Ways to perfect your outdoor space
Spur-of-the-moment entertaining means having basics such as white china and simple cutlery. Go to Dunnes Stores: €50 goes a long way. Sweeney O'Rourke on Pearse Street (01-6777212) sells stainless steel cutlery in bulk at reasonable prices - a dozen table knives cost €7; a dozen forks are €4.70. Visit Murphy Sheehy on Castle Market (01-6770316) for white or raw linen at €13.50 per metre. Let the fabric fall generously to the floor. The same shop has lovely two-tone linen napkins for €5 each. Fill jam jars with a few simple flowers. Costelloe Flowers in Dún Laoghaire (01-2841864) delivers clusters of three or four country flowers. Is your outdoor table too small? If so, gather occasional tables and cover with matching linen. A modern teak table with aluminium legs and table top detail is available for €923 (with mesh chairs for €224 each) at Formality (01-2808071), and Marks & Spencer (01-8728833) have a smart black metal table with two chairs for €80. Try The Far Pavilion (01-2762533) and Pia Bang Interiors for small folding metal tables. Cater Hire (01-2943111) has an attractive cream chair called Chavari, which costs €9 to hire and can usually be delivered in one day. Recreate the seashore - set the table with blue and white. Instead of plastic, if you have money to invest, look at Jasper Conran's new glassware for Waterford Crystal. Dunnes Stores has inexpensive versions. Protect your table from the sun's rays with a wide umbrella - find a selection in Malahide or Meath at Garden Works (01-8450110). Place night-lights in more jam jars, coloured glass tumblers or buy purpose-made holders - at Muji (01-6794591) we like the circular black glass version. Shop cheaply at (1800-347447) for great bamboo oil-burning torches for €2.99 and Woodies DIY (01-2959722) for citronella candles from €2 in large metal buckets that burn all night. Just make sure there's enough light to keep the table illuminated, and let the starry sky do the rest.