Set up outdoor, the dining space, which is usually indoors, is filled with an incomparable sense of exclusivity. In every outdoor furnishing project, the preparation of the dining room is essential to create the ideal kitchen environment and complete the furnishing atmosphere, making it more welcoming and livable.
If you are planning to install an outdoor cooking area with a dining space, we suggest you read this article. Below, you will find in-depth information, ideas and style and design tips designed specifically for your project.
Designing the perfect outdoor dining space: 10 steps you should follow
Outdoor dining areas are a physical and emotional extension of classic dining rooms inside homes.
To recreate the same convivial atmosphere, with a bit of exclusivity and extra elegance, it is necessary to take into account multiple aspects.
Here are the steps that we advise you to follow for the perfect design of an outdoor dining space:
- Evaluate the location that will host the dining set;
- Select quality outdoor flooring;
- Plan the layout;
- Choose chairs and tables with the most suitable shape based on the layout;
- Select spacious furniture that ensures storage space and order;
- Choose the style of furniture that best reflects the client’s tastes;
- Create the right atmosphere with an outdoor stereo system;
- Increase the comfort level by introducing an outdoor rug;
- Take care of the lighting system;
- Complete the composition with fine linens and elegant tableware.
Let’s continue in stages.
1. Evaluate the location that will host the dining set
There are several factors to consider when deciding where to set up an outdoor dining room. Chief among these is the location, i.e., the place where your client has decided to place the dining set and the accompanying furnishings. Dining areas are perfect:
- On a large patio or in a courtyard that borders the house
- Inside a conservatory or an orangery
- Poolside
- Sheltered under a bioclimatic pergola
Each of these exclusive locations has different technical-functional needs, which is why it is essential to decide which of these is best suited to your client's needs.
2. Select quality outdoor flooring
An outdoor dining room needs a floor capable of supporting furnishings and appliances, so choose a surface made of durable and resistant materials that do not sacrifice the aesthetic side, namely:
- Decking in mixed or traditional wood;
- Stone;
- Porcelain stoneware;
- Bricks
- Marble mosaic
- Pebblestone or grit
3. Plan the layout
Make the dining space layout spacious, welcoming and livable at 360 degrees. The dining room must interact with the outdoor luxury kitchen installed outdoors and is a unique environment.
Therefore, it is necessary to identify the layout of the kitchen area that best suits the client’s needs. Here are some layout ideas to incorporate in the kitchen and dining space:
- Corner or L-shaped kitchen
Corner kitchens have a highly functional and well-organised layout of the main task areas, easily adaptable to open space with large and medium-sized angular cuts.
Beyond this, the L-shaped configuration allows a wide margin of customisation in the preparation of the dining area, with the furnishing accessories that the client prefers the most: tables, chairs, sofas and coffee tables, for example.
- Linear kitchen
Linear kitchens, structurally and aesthetically versatile, offer fluidity and comfort during the preparation phases. This type of layout is also ideal for outdoor spaces, as it is intuitive, comfortable and easily adaptable to any external location.
- U-shaped kitchen
Among the main proposals, U-shaped kitchens are ideal for designing the perfect outdoor dining space, thanks to the configuration, which separates the workstations from areas used for conviviality and eating meals.
In fact, the space located in the centre of the kitchen area, between the three adjoining floors, can be furnished at the client’s discretion.
4. Choose chairs and tables with the most suitable shape for the layout
The table is the true protagonist of the dining room , which is why it is important to choose the model that best suits your layout and the furnishing context.
Select the ideal table for your outdoor dining room based on the client’s needs and how they will use it.
Will the dining room accommodate a large number of guests? Then opt for a rectangular or oval shape. If, on the contrary, the environment will be used exclusively for a few close friends, choose a square or circular table.
Depending on the shape, you will also have to think about the right dining chairs since they will have to be integrated perfectly into the surrounding space and match the table.
Also, concentrate on the style of the table and chairs and their material, to give a sense of material synchrony to the entire composition, or you could play on the contrast between different materials.
In this regard, here are the most suitable materials for an outdoor dining room:
- Metal;
- Steel;
- Synthetic rattan;
- Teak
To make your dining room prestigious, make sure that the table and armchairs coordinate, especially with the surrounding environment. In addition, for a luxurious effect, choose unique finishes and chairs with soft cushions that invite conviviality.
5. Select spacious furniture that guarantees storage space and order
Each dining space needs good storage space.
To always guarantee order and ergonomics you could opt for:
- A bar counter with matching chairs: ideal both as a storage space and to guarantee an additional entertainment area;
- Sideboards, drink cabinets, consoles , all matching the kitchen.
6. Choose the furnishing style that best reflects the client’s tastes
To create a unique and bespoke furnishing atmosphere, select stylish furnishings and accessories that best reflect the client's taste.
The designer’s sense of style must emerge through the aesthetics of the furniture that makes up the outdoor dining room. Outside as well as inside the house, every room speaks of the way of life of its inhabitants.
A suggestion: to give a sense of continuity, make sure that the furniture for the outdoor dining space matches the furnishings in the home.
7. Create the right atmosphere with an outdoor stereo system
Music makes any atmosphere vibrant and unique, so why not have it even when outdoors?
For this reason, we advise you to plan for the installation of an outdoor stereo system. With this, you will give the entire outdoor design more personality.
8. Increase the comfort level by introducing an outdoor rug
Making the entire outdoor area more welcoming is possible by introducing one or more outdoor rugs. Extra details that are always beautiful to look at and comfortable will define the outdoor dining room and act as a frame for the dining set, making it the focal point.
9. Take care of the lighting system
Dealing with the lighting system is another decisive step for the perfect design of an outdoor dining space.
Lighting plays a central role in terms of atmosphere and functionality because it enhances the atmosphere and allows those who occupy the dining area to move around in total freedom.
Choose decorative lamps in stylistic agreement with the furnishing composition: arched floor lamps, floor lamps, wall lamps and suspensions made with the best materials and certified for outdoor use.
10. Complete the composition by decorating the table with refined linen and elegant tableware
In the best furnishing projects, the details make the difference. To add a final touch, complete the composition with tablecloths made of luxurious fabrics such as cotton, silk and linen.
Guests should feel welcome right away. Decorate the table with an elegant full service of dishes and cutlery, and place a blown glass vase in the centre.
Follow our tips for designing the perfect outdoor dining space for your clients
In this article, we have explained the factors needed to design and set up outdoor dining rooms in detail.
Now that you know the main guidelines for the perfect planning of a luxury dining space, all you have to do is start the job and make it an impeccable project in a technical and aesthetic sense.
