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Our Summer Entertaining Essentials

Our Summer Entertaining Essentials

5/31/2022

The arrival of both summer and entertaining season has us dreaming of long, leisurely days hosting loved ones once more. As you shift to spending most of your time outdoors, we recognize you may need some inspiration on what to bring to—or style with—your table. So, we've asked our Stylist and Manager of Creative + Content, Kelley Mason, for her favorite summer style tips. That means redefining and refining your dining and entertaining spaces, opting for stylish tableware, going for an evolved al fresco look, choosing pieces that seamlessly adapt to different aesthetics and areas, and finding the perfect summer recipe. From a charming brunch on the terrace to an intimate dinner party in the garden to a larger reunion in the backyard, read on for more of our ultimate summer styling guide.

Two squared wooden accent chairs with white cushions sit on a patio with a round wicker coffee table ottoman holding snacks. Behind the seating area is an outdoor kitchen with a grill and sink.

Redefine and Refine Your Space

We've spoken before about seeing your outdoor living spaces as an extension of your indoor aesthetic, and that remains true, especially when it comes to hosting. We suggest pairing your sofa or accent chair with a standout coffee table. It serves as the perfect resting spot for drinks, appetizers, or snack plates. Make sure to utilize tabletop planters, coasters, and patterned pillows as chic finishing touches.

A teak dining table holds three place settings with tan woven placemats, white plates and silver flatware. A cooked fish with tomatoes is served on a white oval serving platter and vegetables and a block of feta cheese are served in another platter.

Incorporate Stylish Dinnerware and Linens

Once it is time to head to the dinner table, elevate your tablescape with sustainable dinnerware, acrylic glassware, and well-crafted table linens. Our capsule of Chilewich placemats features innovative weaving techniques and distinctive colors. Made from woven vinyl, they are textural, durable, and easy-to-maintain accents atop your table.

A teak wood dining table has four wooden arm chairs with white cushions anchor an outdoor courtyard patio. Hanging lights are over the table and herbs and vegetables line the courtyard.

Embrace a Luxe, Tailored Look

This season, we love the idea of evolving your outdoor dining look by bringing in elegant furniture pieces and rugs that would feel at home in your dining space as well. We suggest incorporating the clean-lined and timeless appeal of a modern dining table and coordinating dining chairs. A neutral-hued and geometric outdoor rug, like this Yamina Indoor/Outdoor Rug, is the ideal complement with its eye-catching linear design and flatweave construction. Shop the all of the Al Fresco looks. 

An seating area on a deck is enclosed with wooden slats and a built-in bench has a black woven seat and throw pillows. Designer Malcom Simmons arranges a gold throw pillow on a bed with mauve bedding and a paneled headboard.

Select Adaptable Furniture Pieces

 

We love going through our Lulu and Georgia Instagram feed and seeing how you have styled our pieces in and around your homes. That is where Interior designer Malcolm A. Simmons, Jr. (@malcolmsimmons) and his beautiful DC home come in, as he has put the Morris & Co. Kelmscott Rush Indoor / Outdoor Bench to wonderful use. Whether placing the bench outdoors on his deck or indoors at the foot of his bed, Malcolm has showcased how versatile and stylish these accents can look in your own space.

Designed and Shot by Malcolm A. Simmons, Jr.