As spring approaches in the northern hemisphere, it's time to start preparing for sunnier days and warmer evenings. For this lookbook, we've rounded up ten inviting spaces featuring outdoor furniture for relaxed al-fresco dining and socialising.
Getting together in public spaces may still be restricted in much of the world over the coming months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Domestic gardens, courtyards and patios could well be the best place for sharing quality time with friends and family this spring and summer. Read on for 10 inspiring ideas from the Dezeen archives.
This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbook series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series showcased living rooms with statement shelving, green kitchen interiors, peaceful bedrooms and designer bathrooms.
Guadalajara House, Mexico, by Alejandro Sticotti
This house in Guadalajara, Mexico makes the most of the benign climate with an L-shaped, open-sided gallery that extends from the home to provide a cool space for dining and relaxing.
The gallery, which is paved in polished stone, features two zones. The dining area features a twelve-seater wooden table set next to an outdoor fireplace while the lounge area consists of a cushion-strewn, timber-framed sofa, leather Butterfly Chairs and a large, square coffee table.
Find out more about Guadalajara House ›
House of Flowers, US, by Walker Warner
This plein-air dining zone is at a California winery but its rustic style could equally work in a domestic garden or courtyard. Here, visitors can enjoy a glass of wine in the sun while sitting against a warm adobe wall.
Built-in wooden benches are matched with sturdy tables and rough-hewn wooden stools. Tables are decorated with simple bouquets from the garden.
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Jaffa apartment, Israel, by Pitsou Kedem
This sea-facing Jaffa apartment in a historic building has a narrow courtyard that is used for outdoor dining during the summer months. A glossy dining table is easy to wipe down and is complemented by practical plastic chairs.
The ancient stone walls and concrete floor are softened by shrubs and climbers set in oval planters.
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Garden pavilion, UK, by 2LG Studio
British interior designers Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead of 2LG Studio built themselves a white-stained pavilion in their back garden that is used as a dining space and for socialising when the weather allows.
The raised pavilion is clad in slatted timber and serves as a covered dining area. Wide timber decking adds a touch of the seaside boardwalk to the ensemble.
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This multigenerational weekend retreat in Mexico features four separate dwellings arranged around a courtyard that is paved in granite and bisected by a shallow rivulet.
Extending from one of the lodges is a steel pergola with a canopy of slatted timber. This creates a shady spot for family dinners that is furnished with a teak table, dining chairs and benches. An outdoor kitchen allows prep and cooking to be done outside.
Find out more about Casa 4.1.4. ›
Mykonos holiday home, Greece, by K-studio
A walnut pergola covered in traditional reeds provides shade for the outdoor living space at this holiday home in Mykonos. Consisting of a lounge area and a ten-seater dining table, the generous stone terrace looks across an infinity pool towards the ocean.
"To create a house that would allow guests to enjoy being outside throughout the day we needed to filter the overwhelming intensity of the climate by providing shade and protection from the elements," said architect K-studio.
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Country House, Italy, by Studio Koster
Studio Koster's Italian Country House near Piacenza has an idyllic outdoor dining space set amid a cottage-style garden. The setting, close to a timber wall, provides shelter from breezes while lava gravel provides a rustic, low-maintenance touch.
Steel-framed chairs with rattan seats plus poufs with woven covers – both by Italian brand Flexform, which furnished the house for a photoshoot – give the space an eclectic feel.
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Villa Fifty-Fifty, The Netherlands, by Studioninedots
This dining space in Villa Fifty-Fifty in Eindhoven is both indoors and outdoors. Folding glass doors peel back to turn the room into a loggia that is open to a courtyard on one side and a densely planted border on the other.
Quarry tiles and statement plants in terra-cotta pots add a taste of sunnier climes while the only furniture is a chunky dining table and a set of Elbow Chairs designed by Hans J Wegner for Carl Hansen & Son.
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House B, Austria, by Smartvoll
An outdoor dining area sits on a split-level concrete terrace outside this house in Austria, which was an extension and renovation of an existing building. The dining table, made of dark wood to contrast with the pale cement, is set close to the house to protect it from the elements.
Large potted oleanders protect the dining space from view on the upper level of the patio while squash vines planted in a circular void spill over the lower level.
The White Tower, Italy, by Dos Architects
This bright white house in Puglia has an outdoor dining space with a simple, elegant design. Directors' chairs with beige canvas seats give it an outdoorsy, camping-like feel and match the pale-wood table. A pergola made of slender steel columns is shaded with canes.
Two decorative table objects in green break up the beige colour scheme and add a simple but elegant touch.
Find out more about The White Tower ›
This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing green kitchen interiors, peaceful bedrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.