“Especially in California, there are so many opportunities outdoors to create inviting areas I like to call ‘come hither’ spaces,” quips Peter Dunham. That kind of irresistible draw is exactly what the Los Angeles-based designer strives for in all his work, no matter the locale—and it’s certainly an ethos personified by this soiree-ready alfresco dining “piazza” in Yountville, California.
Featured in his debut book, The World of Peter Dunham, the elongated double-table setup is situated on the grounds of a former 19th-century working farm, and is ringed by mature oaks and sycamores. The dual tables allow seating to vary from intimate to large gatherings, and by placing them parallel to a rustic stone wall—part of a larger outdoor living area created by landscape architect Scott Lewis—“they feel grounded and connected, like they belong in this poetic place,” explains Dunham. He envisioned the spot as a destination for casually elegant luncheons or summertime suppers. Colorful roses snipped from the estate’s gardens fill a collection of blue-and-white vases, which the designer placed atop paisley print outdoor fabric from his Peter Dunham Textiles line. (A passionate host, Dunham’s first dedicated tabletop collection, in collaboration with Hudson Grace, recently debuted). The pattern-on-pattern effect is spirited and delightfully unfussy. “Successful design is a sort of sublimination,” Dunham observes. “As in, you don’t realize why a space makes you feel good, but it activates your senses—and then it just does.”
Come To The Table
Brighten up your warm weather gatherings with these pretty, patterned finds.
Designer Peter Dunham paired his own textile collection’s Samarkand outdoor fabric with Hudson Grace linen napkins in a breezy Napa Valley setting. Hollywood at Home indoor-outdoor chairs line the two dining tables.
