How to Turn Your Outdoor Dining Area Into a Magical, Peaceful Spot

Dec 05, 2023

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WHEN YOU think about Marie Kondo-ing part of your home, it’s unlikely you envision your outdoor space as the would-be masterpiece of tidiness. But this terrace, which London interior designer Rebecca James was hired to transform, cried out for order. “The previous garden wasn’t great, to be honest. It was very dark, cluttered, soulless and lacking structure,” said James. She set out to reimagine the enclosed rectangle behind a townhouse as the courtyard of a Moroccan riad. Step one: Organizing the dining area around a brazen focal point—a globed light fixture so large she freaked a little when she opened its box. She also imposed symmetry and restraint, limiting materials and patterns, a strategy that belies the magical atmosphere. “You have to keep it quite simplistic and rein yourself in,” said the founder of her eponymous firm.

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With a strong, sculptural table, you can be “a little more decadent” with your chairs’ style, says James. But keep them identical. Her repetition of throwback seats is easy on the eyes, as are the solid-colored cushions.

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Margret Arm Chair Exterior in Natural,

If you have a four-sided space, a round table, like the Brutalist number James picked, adds interest. “I think a square on top of a rectangle is dated,” she said. And go for chic, unfussy concrete over typical teak. “I didn’t want it to look like a garden center.” This similar table checks all the boxes.

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Blok Round Concrete Dining Table,

You might want a mirror on your patio for the same reason James placed four against the wall. “I needed to make the space bigger,” she said. Bonus: Their delicate, decorative quality keeps the torrent of ivy from feeling overbearing.

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Somerley Country Arch Large Indoor and Outdoor Mirror,

Notice how James extended medium-scale floor tile (the garden’s sole pattern) up the sides of built-in border planters. This kills the need for “higgledy-piggledy” individual flower pots and avoids a change of materials that would have visually shrunk the garden.

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ArtisanTileCompany Jardine Rose Porcelain Tiles,

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You can lend a room instant organization with one statement piece. Suspended by a steel rod that spans two walls, a light of recycled plastic (woven to look like wicker) cannot be ignored. This similar fixture made of all-weather wicker will work just as nicely.

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Double Twist Outdoor Natural Pendant,

Clear vases help you keep the focus on the flowers and cut visual clutter. The two vessels at different heights that James used suggest a spontaneous “not a care in the world” mood, she said. Choose flower colors that nod to your décor; in the London terrace, James picked up the pink in the tiles.

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Sofia Glass Vase,

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