the new consultant’s sponsor and will help them work their way into the business routine. If a sponsor cannot be found, the company will pair the new person up with someone. The coordinator retains 25% of all party sales and receives percentages on volumes made. The starter kit is $199.00 and includes items from each of the company’s categories of products. It is fully refundable if returned in good condition if the prospective coordinator decides not to continue. There is even an incentive program that will allow coordinator’s to earn car payments and new cars.

The company does offer training sessions, but based on the map on the website, they do seem to be spread across the continental United States throughout the year. There is no additional information about training on the website and anyone interested in having a party must contact a Taste Of Home Entertaining directly to find a coordinator in their area.

Without being able to see the catalog and the prices of the product the company offers (with the exception of November’s monthly specials which range from $15.00 to $20.00), it would be very difficult for a prospective consultant, or even hostess, to make an informed decision about whether or not this would be a good fit for them. It is also difficult to make a decision on the lucrative income possibilities without contacting the company for a catalog.

More and more people are treating their backyard as an extension of the home as they seek to find new ways of spending more time on outdoor living. Whether it`s a patio, a deck, or open paved area you can make the most of outdoor entertaining with friends & family, or just relaxing and making the most of the weather. Some ideas:-

Patio furniture needs to look stylish, yet be hard wearing and not prone to rust. Outdoor entertaining is enhanced if you have the right products. Gazebos look good and provide much needed shade in those hot days. Market umbrellas are very useful. Relax with a hammock, chaise lounge, or garden swing.

If you don`t have any trees in your garden to hang a hammock from, there are alternative methods for securing one-

You can use hooks which can be drilled into most types of walls, either on both ends or in combination with trees, posts etc.

Posts can be dug into the garden, either set in concrete or removable. In any event they should be secure so that the hammock won`t collapse when in use.

Sturdy fences also work well, as do pergolas, park benches, columns, boat rails, and so on.

Hammock stands are available and come in a range of shapes, sizes, and prices.

Outdoor lighting is essential for entertaining once the light begins to fail. Lighting can be used to highlight features such as trees and garden beds, creating focal points and adding a dramatic shadowy effect to your garden. And, of course, good lighting will also aid in safety and security.

Add the warm glow of path lights around the yard, garden, or grounds with a solar-powered light set. Integrated solar panels and batteries harness the sun’s power by day, powering the lights by night to show off landscape features or for safer walking around the grounds. With no wires to hook up installation is a snap, just stick them into the ground with the integrated stakes and enjoy the ambience. The lights turn on automatically at dusk and off at dawn.

From solar landscaping garden spot lights, to wall lanterns you can make the most of outdoor living with outdoor lighting products.

For year-round outdoor entertaining then you will probably need outdoor heating. Heaters are fast becoming an essential item for outdoor entertaining, and there are several options, both modern and traditional, for heating your patio, backyard, or barbecue area.

One thing you can do without, however, is the attack by mosquitoes. Mosquito control is essential for outdoor entertaining, and we have a range of products available to control this pest.

Mosquito coils, citronella candles and citronella torches are inexpensive and effective methods of repelling mosquitoes.

Bug zappers emit ultraviolet light to attract mosquitoes and other bugs to a lethal electrical grid, where they are killed immediately. If you want to combine pest control and entertainment, you might want to use a bug electrocuter. A light in the center of the unit attracts the bugs. When the bugs move toward the light, they must pass through electrified wires, which “zap” them. Remember though that sometimes bug zappers kill many more helpful insects than bothersome ones, so they could ultimately do your garden more harm than good.

Lotions and sprays containing DEET are available and are very effective at keeping mosquitoes away. It`s essential with this type of product that instructions are followed properly. Treat anything containing DEET with extreme caution.

With so many resources now available to us, technology is not far from invading everything including our cars. Since people spend a deal of time too in their cars, it is natural to have these moving machines installed with electronic gadgets that serve so many purposes, and entertainment is one of them. In-car entertainment or ICE is the current trend in vehicle options ? the system entertains the back seat drivers, and hopefully doesn?t distract the driver. It is especially useful during a long drive or during an excruciating heavy traffic situation.

Here are some of the gadgets that are available to those who want to upgrade their car?s entertainment system.

In-Car Audio Equipment

The latest models of cars these days have scrapped the cassette player from its entertainment system. Single CD or multi-players are the default with the same FM and AM radio still intact. With the popularity of MP3 players like the iPod, some gadgets can also actually hook them up so the passengers as well as the driver can enjoy thousands of songs from his play list.

The speakers also make high quality sound that could make you appreciate the songs much better. For some newer cars, music from the audio system can be adjusted using the clickers or controls that are mounted on the steering wheel.

In-Car TV/Video System

Some SUVs now come with LCDs at the back of the headrests so that the backseat passengers can enjoy some movies or videos while they are traveling. The DVD player in the car is a surefire way to keep the kids busy while you drive. Many car DVD players can also play games with the game controllers as an option.

This feature can only entertain the passengers and shouldn?t be a distraction to the driver that?s why the screens are installed at the head rests. There are some screens that can be installed on the dashboard but that will be dangerous since the driver could be tempted to take his eyes off the road.

Gaming consoles

With the installation of the DVD player in the car, gaming consoles is really not far behind since it could be the next level after you have successfully installed the movie system. If you are clever enough you can hook up your playstation into the DVD system too. This just eats up some battery power so check your battery from time to time.

The DVD games have been mention earlier. The controllers can just be connected so that the passengers can start to use up some time playing while they are stuck in traffic or while they are on a long trip to a vacation somewhere.

With the in-car entertainment system still continuously being spruced up, it will not be surprising to find people partying inside the van during a slow traffic movement. Passengers can enjoy the trip more because aside from site seeing, they can catch any movies they missed. With the in- car audio system, a driver can play all the songs he wants to play while driving. He is not restricted to a single CD or 6. He has a way to continuously play his favorites that are all saved in his MP3 player.

When planning an event, it has to be memorable. It should also be entertaining and if possible educational as well. When the event is for charity these factors are of utmost importance. So how does an event incorporate these? Well, each aspect should be dealt with individually. You should discuss on what can be done to have an entertaining event. Similarly the things that can be done to have an educational event should be discussed. Likewise, you should highlight features that could make an event memorable and unforgettable.
Let’s take education first. You first have to identify the purpose of the charity. It should be everywhere. This can be done in a few ways. You can make it educational and place stands or other show pieces around the event location like in a display. Else random facts can be displayed around and have you guests ponder over them. Screening a short movie or a documentary about the event will have people understanding first hand about the actual stage of events and why your guests should lend a helping hand. You could give a speech with the assistance of some visual aids and explain things. These all are fabulous ideas to get your event educational and explanatory.
But if all you are looking for is just entertainment, then you could get a band or some other performance at your event. This could be an expensive option though. If the event is a charity, then it’s best to have a mixture of both the entertainment and educational elements together. You should identify ways like plays or some other forms of art to educate while entertaining your guests. You will never know about your creative abilities until the point when you create a mixture between entertainment and education. You will be filled with ideas to the brim and you will have great success in that regard. You have to just ensure that the entertainment is fun and totally clean.
While pondering over the details on mixing the entertainment and the education, you could add a few interesting details into the fray. Bringing in some celebrities or maybe a fireworks display will surely have your guests excited and have memories for quite some time to come. There needn’t be any celebrities at all. Things can be made special by the selection of unique venues. The addition of unique and special details to the event is a very good idea and will make the whole event stand out. There are many options to make a party seem unique and remarkable. Some activities should be done so as to have some creative juices flowing and make a really good impression with the guests. Something really special should be added to the mixture so that everyone would feel good and be willing to put in huge donations towards the charity.
When information has to be included, any information that may be entertaining or shocking or just plain fun may be added. You will mostly hit your target and even do better than what you might have expected. You will surely obtain happiness from the end results of the whole event. The tough segment will be the process of getting ideas initially. But it will be simple too if you took some time off and planned the whole thing properly. You should think of everything possible to ensure that everything runs perfectly well. So you will have to be completely organized such that any required information will be available as and when required. Your event will turn out to be great when you put in the right amount of effort and get things going.

Adding an outdoor entertaining area to your home can be beneficial on many levels in providing extra living space, fuss-free entertaining and adding increased value to your home.

When planning your outdoor entertaining area there are many factors to consider including:-

* What the space is to be primarily used for – ie. is it to keep the weather out, for entertaining purposes, an area for the kids to play in or a combination of all three.

* What outdoor feature/s will suit the style of your home – ensure any additions blend in with your home’s existing style. This is especially important when adding pergolas, patios, decking, privacy screens, opening roofs, sail shades and awnings to the exterior of your home. This includes selecting colours, materials and structural designs that enhance your existing home.

* Estimated budget and associated costs

* Timeframe for completion

* Size or dimension of the outdoor area required.

Sizing up your Entertaining Area

When planning to add an outdoor entertaining structure such as pergola, patio or sail shade it’s important to firstly determine the size of the area you require for entertaining.

When adding a pergola a key design tip is to try and line up the proposed structure with the ends of the walls, house or facia’s. This tends to make the structure look like it was meant to be.

As a general guide, the easiest way to determine the size of the entertaining area that you will require is to position your outdoor table and barbecue where you envisage they will be situated. The place your outdoor chairs around the table ensuring to pull them out to the level that you would normally be seated at. Once you have your outdoor settings placed as desired allow enough room around them so that you can easily walk to and from the house and around the outdoor furniture. Plus you will need to take into account the likelihood of inclement weather and how this will affect the size of your entertaining area in terms of remaining sheltered from any rain blowing inwards.

As a minimum allow a width of 4 metres for your entertaining area. You may wish to extend this size for your own personal needs allowing for extra items such as pot plants, an outdoor bar, extra seating and so on. Remember to allow enough room in your new outdoor living area so that it will be of a sufficient size to enable you to enjoy your lazy days and entertain in comfort.

Greg Jacobs, Pergola Land 19th November, 2007

Adding an outdoor entertaining area to your home can be beneficial on many levels in providing extra living space, fuss-free entertaining and adding increased value to your home.

When planning your outdoor entertaining area there are many factors to consider including:-

* What the space is to be primarily used for – ie. is it to keep the weather out, for entertaining purposes, an area for the kids to play in or a combination of all three.

* What outdoor feature/s will suit the style of your home – ensure any additions blend in with your home’s existing style. This is especially important when adding pergolas, patios, decking, privacy screens, opening roofs, sail shades and awnings to the exterior of your home. This includes selecting colours, materials and structural designs that enhance your existing home.

* Estimated budget and associated costs

* Timeframe for completion

* Size or dimension of the outdoor area required.

Sizing up your Entertaining Area

When planning to add an outdoor entertaining structure such as pergola, patio or sail shade it’s important to firstly determine the size of the area you require for entertaining.

When adding a pergola a key design tip is to try and line up the proposed structure with the ends of the walls, house or facia’s. This tends to make the structure look like it was meant to be.

As a general guide, the easiest way to determine the size of the entertaining area that you will require is to position your outdoor table and barbecue where you envisage they will be situated. The place your outdoor chairs around the table ensuring to pull them out to the level that you would normally be seated at. Once you have your outdoor settings placed as desired allow enough room around them so that you can easily walk to and from the house and around the outdoor furniture. Plus you will need to take into account the likelihood of inclement weather and how this will affect the size of your entertaining area in terms of remaining sheltered from any rain blowing inwards.

As a minimum allow a width of 4 metres for your entertaining area. You may wish to extend this size for your own personal needs allowing for extra items such as pot plants, an outdoor bar, extra seating and so on. Remember to allow enough room in your new outdoor living area so that it will be of a sufficient size to enable you to enjoy your lazy days and entertain in comfort.

Greg Jacobs, Pergola Land 19th November, 2007