One of the aspects many people enjoy about the summertime is backyard or patio barbecues. If you are contemplating such an event, you are also likely puzzling over how to set the table, what do to in the way of a tablescape. There are seven solid tablescape ideas well-suited to a summertime patio barbecue.
Go Western
Yes, having a Western theme tablescape comes close to being a cliché. Having admitted that possibility, you can make some twists on the theme and end up with a truly dynamic look for your patio barbecue.
For example, you can not only go Western, but go Old West or Wild West. With a little research, you can find dining practices of people in towns during the heydays of the Wild West. At the other extreme, you might even want to give a go with a tablescape theme that hearkens to eating in an encampment while traveling across the Old West. Another option would be considering some of the fancier rail passenger cars of the day and take tips for a tablescape from them.
Go Counter Scape
When you think of a barbecue dinner on the patio in the summertime, you brain likely flashes to casual. Of course, casual is the norm when it comes to a barbecue. Indeed, you might not even think about tablescaping for such an affair. But, in the end, even when you set a table simply, you really are tablescaping on some level.
A concept to bear in mind for a summer time patio barbecue tablescape might best be called the “counter scape.” The counter scape means that you go the opposite direction from casual and simple when it comes to designing your tablescape for a patio barbecue.
Perhaps don’t bring out the China, but maybe you do incorporate nice silver within the tablescape. You abandon paper plates and disposable utensils, and take it all up a couple of notches. After all, except when having a patio barbecue, the other common place to dine on a delicious stake is in a higher quality restaurant. You don’t eat off paper in that type of eatery.
Go Picnic
You don’t have to overcomplicate things when tablescaping for a patio barbecue. Moreover, you don’t have to ignore the season you are in. The fact is that you are dining outside precisely because it is summertime.
With this in mind, consider a picnic theme for a patio barbecue dinner. Lay this tablescape foundation with something as basic as a red and white checkered table. You can accent it with mugs in silver, which adds a stylish touch the presentation. As was the case with the counter scape idea discussed a moment ago, you can “up” the look of the table by fancying up the picnic look a bit more.
Go Era
Another idea for a summertime patio barbecue tablescape is decorating around a particular era. Select a decade and does some research and find out how a tabletop would be set during that time period.
Perhaps you want to carry the era idea throughout the summer. For example, start in the 1920s, and then move forward decade-by-decade as the summer progresses. You might think about putting different members of your family in charge of the different time periods. In the alternative, if you have dinner regulars at your home during barbecue season, think about assigning different decades to the quests.
Barbecue and Game Night
Another take on the tablescape theme can be to incorporate a patio barbecue and game night. In other words, the gathered group will enjoy games after a hearty meal.
For the purposes of illustration, assume the game night element of the gathering will be Monopoly. You can includes attributes of Monopoly into the tablescape. In the alternative, you can isolate one aspect of Monopoly and build the tablescape around that.
For example, focus in on Boardwalk, the highest priced property in the game. You can have a Boardwalk theme for the tablescape, including adding silver pieces into the mix to enhance the sense of elegance.
In the final analysis, there is a tremendous amount that you can do when it comes to a tablescape for a summertime barbecue. In a very real sense, you are only constrained by your creativity.
One more thought. As was referenced in one design scheme a moment ago, but can be expanded throughout the summer, make sure to involve your family in this process. Share ideas between family members for tablescape ideas for these memorable summertime patio barbecues.
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Jessica Kane is a writer.
Categories: Food & Drink, Summer, Summer Time
