I think it would be fair to say that we have all been enjoying the British summer over the last few months, right? Dining outdoors is a huge part of outdoor living here at LMH, impromptu BBQs and drinks in the garden are one of the things I’ll always remember from summer 2018. In the hope that we still have another couple of months left to embrace alfresco dining I decided to give our outdoor dining area a little revamp, it was looking a little tired in comparison to the other areas of the garden that were given a makeover last year.
We already had the cable reel dining table (which I love!) but it was looking a little too rustic after the long winter so I decided to give it a freshen up with the leftover Cuprinol black paint that I’d used for the fence in our outdoor living area this has made the two spaces flow much better. To finish the table I fitted a reclaimed terracotta pot and a pair of glass tea light holders (recycled from the mini desserts sold at Aldi) into the holes in the centre of the table giving them a new purpose.
I wanted some stylish tableware to complete the look but didn’t want to go down the plastic route. The new Studio Blue collection from Denby was the perfect, laid back choice for both indoor and outdoor dining, it’s durable because what isn’t that Denby make and the design compliments the rest of my dinnerware so will mix in perfectly when we have guests. The handcrafted bowls and plates look striking against the newly upcycled dining table and match our Ferm Living napkins…bonus! How cute is the little cork stopper on our oil bottle?
For the table and my new tablewares first run I served up a casual summer lunch of salads that looks so appetising in the Studio Blue serving bowls. I made a salmon, jersey royal and rocket salad & a med veg cous cous bowl with feta, the matching ramekins were perfect for olives and tomatoes (and they’ll be equally as perfect for individual chocolate puddings come winter!).
To complete the space I freshened up the pallet wood & tin wall planters with some new bedding plants that I’m really hoping I manage to look after through to autumn.
How have you livened up your alfresco dining over the last few weeks?
NB – This post was written in collaboration with Denby pottery, as always I would never work with a brand unless I loved the product! If you love Denby as much as I do then check out their sister company Burleigh who have launched some new colours of their famous Calico mug to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
