How We Home: Dining Outdoors

With the promise of Spring right around the corner in our region of the United States, we can’t wait to plan our next Alfresco Dinner party. We can’t think of a better way to spend a spring evening than a beautifully set table utilizing candle light, fresh flowers, and of course unique textiles. Often we think that creating a welcoming environment requires a lot of work but, as you will see below, a little can go a long way.

To start, layer your table with a fun textile as the base. This can be a simple table runner or tablecloth, but don’t be afraid to experiment with something untraditional. As you can see in our example we utilized a vintage scrape of textile from Guatemala that we picked up on one of our trips.

Next layer your dishes and glassware. Gone are the days of required matching sets in order to throw a chic gathering. Mixing and matching are a great way to bring some color to your table. Don’t forget to utilize different shapes, colors, and patterns for a unique spin. If you are looking to add more tableware to your collection, thrift stores and estate sales can be an affordable place to start.

The last step is to add some finishing touches. A bouquet of fresh flowers, tapered candles, cloth napkins, and some pillows is how we finished off our table. Adding hand printed place cards and menus could be a great addition, or even fancy cocktails could be the thing that you need to elevate your table style. 

Whatever you decide, we hope that your next alfresco dinner party is full of laughter, warm weather, and yummy foods.

Take Heart, Take Flight.

-Travel Patterns Team