10 Ideas for Aesthetic Al Fresco Dining

3 years ago

Think dappled shade and laissez faire mis matched chairs

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10 Ideas for Aesthetic Al Fresco Dining at Home

Ice clinking. Dappled shade. The fizzing of your elderflower cordial. Crisp white table linen flitting in the breeze. That feeling when you quietly close your eyes and let the sun sting your cheeks on a serotonin-drenched summer’s day.

Al fresco dining is always where you have the fondest memories. It’s rarely the flashy holidays that you feel nostalgic about. Usually, it’s those moments when your belly aches laughing with your friend on a laissez-faire mismatched lunch table in the garden. It’s when your fingertips turn red from cutting strawberry heads in the cool shade of the kitchen. Time seems to stand still and you languish in the heat, with only the flow of conversations that manage to have any pace.

a fruit bowl of orangs sits by a window overlooking a Mediterranean landscape

Footed Serving Bowl, £60, The White Company. Image courtesy of The White Company.

For our inspiration, we’re dreaming of the nonchalant al fresco breakfast laid out in Call Me By Your Name. Maybe also the picnic in Brideshead Revisited, where the characters put the world to rights while crunching into a strawberry sitting by an oak tree.

We’re just at the cusp of al fresco dining season, so now is the perfect time to magpie and gather together beautiful objects to adorn your tablescape of midsummer dreams. From tumblers, tea lights to table linen, we’ve rounded up the prettiest tablescaping pieces to inspire you, brought to you by The White Company.

Platter Power

Let your crockery be the social lubrication. Sharing plates, platters, bowls tapas-style of dining al fresco is always the best way to let the conversation flow. Scallop finishes are never a bad idea, either.

Portobello Scalloped Oval Serving Platter, £60, The White Company, thewhitecompany.com

tomatoes sprinkled with feta sits on top of a platter served outside

Take a Stand

When you’re tablescaping, it’s always good to think about peppering the height of trinkets and crockery along the table to please the eye. Think lofty dinner candles next to small dainty tea lights, next to footed serving bowls.

Footed Serving Bowl, £60, The White Company, thewhitecompany.com

Biophilia is Your Friend

Flora will never go out of style. This summer, we’re thinking a wild, rustic, meadow vibe of floristry to line your tables. If you’re a Londoner where flower cutting is obviously limited, check out Jam Jar Flowers which caters to this aesthetic. jamjarflowers.com

a group of daffodils on a tables by Jam Jar Flowers

Don’t Forget About Breakfast

For those who like the slow summer mornings, and waking up to a filter coffee and frothed milk: there’s no greater joy than a laid out breakfast table en plein air. We’re taking our cue with Piglet in Bed’s new ceramics range. pigletinbed.com

Set the Mood

Lighting will always be key. When the day turns to dusk, when meandering conversations and Spotify playlists on wireless speakers overflow, you’ll need to get a large candle to tide you over. Cue The White Company’s Summer Candle range.

Summer Large Candle, £60, The White Company, thewhitecompany.com

Two large candles by The White Company stand on a magazine

Think in Layers

Practical and aesthetic, the placemat frames the plate beautifully and proudly pops against the table linen. Plus rattan is what everyone’s talking about these days, so why not got for that rustic-chic charm.

Whitewashed Oval Rattan Placemat, £20, The White Company, thewhitecompany.com

Let’s Talk Tulipiere

The craze for tulips took hold during the Dutch Golden Age, and it looks like it’s having a bit of a Renaissance in 2022. A tulipiere (essentially meaning a vase for tulips) is all the rage this summer. Best for a curiously creative centrepiece for the table.

Delft Blue Tulip Three-Piece Vase, £115.15, Etsy, etsy.com

Delft blue tulip vase three-piece pyramid style made by Heinen Delft Blue, tulipiere

Dopamine Decoration

Don’t take life too seriously, and get yourself some beautiful smiley-faced glassware. Your inner childish self will thank you.

Studio Arhoj, £91 each, arhoj.com

a collection of hand blown glasses with smiley faces by Studio Arhoj

Throw Shade

If lighting is key, then shade is essential. There’s nothing worse than eating in direct sunlight at lunchtime, so since you’re making a practical move anyway by buying an umbrella, you may as well make it an aesthetic moment. Enter The White Company’s premium umbrella that lets the fringes to the talking.

Premium Umbrella, £295, The White Company, thewhitecompany.com

a premium white umbrella outdoors by The White Company

Peel Pretty

Water in a jug is simply another opportunity to make the al fresco dining more beautiful. Peeling cucumber ribbons (or whatever you fancy), is an underappreciated art. Get peeling.

Clear Pom Glass Carafe, £55, Issy Granger, issygranger.com

a meadow with a jug of water with peeled cucumber in

You, Me & Symmetry

Expect the inevitable birds-eye-view gram pics of symmetrical tablescaping to come out in full force this summer. If you’re into precision and order, this style could be for you.

The English Meadow, £75.50, Maison Margaux, maisonmargauxltd.com