Extend Your Home Outdoors

Dine al Fresco

The Big Idea: Create an outdoor dining room by setting up a table and chairs on a porch, terrace, or right on the lawn. Make sure your chairs are comfortable enough that guests will linger over a meal and conversation. In the evening, the soft glow of twinkling lights or candles makes the setting even more enchanting.

Notice the Details: Ordinary concrete pavers from a home-and-garden center create a fun checkerboard floor on this patio. With alternating smooth and pebbled surfaces, the result is a textural and graphic pattern that costs far less than you might think.