Stylish Alfresco Dining

Learn from entertaining expert and Editor-at-Large Kimberly Schlegel Whitman as she puts a chic spin on a backyard summer garden party.

Alfresco Dining
Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Alfresco Dining Hostess

Paper or plastic? For Kimberly Whitman's alfresco dining parties, the answer is always "neither." "You should be able to enjoy an elegant dinner outside just as you would indoors with a few easy changes," she says.

To create the space, they paved a 10-x-10-foot area in their side yard, gave it a boxwood border, and hung an iron chandelier from the tree branch above. A round table with an iron base and teak dining chairs upholstered in weather-resistant fabric are outdoor grade, but would look equally good indoors. To set the table, Kimberly combined formal and casual elements that are united under a fresh green-and-white color scheme. Here, she tells you how to create her inviting look and successfully host your own outdoor dinner party.


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