a midsummer night’s dream dinner

With the temps quickly approaching 90 degrees around here, all I can think about is poolside dinners, playing cornhole under twinkly string lights and sipping light, crisp cocktails.  So you can imagine my delight when I laid eyes on this STUNNING bohemian-style dinner hosted by Athena Calderon, author of the blog Eye Swoon, at her Amagansett home last summer.  Every detail is just absolute perfection, from the low, 50-foot-long communal table and the simple yet elegant dinnerware, to the custom dip-dye ombre linen napkins, overhead string lights and Moroccan rugs and pillows strewn about the lawn.  The backyard itself is just to die for and I love how she used clippings of ornamental grasses and blooms from her yard for the table setting.  Bonus points for creating a menu with food from local farms!  It’s both rustic and elegant at the same time and so incredibly chic.  The focus here is entirely on comfort (those oversize pillows are just begging to be lounged on!) and amazing food, two elements that make a fabulous party! 

Here are my picks for getting a similar look; I swapped the Moroccan rugs for striped fouta beach towels and a fresh, nautical-inspired green and blue palette, perfect for summer nights:

Topiary / Pillow / Dinner plate / French wine glass / Bamboo flatware / Antique bottles

Raffia runner / String lights / Striped napkins / Burlap vases / Fouta beach towel