Text by Elizabeth Czapski
With summer blooms and bounty as your muse, welcome the sunny season with an outdoor table as lively as its vibrant natural surrounds.
Nothing says summer quite like a back-porch party, and an open-air tablescape teeming with the dynamic colors of the season makes it all the more festive. At the table’s center, an eye-catching lineup of arrangements filled with vivid red, orange, and yellow flowers gives way to a slightly more subdued peachy pink scheme across the spread, balanced by a few contrasting accents of cool sky blue in sprigs of hydrangea, the borders of dinner plates, and folded napkins at each setting.
Layered patterns lend depth and a laid-back air to the occasion, fitting of a summer gathering. A contemporary abstract print on the tablecloth is grounded by a classic gingham on individual linens. Golden hobnail features on glasses are softly echoed in the watercolor dots that dance along dinner plates. Organic materials like woven chargers and wooden-handle flatware bring textural interest that reflects the alfresco setting.
It’s the details and thoughtful additions that really make this tablescape shine. Personalized place cards not only ensure every guest feels their presence is appreciated but also offer a finishing touch to the overarching floral motif.
Other natural inclusions, such as lemons and artichokes, further the theme of the season’s bounty and pull in harmonizing color.
The season’s abundance of bright blossoms serves as the inspiration for the scene, and the motif appears in pretty pink salad plates with lifelike painted petals, plush pillows and throws scattered about, and, of course, a bevy of bouquets displayed in a variety of planters and pedestal vases—one of which is even sculpted with the silhouette of an unfurling flower.
Beyond the table, comfortable lounge seating and a croquet set invite visitors to linger after the meal’s end and continue enjoying each other’s company well into the warm evening.
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