It’s that time of year! The time when we like to gather outside together to enjoy some barbecued food, roaring fires, twinkling stars, and breathtaking sunsets. They say the kitchen is the heart of the home, and it’s hard to disagree with that sentiment. I would also add the picnic table or outdoor patio set can be the heart of the backyard! Picnic tables do not need to be run-of-the-mill or cheap temporary possessions – color inspiration and design inspiration can be extended to the backyard and make for lasting furniture. This article will discuss unique ways of approaching outdoor dining that might surprise you! Ready for some creative inspiration? Here it comes!
What We Love About Outdoor Dining!
Gathering with friends and family often centers around an eating experience. It is joyful, heartwarming, and often downright delicious! Think of dining outside where you can enjoy the fresh air, a soft breeze, and cool comfort of a spring or summer evening. That’s what outdoor dining is all about! It appeals to the senses in every way, from the lighting being easy on the eyes to the temperature being just perfect – to the delicious aroma of a summer meal. Take all of those senses and embrace your outdoor dining experience.
Stepping Up Your Game!
Rather than using plastic outdoor utensils, paper or plastic plates, and cheap paper napkins, it’s time to up your game and take a whole new approach. Think about what makes the indoor dining experience so unique. It is often the ambiance where you are eating together, the elegance, and the mood in the room. Taking it one step further and ask yourself, what makes this space visually so inspiring? Is it the table linens? The candlesticks? The centerpieces on the table? It could even be the dishes themselves.
When we talk about entertaining outside and upping your game, I suggest taking what makes dining indoors so enjoyable and migrating it outside! Add things to your outdoor dining experience that make your guests feel just as important as if you were entertaining them in your formal dining room!
Go Rustic with a Formal Flair!
We’ve talked about the farmhouse design style and farmhouse colors quite a bit lately; this is not just because it’s a hot/trending style, but also because it’s a timeless design, and it works so well with many homes, especially in an outdoor setting. It’s hard not to fall in love with the rustic style combined with refined charm. A wooden outdoor dining table is a perfect example; it’s easy to enjoy the warmth and coziness of a weathered wood outdoor dining table.
A farmhouse picnic table is going to embody the same philosophies that a home embracing farmhouse style would. It’s about usefulness, earnestness, and authenticity. Take an older wooden picnic table. If you want to add color, you can paint the legs. I suggest leaving the top wood, though. You can stain it a wood color or rub in stain and wipe it off to have bits of paint stay within the wood grain. You can even embrace knots and imperfections in the wood as long as it looks intentional. Top the picnic table with an old watering can and make it into a vase with interchangeable wildflowers as the seasons pass; it’s a perfectly Americana setting!
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Picnic Table Colors: Embracing Reclaimed Wood
Reclaimed wood can have a dramatic effect on outdoor furniture. If you’re a DIY type of personality and looking to craft your picnic table, embrace reclaimed wood for an even more rustic vibe.
As a color specialist, I’m always looking for colors that are not widely used. I’ve seen unique picnic tables come into being because of the patina and character of reclaimed wood. Reclaiming these woods and using them for the tabletop of the picnic table will highlight their beauty and character. Keep the bench and legs a solid dark color, like navy blue or even black; this will accentuate the tabletop itself and embrace what colors nature and time have provided. Other supporting colors to compliment your reclaimed wood could be rich greens, terra cotta, warm oranges, and sage green. Slate blues would also fit in. Think about using earthy colors that will blend with your outdoor space for entertaining.
Picnic Table Colors: Sunny Colors for Sunny Days
Decorating your picnic table can range from bright and sunny colors to softer pastel colors. Softer colors have a light, breezy and easy-going aura to them, perfect for an afternoon in the backyard enjoying the weather and the little pleasures that the warmer seasons bring. I’ve talked about how sunny colors are great options for comprising spring color palettes, and this idea also extends to picnic tables and outdoor furniture.
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Play up your Space with Color and Lighting!
It’s time to talk about decorating your beautiful table, and don’t hold back! Thinking of the colors I mentioned earlier (Terra cottas, oranges, greens, and slate blues), see how many places you can add these colors to your outdoor space.
Add cloth napkins in different hues, and don’t be afraid to add colorful dishes. Table linens are a simple way of adding a softer feel to the hard surface you’ll be eating on. Create drinks in jars rather than regular glasses. What’s fun about this is seeing the colors of the drinks you are serving! Adding fresh fruit and colorful straws etc, will add to the colors of your beverages in a tasty way. Another idea is to add flowers to jars or clay pots to keep the rustic and colorful feel of your space. Keep the flowers low so as not to interrupt the conversation at the table. Remember, wherever you can color, you are adding fun to your atmosphere!
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Lighting Can Also Add Warmth to Your Outdoor Decor
Last but not least, have fun adding lights to your picnic area. Candles will add a glow to the table, and lights strung above the table are a fun way to illuminate the space without having light in anyone’s eyes. Taller candles give a fun vibe to your picnic space by mixing rustic and formal decor, which will make the space more interesting. Lighting is often overlooked, but it can be the best way of enhancing the mood of your picnic table, making the whole dining experience much more relaxing and rewarding.
Make it Charming in Every Way
We all have fond memories of picnics, picnics tables, and warm evenings with comforting food. Once you have set your table, step back and look at your space. Does it look like you are there to have a good time? It’s a very charming style that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I hope you’re inspired, go ahead, invite friends, and have a good time!
After all, isn’t that what picnics are all about!?
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Lovely images, Amy, and you know… I am ALL about outdoor dining! Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks so much Leslie, I’m glad you are inspired. I am so excited about entertaining outside this year!
I LOVE entertaining and outdoor dining is one of my absolute favorites. Can’t wait to get some picnics going this year and hosting again. Thanks for sharing, Amy!
Yes I am equally excited about entertaining this year Chari! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
All such pretty options. I am hosting an outdoor shower later this month and you have given me great inspiration!
I am so glad to hear that Lisa, I am confident that your shower will be beautifully done (down to every last detail!)
I am a huge fan of eating outside and wish I lived ina location where we could do that year round!!
Yes I feel the same way Christie, but I have to say it makes the warmer months even sweeter!
Beautiful, inspirational images. I love the idea of highlighting the color of the reclaimed wood, sunny colors, and the charm of beautiful outdoor lighting.
Thanks so much Mary Ann, I am so glad you are inspired!
YES to real dishes and silverware for outdoor dining!! All great suggestions for a wonderful outdoor dining experience!
I am with you 100% Janet! I think it makes a big difference in the whole dining experience!