Home visit: host dinner and movies in the garden
It’s a warm summer’s evening and everyone’s in the mood for staying outside. Take your plans for dinner and a movie, and make them alfresco! Here’s how…
Take life outdoors
Chloé’s family created a relaxed room outdoors using a dining table that’s easy to fold out as the night goes on and more guests turn up. “Our indoor dining area is pretty small, so we always prefer eating outside together,” says Chloé. “We’ll cook fresh fish on the barbecue with home-grown herbs from the backyard. And we’ll stay outdoors till late, because the sunsets here in Greece are incredible!”
Create a natural table setting
Look to your surroundings for inspiration for your table setting. Pair natural materials, such as seagrass and linens, with this season’s inky blue color palette for the tableware. Chloé’s backyard already has plenty of foliage, so instead of using flowers as decoration, she scatters driftwood along the length of the table. The family enjoy collecting pieces of wood on the beaches nearby.
Get cozy with artificial candles
Think about the things you use to make your interiors feel warm and inviting, and make them work for you outdoors. Love candles? Use artificial ones to add warmth and coziness to your alfresco setting. These candles are LED-powered, so they won’t blow out if the wind gets up. They’re also safer for when children are around.
Keep kids entertained
Barbecue food can sometimes take a little longer to cook, so keep children busy with some pre-dinner fun. Try stretching out a roll of drawing paper across one end of the table (you might want to place a flat surface underneath, to stop them drawing into the gaps!). And, while parents chat after dinner, little artists can get back to their masterpieces before the sun sets for movie time.
“I love a spontaneous barbecue party. It doesn’t need to be planned in advance, and we don’t need much to prepare. It’s better to just leave things open and go with how we feel.”
Chloé
Set up a cinema at sundown
“We’ve always wanted to host an outdoor movie night,” says Chloé. To create a pop-up cinema, she brought out a laptop and projector, and set up the wall of their bungalow as a screen (you could also try hanging a white sheet). The family already had outdoor lounge chairs, which also come in kid’s sizes, so they simply added cozy throws and cushions from inside. Grab some snacks, and you’re set for showtime!
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