Patio awnings are a simple, inexpensive way to add value to
your home. You can create additional outdoor living space in a shady, relaxing
environment away from the intense rays of the sun. Looking for new ways to
celebrate with friends and family this summer under your new awning? Check out
these two sophisticated summer events you need to host under your patio awning.
1. White on White Dinner
A white-on-white dinner party is a spin-off of the French
diner
en blanc
in which guests meet at a pre-determined area to eat a picnic
meal together. Everyone dresses in white in order to recognize fellow diners
instantly.
Your all-white dinner can definitely stay put beneath your
patio awning rather than at an outdoor public space. There, you can transform
your new outdoor living space into an elegant haven of white. Bring your formal
dining table outside and dress it with a white tablecloth, cloth napkins,
ceramic dinnerware, and white flowers.
Consider accents of crystal, silver, and platinum which are
color neutral and naturally reflective. Avoid gold, wood, and black.
Make sure you specify in your dinner invitations that
guests should dress all in white. They can dress casually or formally in a
variety of styles as long as they keep to the white theme — no off-white and
certainly no bright colors! Keep in mind that menu items, however, can include
a rich array of colors.
If possible, hang trailing white flowers from your awning.
Otherwise, place tubs of white-blooming shrubs and roses around the edges of
the patio. Gardenia and jasmine give off a lovely scent. Add white twinkly
lights around the perimeter of your awning for a pop of brightness as the sun
goes down.
2. Stars and Stripes Celebration
Rather than a casual Fourth of July barbeque, why not host
a more formal party that focuses on the trio of colors in our flag? Your stars
and stripes celebration allows guests to commemorate our nation's birth in a
stunning red, white, and blue theme.
You can celebrate under your awning with laid-back outdoor
wooden or wicker chairs and tables. Simply add red, white, and blue seat
cushions for added comfort and style. Then, fall back on a timeless patriotic
item of décor used since the
1700s
for your awning and other spaces. Bunting is lightweight, colorful, and lends
an attractive period appearance to your occasion.
Food and drink are staples at any stars and stripes event.
Rather than grill steaks and hotdogs, go gourmet and elegant with grilled
seafood like lobster, Mahi, or salmon steaks. Fresh summer fruit like
watermelon, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are delicious as well as
colorful. Use berries in salads, custom lemonades, and even frozen in ice for
use in cocktails.
No patriotic meal is complete without fireworks. However,
you can skip the fire hazard and annoying smoke of traditional fireworks and
create a signature drink to sip as you enjoy an evening under the stars. Dip
the rims of heavy glasses into red or blue pop rocks before adding a mixed
drink and surprise guests with your own fireworks.
Awning Safety
Whatever themed event you choose to host under your patio
awning, keep in mind a few helpful tips before guests arrive.
- Never hang any items
from your awning unless it is designed to do so. Try to utilize temporary
hardware to avoid damage to the awning, frame, and its uprights.
- Make sure sources of
heat like barbeque grills and space heaters are well away from flammable
materials beneath your awning.
- Keep the awning clean to
help it last even longer — carefully sweep off leaves and debris right
before your event.
You
can create a beautiful living space without the sun ruining your event. Talk to
an expert at
Sunstate
Awning
for ways to design the perfect look for your yard.
