'Dream Home Makeover' Stars Reveal How to Throw a Relaxing But Memorable Memorial Day Cookout

The unofficial kick-off to summer, Memorial Day Weekend is a time to gather with family and friends. To create a welcoming outdoor space for cooking and hanging, we spoke with Syd and Shea McGee of Dream Home Makeover, who offered tips on hosting and decorating a space for style and function. 

Friend zones If you have a wide open space, Shea recommends creating different zones for setting out food, sitting and eating, and lounging. That way everyone isn’t crammed into one spot. “I find that people like to have intimate conversations, and it's nice to be able to kind of just have people go from space to space throughout an event,” she says.

Selective color Everyone loves a theme, but don’t go overboard. “I love a Memorial Day party that has red white and blue, but you don't have to be so tight with the color palette,” says Shea. “You could add in other pretty colors in the flowers or maybe the table linens, and then have a flag when you first walk in or maybe just one or two on a table.”

Game on! A great cookout isn’t complete without games, and Syd recommends setting up multiple options, including cornhole, bocce ball, or Kan Jam. Not only does this give your guests something to do, but it keeps kids entertained too. “It gives them a sense of purpose at the event instead of just feeling like they’ve got to bug mom and dad the whole time,” explains Shea.

Go green You don’t have to break the bank to beautify your space. “It’s so nice in the summertime because everything is green. You can go out in your backyard, clip a branch, put it in a vase of water, and then you have this awesome statement piece,” says Shea. “If you don't want to do a floral arrangement, a potted plant is great because you can keep it long after the event.”

Space station If you don’t have much room, design the event around a central point. “I love a long table because you can spread the food out, people can either sit at it or you can pull the chairs out into groupings and just have the table be buffet style,” says Shea. “[I would do] one really great floral moment in the centerpiece, a great tablecloth. Then that way the party centers around there but you’re still creating an atmosphere.”

Syd Sez When it comes to cooking or grilling, Syd loves his Traeger electric smoker which uses wood pellets. “It's really nice because the electric smoker aspect will just keep [your meat] even at a nice temperature. Some smokers, you have to always tend to them and keep them maintained. But you can just set it and let it cook. Traeger has an app and they have a lot of really good recipes there as well.”

Easy does it The most important thing to remember is that this is a time to relax with friends and family after a tough year, so don’t overthink it. “I feel like 2020 was the year of rules,” says Syd, “and it's like, we just want to relax. People can self-serve and mingle and choose what to eat or when to play games.” Adds Shea: “If you can relax, then everyone else can relax too.”