Key Takeaways:
Designing a yard for entertaining starts long before the first pool party or BBQ. When you prioritize entertaining and hosting in your design from the start, you end up with a space you can enjoy with all the people you love.
— Design With Intention. Every great entertaining yard starts with purpose. Think about how guests will arrive, move, and gather, and shape the space around those moments.
— Create Zones for Connection. Layer areas for dining, lounging, and conversation so there’s a place for every kind of gathering—from quiet dinners to big celebrations.
— Build for Real Use. Plan lighting, shade, and seating as integral design elements, not extras. The details that make a yard beautiful should also make it comfortable when it’s full of people.
Make your yard the place people want to be
If you love hosting and want your yard to be the place where everyone comes together, it has to be designed that way from the start.
Creating intentional spaces for entertaining, and making sure they can comfortably fit a crowd, is key.
Keep scrolling to see three yards that were designed for entertaining.
And click below to read our latest blog post for design tips to help you create an exterior that makes it possible to entertain in your yard.
PS: One of the biggest regrets we hear from clients is that they wish they had reached out sooner. This is the perfect time to reach out if you want to be able to enjoy your new yard next year. Click here to book a free design consultation call with our team to get started.
A Backyard Built for Every Kind of Gathering
Our clients hosted a 100-person wedding in this yard. But it also works for movie nights, pool parties, weekend BBQs, and more. Our client’s family loves entertaining in their new yard.
A Modern Mediterranean Yard Designed for Hosting
This yard was designed with different feature areas, so lots of people can enjoy the space without feeling cramped. Plus, there’s plenty of open grassy space that lends itself to a larger-scale function if our clients want to host lots of people.
A Modern Mediterranean Yard Designed for Hosting
The scale of this yard could easily feel overwhelming, but the design makes it feel cozy and connected. We gave our clients a mix of gathering spaces, seating areas, fire features, a large pool, and even a putting green—so there’s always a place to relax or hang out.
The Do’s & Don’ts of designing an outdoor space for entertaining
Even though the weather’s cooling down, it’s the perfect time to start planning your outdoor entertaining space. Whether you’re hosting cozy dinners this fall or thinking ahead to next spring, it’s worth taking a closer look at how your yard actually works for gatherings.
Above, we’ve highlighted three yards designed specifically for entertaining, each one showing a different way to host beautifully. As you read through them, here are some of our top do’s and don’ts to keep in mind for creating a space that’s comfortable, functional, and built around connection.
✅ DO: Design for both day and night
A great outdoor space feels just as inviting at noon as it does after sunset. That balance starts with smart planning.
Think about where shade naturally falls during the day and where you’ll want warmth once the sun goes down. Include umbrellas, pergolas, or built-in elements like ceiling fans and misters to make summer days more comfortable. And add fire pits or patio heaters to keep the evenings cozy.
When you’re intentional about comfort for both daytime and nighttime use, your yard becomes usable all the time.
🚫 DON’T: Treat comfort as an afterthought
Too often, comfort features get pushed to the end of the design process, and by then it’s hard (and expensive) to add them back in.
Avoid relying on one small shaded area or a single heat source. Instead, think in layers—multiple shaded zones, flexible seating, and options for warmth. Comfort is designed in from the start.
✅ DO: Plan around how you actually entertain
Every homeowner hosts differently. Maybe you love movie nights; maybe you prefer long dinners that stretch into the evening.
Design your space to match your lifestyle. If you enjoy watching the game outside, consider a screen that’s visible from your pool, spa, or kitchen. If movie nights are more your thing, create a dedicated lounge area with a projector and a fire feature for that cinematic glow.
🚫 DON’T: Add features just because they’re trendy
Your yard should reflect your lifestyle—not what’s trendy. Don’t add technology, a bar setup, or even a large dining table if those things don’t fit how you live.
We’ve seen plenty of yards where homeowners realized too late they never used the big outdoor TV or oversized kitchen. Focus on what you’ll really use to make entertaining feel natural.
✅ DO: Create enough seating for everyone
Seating is the backbone of a good entertaining yard. Plan for everyday family use and larger get-togethers.
Mix outdoor sofas for lounging, dining benches for meals, and smaller breakout spots where people can talk in smaller groups. Multiple seating zones encourage movement and mingling—and prevent crowding.
🚫 DON’T: Design only for your family
A yard designed just for four people can feel cramped when you have guests.
If entertaining is something you love, plan for it. Think through how many guests you typically host and build in flexible seating that can expand when needed.
✅ DO: Design with intention
When every part of your yard is thought through—from lighting to seating flow to how guests move through the space—entertaining is easy.
Prioritize space for entertaining early so you end up with a yard you love and actually use with the people you love.
🚫 DON’T: Wait too long to start
Good design takes time, and planning now means your space will be ready when you need it. This is especially important if there’s a specific event or milestone you want to celebrate in your new yard. Start the design process now, while there’s time for refinement and inevitable construction timelines.
Transforming Your Yard
No matter how you love to host—movie nights, game day, or a 100-guest celebration—our designers can create a yard built for gathering. Click below to book a free design consultation and start planning an outdoor space people love to be in.
Not ready to reach out? Download our free Exterior Design Style Guide to clarify your outdoor aesthetic and find inspiration for your entertaining zones.
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The Boca Raton Yard Designed to Be Seen From the Water
How do you make a yard stand out in one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Florida? In this Boca Raton project, Foxterra Design created a backyard that makes a statement both for the family who lives there and for every boat cruising by on the waterway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I keep a large group comfortable day and night?
A: Layer shade with features like umbrellas, pergolas, or misters for daytime. And heat with fire features and heaters for evening comfort.
Q: What’s the most important design element for entertaining?
A: Seating. Create multiple seating zones and clear paths so people can spread out naturally. And make sure there’s enough seating for everyone you want to host.
Q: How can I avoid a yard that feels cramped when guests arrive?
A: Plan early. Size dining and lounge areas for everyday and occasional gatherings. And use flexible, moveable seating in open spaces for larger gatherings.
Q: Which features are worth it?
A: Prioritize what you’ll actually use, whether that’s a dining zone, lounge with fire, retractable movie screen, etc. Skip features if they don’t fit your lifestyle.
Q: When should I start the design if I want to host next season?
A: Start now. While our design timelines are standardized, construction almost always takes longer than expected. Planning early ensures your yard is ready for hosting when you need it.
Behind The Blog
Justin Fox
Founder & Creative Director
Founder Justin Fox grew up with a passion for landscaping. After 15+ years building luxury yards and pools as a licensed contractor, he saw the limits of the design/build model. Homes get detailed, architect-led plans, so why shouldn’t yards? In 2019 he convinced brother Nate Fox to join him and launched Foxterra Design to focus on immersive, luxury outdoor spaces.
Today, Foxterra creates resort-style residential environments for clients worldwide, pairing rigorous planning with bold imagination. Their work has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, in Architectural Digest, and other leading design outlets.
Nate Fox
Designer
Nate Fox helps shape Foxterra’s creative vision, blending architectural detail with a designer’s eye for proportion and flow. His work redefines the backyard as an extension of modern luxury living.
For this story, Nate explores how intentional design turns a yard into a true gathering space, from seating and shade to lighting and layout. His focus is on how comfort, flow, and intentional zones make an outdoor space perfect for entertaining.
