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Outdoor Luncheon Table Styling Tips

*Today’s post was made possible by Unison, and features gifted product for the purposes of a candid review. All opinions are my own.

We don’t entertain often (product of a marriage between two shy people), but when we do, it’s generally a really small group of people. We prefer low key, quiet affairs so we’ve never had more than five people over at one time. And that’s a good thing because our home is on the small side, too, so it’s perfectly suited to these types of more intimate gatherings.

Take our new paver patio, for example. At just 16 by 12 feet, it’s not the biggest outdoor entertaining area, so we’ve had to think strategically about how to fit everything we want onto it without making it look and feel overcrowded. I’ve experimented with lots of different configurations, including this sofa setup, but I keep coming back to the arrangement of two lounge chairs for relaxing on and a small bistro-style eating area. It’s juuuuuust right for an outdoor summer luncheon for four, so today I thought I’d share my tips for styling the scene using my favorite pieces from the collection at Unison.

Outdoor Luncheon Table Styling Tips

The first thing I did was swap the location of the lounge chairs with the bistro table set, that way the chairs would be in the shade mid-day. You can see how the setup looked before here in my hardscape patio installation tutorial. Now the sunning chairs are where they ought to be (in the sunshine), and the table gets more protection from the sun’s heat thanks to the walls of our home.

Next, I covered the vintage glass tabletop with a washable tablecloth that, I think, elevates the look for a more special occasion, like a summer luncheon. I placed a low teal glass vase in the center of the table, and filled it with just a few tulip stems. The reason I went with just a few stems is because I knew they would drape a little lower than normal arrangements, allowing everyone at the table to see each other and talk easily. This Arc Green Low Vase from Unison is the perfect height, and has such an eye-catching shape and color, don’t you think? It’s the ideal centerpiece for a tiny table, and is really all I needed to make the tabletop look fit for a party.

I chose their Hopsack Mocha and Sand Napkins to nod back to the creamy beige and white colors in my tablecloth, and looped each one into a little bunch using these Deep Pine Leather Napkin Holders. The metal button-post closure was really easy to open and close around the cloth napkins, and I love how the rich teal color of the 100% recycled leather complements the same color in my vase centerpiece.

Honestly, though, my favorite part might be those gorgeous Hasami Amber Glass Tumblers. They are really substantial-feeling in your hand, and actually stack, which makes it really easy to transport them from the kitchen to your deck or patio. You can even pair them with the Hasami Ash Wood Lid from Unison to make them air-tight storage containers! I’m adding those to my wish list right now. For the drinks at my luncheon, I served filtered water with fresh cut mint leaves and lemon—my new favorite combination for summer. I always keep a pitcher of it in the fridge now.

Of course, you can’t have an outdoor summer luncheon without beautiful break-resistant melamine plates and bowls. I love the mod 1960s design of these stackable Heller White Melamine Dinnerware pieces. It’s tricky to serve multiple courses at an extra small table where you don’t have room to spread out, so what I did was stack the salad plates right on top of the dinner plates for the first course, that way my guests can eat their salads, then swap those out easily for the dinner plate underneath when we all go inside to the buffet that I had set up on the kitchen counter. Everything is right there within reach, and I think it looks stylishly layered this way.

Check out the entire homeware collection at Unison here, and let me know what you’re going to add to your wishlist. I am so drawn to the timeless, multi-functional designs that they offer, and appreciate that their mission is to create collections that homemakers will come to love for a lifetime. This is “heirloom quality” to a T! See what sparks your creativity when it comes to entertaining, organizing, and decorating this way.

*Today’s post was made possible by UniCurt Curtains, and features gifted product for the purposes of a candid review. All opinions are my own.

Our sunroom was the very first room that I designed in our home when we moved in two and a half years ago. Before the dust had even settled from our move, I had repainted the walls bright white, arranged the furniture how I wanted it, and replaced the ceiling fans to get the room looking juuuuust right. Another thing I did right away was hang new curtains. In my rush to get the room feeling more like “us,” I chose cheap off-the-rack curtains in a shorter length, not realizing that the truncated stature of the curtains would ultimately make this oversized room look a little squat. You may be able to see what I mean in the photos below.

The curtains were okay, but the length definitely wasn’t right for the room, and the $5 sheers that I hung in between the panels have now all started fraying around the edges. Fast forward from 2022 to 2025, and I was ready for an upgrade. I dreamed of custom length curtains that went from floor to ceiling in a heavier weight fabric that looked more sophisticated in the space. I also hoped to replace the cheap sheers with a thicker, more substantial option, topped with pleats to match our new drapes.

You may remember that I teamed up with UniCurt last year to update the curtain panels in our guest room with new affordable custom blackout curtains. We’re still absolutely in love with how those turned out, so it was a no-brainer to work with the UniCurt team again to create a similarly luxurious vibe in our sunroom. This time I decided to go for a slightly bolder look with patterned fabric as opposed to a solid since UniCurt is known for their wide variety of pattern options. Our sunroom is really large, so the room could handle a pop of pattern! You can see the samples that I ordered to consider in person pictured below.

One of the top contenders was that lovely “Monroe” design in the color “Orange Diamond,” but since I don’t really know how the design of this room will ultimately evolve (you guys know I love change!), I decided to go with a slightly more neutral option. “Giada” in “Linen Grey” was the perfect combination of bold pattern and a subdued color palette, and I thought it would offer us lots of flexibility as the design of this room shifts over time.

With the pattern chosen, it was time to get my measurements jotted down. First, I had to rehang my curtain rods up at ceiling height so I could get an accurate measurement from curtain rod to the floor, and then I used this handy measurement tool on the UniCurt website to figure out exactly what dimensions my custom drapes should be. It was super easy to input my measurements and use their guide to perfect what we ultimately needed out of the drape length, including taking into account things like curtain clip size and header style (we went with Double Pinch Pleat, by the way). We ordered our curtains with their free “Memory Shape” option to give us that tailored, pressed look, and got them unlined this time since having blackouts wasn’t necessary in this space.

Our new custom floor-to-ceiling curtains instantly made this room feel so much grander, and the breezy tailored “Fancy” sheers that we hung between them offer the perfect amount of light diffusion and privacy without totally blocking the view of our yard. I love the subtle pattern we chose, and think it will suit the design of this room as it evolves over time. This is one of those instances when photos and videos really just don’t do this update justice! You have to see it in person to appreciate just how much sophistication these new drapes add to our space.

By the way, I know it seems like a simple thing, but hanging your curtains all the way to ceiling height truly transforms the look and feel of a room. I hope you consider trying it out, and if you want to go fully custom, I couldn’t recommend UniCurt more. They specialize in having lots of affordable options to choose from, including both patterned and solid fabrics (I love that you can order physical samples ahead of making your full order!), and they make it super easy to order custom curtains from home thanks to their measurement tool. You can get free shipping worldwide, too, and even preview your chosen style on your actual window using this rendering tool. Comment with any questions you might have!

Outdoor Summer Luncheon Table Styling Tips

UniCurt Custom Curtains In Our Sunroom

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