It’s the season to take your entertaining out of doors.
Become known as the host with the most with these tips on entertaining
Will your summer be filled with family-friendly meals and relaxed alfresco lunches with friends? Now is definitely a good time to replenish barbecue tools or perhaps even upgrade the barbecue itself, but that’s not all there is to consider when it comes to outdoor entertaining. Here’s how to make the most of the glorious weather with tips on all types of entertaining, from family barbecues to leisurely lunches and cocktails under the stars.
You’ll need to think about how and where you will cook. What’s the best solution for creating shade during the day, ambience at night, and staying warm on cooler evenings? And where will everyone sit?
Summer is also a great excuse to update your decor with just a few accessories – or go big and add an outdoor dining table or couches that encourage great conversation. “With multi-function the new norm, the aesthetics of outdoors have become much more relevant in terms of how they complement the overall feel of the home,” says Myelz Moss of Freedom.
Bring the indoors out
“Use your interior style as a guide and bring it into your outdoor space with anything from colourful pots to bright cushions, tabletop decor or even mirrors and artwork,” says Auckland interior designer Erina Emery. “Adding an outdoor rug also adds softness while anchoring the furniture and creating the sense of an outdoor room.”
The key to a summer makeover is lighter fabrics, bright colors and even a touch of beach-inspired decor like a navy and white Breton stripe or a French stripe from the acrylic Sunbrella range.
“To make a look that lasts, choose a classic table and swap out decor seasonally with pops of colour and prints, serve with a side of great food and conversation,” says Myelz. “As temperatures drop in the evening make sure to have throws at hand to snuggle under the stars.”
Home fires
Just like an indoor fire, an outdoor fire creates a focal point where guests can gather. Outdoor fires have progressed beyond basic fire pits. An open outdoor wood fire will let you impress your friends with lamb loins grilled to perfection, smoky meats, whole fish with perfectly crispy skin, and roasted vegetables. Escea lead designer Alex Hodge recommends the EK series of outdoor fireplaces. “Once your meal is cooked, hide all the grills underneath a stainless steel drawer and you’re left with a roaring outdoor fire to relax in front of.”
Another inclusive way to get lunch on? Try Escea’s Fire Table and let the family gather and cook for themselves. “Inspired by the classic campfire, the Fire Table is great for kebabs or corn on the cob and, of course, for toasting marshmallows,” says Alex.
Made for shade
Our sun can be dangerous – and exceedingly hot. “We’ve all experienced the too-hot-to-handle cutlery on Christmas Day,” says Jayne Cross-Hunter of McKenzie & Willis. She suggests the Jardinico Caractere 301 umbrella, with a 3m span. “They swivel 360 degrees so you can go from dining to outdoor lounging and simply move the umbrella around to give you and your guests shade all day long.”
If you’re looking for a smart, permanent solution, louvre roofs like the ones by Locarno Louvre Roof systems or Louvretec easily create outdoor rooms that can be closed on three sides for warmth on chillier evenings or opened up on warmer days. Says Deborah Grey of Warmington Fires: “They’re also the best choice if you’re planning an outdoor fire.”
Alternatively, consider a SheShed, a kitset garden shed. “If you’re blessed with more garden and less deck, a SheShed can create an extra outdoor room for kids to hang out in or styled for friends or family to lounge around in after lunch or dinner,” says SheShed owner Gemma Brewerton.
Expand or contract
The more the merrier, they say, and this can become a manageable reality with Ribambelle, the latest extending table from Fermob. “It’s perfect for entertaining over the long Christmas and summer holidays,” says Joanna Rogers of Jardin. With one, two or three extensions you can choose just how extended your gatherings will be.
“End chairs with arms are popular with less mobile family members while benches are always popular with children, allowing them to get up and down from the table with ease, often squeezing four or five to a bench where only three chairs would otherwise fit,” says Joanna. “Add a hint of personality and a designer aesthetic by adding unusual end chairs or mixing in benches,” she says. “The key to maintaining sophisticated style when mixing things up is to restrain your eclecticism to only one element.”
Decorate the table
“Casual and elegant is the best choice for outdoor tableware, nothing too formal
– or too precious. On a terrace or deck, you want everything on the table to feel in keeping with the outdoors,” says Nicola Cranfield of Cranfields.
“Adding foraged leaves and flowers is a gentle nod to your surroundings. As is using tableware with botanical themes and timber – a chunky elm cheese board for an alfresco lunch or an oak lazy Susan for a large shared family-style meal.”
When dining outdoors, choose glassware that will withstand the elements. “I’d suggest using super robust French glassware like La Rochere,” says Nicola. A classic white wine or rosé is best served in a tulip-shaped stemmed glass to keep your hands from warming the glass.
Plumm Outdoors glasses made of
polycarbonate, available at Father Rabbit, look like the real thing, plus they’re unbreakable. For the kids, a set of bamboo tumblers are unlikely to break if dropped.
Indoors and out, there’s a move towards tableware in organic shapes and natural materials. “I love durable rattan place mats and organic stoneware,” says Sonia Watts of French Country Collections. Don’t neglect the smaller details like linen napkins. Adds Jeremy Willoughby of Corso de’ Fiori: “The use of natural materials and understated style, with no sharp corners, makes rattan furniture an appealing option.”
MAKE A FROSE
Make a statement with a signature drink, such as an on-trend frosé. We recommend blending rosé or prosecco with seasonal fruit and ice. Other options are smoothies or milkshakes but whatever you choose, keep the drinks flowing by using a Vitamix Ascent 2500i Blender from Harvey Norman.
Chef’s choice
Outdoor cooking is one of the true pleasures of summer entertaining, from meals with the family to weekend feasts with friends. The ultimate is obviously a custom-built outdoor kitchen complete with pizza oven, open fire and barbecue, but don’t fret if you’re not there yet. Love Outdoor Kitchens has launched a teppan-yaki-inspired rollaway outdoor table in macrocarpa wood with an optional built-in Heston Blumenthal Fusion BBQ, a pull-out ice drawer for cold drinks, or a bar fridge.
“A more location-friendly option is our new rollaway table made in high-end plywood,” says Love Outdoor Kitchens founder Rhys Mellor. “These are much lighter and can be moved around inside the home or out onto the deck offering both dining concepts.” The stools are stored inside the unit, and you can even roll it indoors and use it as an extra island worktop or an extension of your kitchen bench.
The look with lighting
Lighting plays a big part in setting the scene and creating a mood. Foundry by Hinkley Lighting, for example, creates a vintage aesthetic for both indoors and out with mix and match options.
Add just the right amount of festoon or fairy lights to create a magical space. Classic white bulbs – either retro or modern – can fit into any decorating style though you can’t leave them outdoors permanently.
“Mason jars filled with a light bulb and fairy lights are a soft light that adds instant atmosphere to your table,” says Anna Lim, owner of The Garden Party. “Leave these outside in the sun during the day and at night they will come on after the sun sets.” Rechargeable lamps offer an elegant way to create ambient light on a dinner table or in a lounge area at night. Another great idea, says Anna, is to wrap LED seed lights around a tree. “The 100 LED bulbs stay cool and you can simply tuck away the solar panel.”
Interior designer Erina Emery agrees: she likes to use solar-powered lights to light up pathways to make navigating your outdoor space easier, without the need to run cables to a power source.