How to pull together an outdoor dining space

I don’t know about you, but our outdoor space has never been completed.  Some pieces are there, but nothing has been pulled together. It’s been one of those…oh heck I’ll get to that later. The “later” which of course never comes….you know what I’m taking about right??

There are HUGE changes approaching in the coming months (more on that later), so I’m not making any more major design efforts at home.  So to enjoy the last few days of summer here in Virginia I pulled together an impromptu outdoor/indoor dining space with existing items. It’s not perfect, but it works.

Here’s my approach:

I like to bring the outdoors in, and I like to bring the indoors out!  I like to add elements we would never normally have outdoors. On our screened in, but open porch, I have an indoor mirror hanging from the ceiling to reflect the beautiful view. Adding items from indoors creates the feeling of a “real” room.

An outdoor carpet with just a black border defines the area and invites you to use the space. It also makes it cozy and feel like a room.

Nothing matches? Things look drab? Tablecloths are always the simplest and most inexpensive item to come to the rescue. They instantly cheer a space up.

This particular one is from Sweden. It was too colorful for our summer house there, so it came back with me.

Perhaps nothing creates a cozier atmosphere than a bunch of pillows. If you have guests coming over, bring out any indoor pillows you have and mix them up. The more the merrier, the more color, the more vibrant the feel. Mix and match with abandon!

This temporary mix is Black velvet regency pillow, Fancy Greek Key pillow, mixed with Ikea,Trina Turk and a suzani.

They will change depending on day and mood. Of course they come in if it rains.

Don’t buy all your outdoor pieces from Restoration Hardware or whatever big retail place you are shopping! Make the look more interesting by adding a vintage set, even if it’s just a chair.  One of the things I purchased last year was a really glam shell inspired dining set. For now it’s here on the porch to add it’s own special flair.

Love the detail!  This set I didn’t even want to paint.

No outdoor room is complete without lots of plants and planters. Who doesn’t love one of those old orangeries? I like a mixture of different planters, new and vintage. Pick a color and spray paint them all in one tone. In my case I went with vibrant red.  One of my favorite plants to repeat all over the place is ferns – just love the color, the leaves and fullness.

Make your pieces work double time. To create as much seating as possible, use a sofa mixed in with chairs.

The original plan for this outdoor space was a long table with la large chandeliers and lots of hanging plants. But this temporary solution will have to do. At least we have somewhere inviting to sit for the next few weeks and enjoy the outdoors.

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19 thoughts on “How to pull together an outdoor dining space

  1. Love the ideas! I love how you pulled the space together and it is so bright and airy and just looks completely inviting! My husband and I recently added a steel patio to our outdoor space. It was the best idea ever, it's just like an extra expansion of the house.

  2. Jill, this space is amazing. Love the tablecloth from Sweden, really adds a nice touch and looks great with those vintage chairs. Just perfect. Nicely done, as always. Xo

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