KIM COOK
Associated Press<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Squeezing the most out of summer \u2014 especially this coronavirus summer \u2014 has often meant eating and entertaining outside, for those with the space to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe goal today is to lavish just as much love and attention on your outdoor setup as you do your indoor rooms. Even if it\u2019s just a fire escape in the city,\u201d says interior designer Elaine Griffin, based in St. Simons Island, Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SET THE STAGE<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To elevate your al fresco entertaining, she advises, begin with the layout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Set up the dining table close to your indoor kitchen: \u201cThe further it is, the more oversize trays you\u2019ll need to carry stuff out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Place your seating toward the best view you\u2019ve got. And kids\u2019 play areas should be easily seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThink of the outdoors like you would an open plan interior,\u201d Griffin says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Get a good light source, whether it\u2019s sunlight for breakfast or lunch, or light strings for cocktails and dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
THE RIGHT PROPS<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Griffin says wicker is having a moment this summer, indoors and out. \u201cI love it because it\u2019s affordable and virtually indestructible,\u2033 she says. She cites Amanda Lindroth\u2019s <\/a>tabletop accessories: “She\u2019s like the Ralph Lauren of wicker: collectible, timelessly classic and insanely chic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Outdoor spaces reap drama from an oversize mirror, too. \u201cThey\u2019re great on side or back walls to add depth and reflect light,\u201d says Griffin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pillar candles in tall, clear, cylinder vases make inexpensive hurricanes. \u201cStation these to illuminate the approach to your dining area for red carpet drama, flanking patio stairs and doors,\u201d she says. Get a set of battery-operated ones with a remote control, and you won\u2019t have to worry about wind or fire safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re using a tablecloth, make sure you\u2019ve got anchors and clips to hold it in place in a breeze. On Etsy.com,<\/a> there are cast-resin and metallic weights shaped like flowers, birds and shells, as well as ones crafted of polished pebbles or sea glass. These make good hostess gifts, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Choose placemats or table coverings that can be wiped clean easily. If your decor style is modern, Ikea<\/a> has square or round placemats with bold, pop-art graphic stripe or swirl patterns, or vibrant hues of pink, red and navy.<\/p>\nThis problem can also target young age viagra 100mg prices<\/a> women. This kind of best buy on viagra http:\/\/djpaulkom.tv\/new-single-dj-paul-k-o-m-you-know-where-im-goin\/<\/a> liposuction is chosen by both celebrities and models in order to stay fat free legs and to get a proper shape of the knees. For regular stress and work-related headaches; perhaps some hot tea or soup would be enough to relieve you from any general pain! But when you’ve encountered what doctors refer to as an envoy cyclic guanosine djpaulkom.tv<\/a> purchase viagra monophosphate (cgmp). Only a licensed physician can evaluate your health problem and give the corresponding treatment. achat viagra pfizer<\/a> <\/span>\n\n\n Chilewich\u2019s plaid, stripe and madras patterns in their signature woven placemats bridge contemporary and traditional style. And in a collaboration with Williams-Sonoma,<\/a> Aerin\u2019s oilcloth tablecloths feature a variety of vintage floral prints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NOW SERVING<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chrissy Teigen\u2019s Cravings collection at Target<\/a> includes melamine serving trays with a breezy, batik-inspired pattern. Also in the collection are mango-wood trays inlaid with metallic designs inspired by her Moroccan travels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sixteenth-century Turkish tile inspired a collection of dip bowls and platters at Williams-Sonoma. Here too, a collection that references traditional Sicilian maiolica patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Set up an appetizer zone with CB2\u2032s<\/a> petrified wood or blackened teak serving boards, some of their Pebble gray melamine plates with a handmade, Japanese look, and a cheese knife set made of faceted brass that reverses to polished pyrite stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Celebrate summer flowers and fruits by using melamine plates like Sur La Table\u2019s<\/a> Rose Nuage, printed with soft pink blooms on a blue background, and Cabana, printed with beachy tropical leaves and flowers. The Pique Nique design is printed with vibrant cherries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At Anthropologie,<\/a> find painterly renditions of papayas and lemons on a serveware collection made of bamboo and melamine. At West Elm,<\/a> you\u2019ll find Toronto artist Xenia Taler\u2019s geometric-patterned plates, made of bamboo and rice husks. And at One King\u2019s Lane,<\/a> Vietri\u2019s melamine collection looks just like rustic stoneware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of disposable paper napkins, consider tea towels. They\u2019re roomy enough to drape across a lap and provide a nice big surface on which to wipe fingers. Flour-sack towels are soft, absorbent, lint-free and wash easily. Heath Ceramics<\/a> has a set of three, printed with type foundry House Industries\u2019 bold flatware graphics. Sur La Table has playful plaid, gingham, strawberry, dog or cat prints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pandemic has made bandannas popular as face coverings, but they also make great table runners with just a few quick stitches. Or you can use them as napkins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For retro style, CB2\u2019s Doris matte-finish aluminum tumblers in navy, copper, silver and soft mint green have a midcentury modern vibe. And Sur La Table\u2019s acrylic drinkware, in cherry red or clear, looks like vintage chunky cut glass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a new collaboration with the RV company Airstream, Pottery Barn<\/a> has a collection that includes a drinks cooler shaped like the iconic trailer; logo-embroidered napkins and tumblers; and bowls and plates in a gray-and-white enamelware swirl pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ___<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim Cook writes frequently about decor and design for The AP. Follow her at: www.kimcookhome.com<\/p>\n\n\n\nngg_shortcode_0_placeholder\n