Blog - 9 Tips for Designing Outdoor Dining Rooms
Outdoor living is definitely the best thing about summer. All that time spent outdoors makes us feel more connected, happier, and alive! Whether it’s time to enjoy a quick lunch or a slow dinner, it’s time to get outside.
These tips for outdoor dining rooms will help you create a beautiful, liveable space in a way that is affordable and fun.
1. Match table settings and accessories to your environment
A quick, easy way to create a luxe feel outdoors is to work with nature, not against it. Creating a Mediterranean oasis in Oregon or a Southwestern escape in Maine is a lot harder than simply pulling inspiration from your surroundings.
Working with nature to set your table could mean anything from creating a centerpiece out of pinecones to purchasing plates whose color and style match your home state.
Any little extra touches you add will have a big impact, because you won’t have anything working against you.
2. Use special lighting
There are a lot of ways to add special lighting to your outdoor space:
- Overhead DIY chandeliers
- Table top torches and fire pots
- Romantic string lights
- Solar accents for a soft glow
Getting creative in the outdoor lighting department helps with ambience when you’re entertaining. Going back thousands of years, fire brings people together, encourages sharing and storytelling, and helps to get us to relax and recharge.
3. Try table top planters as center pieces
Sure, bouquets of flowers are nice, but they don’t last long and they can sometimes get in the way of conversation.
Instead, try small or low rising planters as a way to bring in flowers and foliage to your outdoor tablescape. Wide, shallow succulent bowls and other types of stout planters can be beautiful elements of décor that don’t block diners view of one another. You can scatter mini planters around the dining table interspersed with small citronella candles.
4. Prioritize shade
If you’re ready to create an outdoor dining area this summer but don’t want to break the bank, you’re going to be faced with lots of choices.
What should you invest in first? What should you prioritize?
Pay attention to where the sun is when you will actually dine in this area. If you have morning sun, no problem.
But if late afternoon sun is a concern, invest in shade solutions! An umbrella made of sturdy outdoor fade-resistant fabric will do the trick. Or if your structural elements warrant fabric panels or roll up shades, these can be easy to install with hooks.
5. Try an easy DIY solution for privacy
In urban settings, a nice, private place to eat outside can feel out of reach. You don’t need a large outdoor space or tons of foliage to make this a reality.
If you have a small balcony, then the solution for privacy comes in the form of a DIY booth. Create a wall of open wood slats to securely attach to your balcony railing. Add bench seating and cushions in front, then grab a small table, and you have a place to enjoy city living with less distractions.
6. Get creative with color
You can make a simple setup look amazing with one easy trick: a color scheme!
Coordinate cushions, plates, dining utensils, cloth napkins, and centerpieces in a few well-chosen colors and you’ll take your backyard to another level in terms of design. Small details like these can make evenings spent entertaining feel extra special. By adding a few new outdoor accent pillows, last years’ cushions look more cheerful. Matching a new set of melamine dishes with coordinating drinkware, makes all the difference. Fill a galvanized bucket or tub with ice to keep beverages cold.
Cohesive colors are always easy on the eye.
7. Choose continuity for a calm, relaxing feel
Not long ago, everyone was obsessed with mix-match chairs, particularly outside.
But the tide on this trend is turning, and here’s the reason why. A hodgepodge of furniture can look messy. When we’re dining outdoors, we’re bringing a little bit of sophistication and culture to the wild garden. That juxtaposition is beautiful. For a more modern, clean look in your outdoor dining room, tame the furniture choices!
Matching chairs and table sets will never, ever go out of style.
8. Separate the space with flooring
Maybe a new shade structure isn’t in the budget this year. You don’t want to just put your table in the yard or patio with no way of defining the space. What to do?
On grass, try:
- Digging up a space large enough and laying down brick
- Laying flagstone
- Throwing down a large bamboo mat
On a patio or deck:
- Add an outdoor rug
- If you are daring, use outdoor paint and add a stencil pattern or border to give the illusion of a rug
9. Choose a location with room to grow
You may have just one option for where to place your outdoor dining room, or a couple to choose from. If you have a couple options, consider this: would you prefer to have the least amount of available space (to create intimacy) or the most amount of available space (to add other tables and chairs when needed)?
The right answer will depend on your entertaining style.
Creating a beautiful outdoor dining room is all about simplicity, ease, and (most importantly) enjoying the elements. Here’s to an endless summer!
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