According to the calendar, summer won’t start for a little over three weeks. Culturally, though, the Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kickoff of summer in the United States.

As thoughts turn to spending time outdoors, here are a few ways Draper can help make your summer entertaining better.

Enjoy your porch.
Nothing says summer like sitting on one’s own porch, sipping a beverage and reading or watching the world pass by. It can be a pleasant way of passing time, except when the sun is low enough to reach into your retreat. Keep out the glare and heat with Draper’s Exterior FlexShades. By balancing fabric color and openness factor, you can block the glare while still retaining a view through to the world beyond.

Turn your garage into an entertainment space.
The garage often doubles as an entertaining space during the summer months, representing a transitionary area between the indoors and outdoors. A garage can be perfect for large gatherings such as open houses, graduation parties, and rained-out barbeques. For such uses, the FlexShade ZIP is a great way to keep out bugs and glare. At the press of a button, simply lower the shade to provide some protection from the elements with a view-through to the outside. The ZIP’s side channels and zipper feature keep the fabric in place even when things get a little too breezy.

Watch movies from the pool.
More people are coming around to the idea of screening movies in their back yard. For some, this simply means having a display or screen on the patio. Others have placed their screen so they can watch while floating leisurely in the swimming pool. Draper’s Nocturne+ projection screen case is weather- and insect-resistant, and its powder coated finish stands up to sun, rain, snow, and whatever else Mother Nature throws at it. The white or grey viewing surface is kept steady and stable by cable guides and a weighted dowel.

Build an outdoor theater.
Another outdoor entertaining idea is to build a pergola that includes AV, seating, a grill, and even a bar. The Nocturne+ provides 4K viewing pleasure. Surround the pergola with Exterior FlexShades or FlexShade ZIPs to screen out glare and heat. You can also use a FlexLouver Rack Arm system above to provide comfort and protection from the sun.

For more information on the Nocturne+, click here. Information on exterior shading solutions can be found here.