Darren Kennedy: Set the standard for outdoor dining with spectacular summer tablescaping

What’s seldom should be stylish, so any time you get to eat outdoors, elevate it to a special occasion

100pc cotton Rainbow tablecloth, €130, The Designed Table, thedesignedtable.com

Popping Candy Dip-dye taper candles (set of six), €29.95, signature-editions.ie

‘Hippy’ dinner plates (set of four), €100, Polspotten, Brown Thomas

Pink throw, €16.99, from a selection, Homesense

Leaf platter, €41, Bordallo Pinheiro, Brown Thomas

100pc cotton Rainbow tablecloth, €130, The Designed Table, thedesignedtable.com

Popping Candy Dip-dye taper candles (set of six), €29.95, signature-editions.ie

‘Hippy’ dinner plates (set of four), €100, Polspotten, Brown Thomas

Pink throw, €16.99, from a selection, Homesense

Leaf platter, €41, Bordallo Pinheiro, Brown Thomas

100pc cotton Rainbow tablecloth, €130, The Designed Table, thedesignedtable.com

Darren Kennedy

May 28 2022 04:00 PM

It’s officially summer, which means barbecues, garden parties and picnics are all on the agenda. Make the experience special by bringing a sheepskin rug or two to throw on top of the picnic blanket, and have proper glasses, cutlery and linen napkins in your picnic basket (TK Maxx does great baskets).

Tablescaping is not just for indoors. If you haven’t yet been to Brown Thomas Dublin’s new pop-up tablescaping shop, Table Stories, now is the time. It has an impressive selection of brands, including Polspotten, Bornn, Vaisselle, Bordallo Pinheiro, Soho Home, Popolo, Hay, Lisa Corti, Maison Balzac, Ottolenghi and one of my absolute favourite Irish brands, The Designed Table.

Popping Candy Dip-dye taper candles (set of six), €29.95, signature-editions.ie

A tablescape is more than the sum of its parts, so think of all the things that will add impact: glassware, porcelain and pottery, candles and flowers, as well as the basics of linens, cutlery and plates.

Creating a spectacular summer tablescape is all about colour. Start with a colourful, summery tablecloth, then add a runner in a co-ordinating block colour and placemats in a third colour to give that luxurious, layered feel. Alternatively, I love a crisp white linen tablecloth as a base, with a floral runner and colourful mats on top.

Carry that colour through to your tableware and glassware. Dutch brand Polspotten offers cheerful, brightly coloured cut glasses that twinkle on any tabletop. Their chequered tumblers look fantastic.

Entire table settings are expensive, and most of us will only invest in one or two complete sets in our entire lives, so think about adding a colourful side plate to your standard white collection.

Alternatively, add colour through your serving dishes. The stunning geometric Futurismo collection from Portuguese porcelain brand Vista Alegre is decoration enough for any table.

‘Hippy’ dinner plates (set of four), €100, Polspotten, Brown Thomas

Bordallo Pinheiro’s iconic cabbage-leaf plates add a sense of fun to a party. You can also add a harlequin tea set from brands like Aynsley to prettify your tablescape. Or try upcycling brand Cirkel Living, which fuses old pieces of crockery together to make fabulously unique, mismatched collections.

You don’t have to go colourful and floral, though, if it’s not your thing. Try Nkuku for natural materials and tones, or Urban Nature Culture for a muted colour palette. Whatever style you choose, the point is to make each moment feel like a celebration.