Design We Like is a blog series highlighting everyday items that complement the aesthetic sensibility of Turkel Design. By sharing these selections from our team, we hope to reveal more about the thinking behind our own modern prefab homes: understated beauty, clean lines, high-quality materials, and work that is built to last. Durable rather than delicate, timeless rather than trendy, these are the essentials that are too well-designed to keep hidden in a drawer. There’s no sponsored content here—it’s a place for us to celebrate the things that we believe would fit in a Turkel Design home.
Amid the warmer temperatures and extended daylight of a summer evening, we’re drawn to the backyard or patio for leisurely al fresco dinners with friends. Just because you’re cooking out, however, doesn’t mean you can’t extend your home’s understated style to the outdoors. Below are a few items that will make even an impromptu cookout feel a little bit more special for you and your guests.
Setting the Table
First thing’s first: a table linen is a simple way to turn an outdoor table into a setting for a special occasion. We recommend this 80% linen/20% cotton tablecloth from Bolia, a company dedicated to Scandinavian design. It’s white, which means you’ll have to watch for spills—but it’s also machine washable.
Outdoor dining requires plates with an extra level of durability—but you don’t need to sacrifice aesthetics for strength. White melamine plates and bowls pair well with your Bolia table linen, and they’re top-rack dishwasher safe.
For a pop of color, light blue Marin table napkins complement your tablecloth, plates, and bowls beautifully. They’re made from European Flax-certified linen, meaning the fiber is traceable to flax grown in Western Europe without irrigation.
Quenching Your Thirst
Warm temperatures call for plenty of liquid refreshments, and running back and forth to the kitchen every time someone needs a refill simply won’t do. This 32-ounce pitcher made of Simax—a transparent, smooth, durable type of glass—is an affordable option that looks as elegant as expensive glassware. Fill it up with iced tea, lemonade, or sangria—although you may prefer white to red sangria considering the color of your table linen.
Dining After Dark
Outdoor summer meals are an excuse to enjoy the lingering daylight, and you know they’re a success when friends and family stay after dark. In that case, you’ll need to quickly illuminate your al fresco dining area.
Williams Sonoma’s teak lanterns are classic enough to look right at home on any deck or patio. Wood with a steel accent gives them a materiality that fits in particularly well with a Turkel Design home. Sturdy enough for the outdoors, they come with a stainless-steel handle for easy portability.
To illuminate your outdoor table in a truly memorable way, consider the Cestita Batería. A creation of famed Spanish designer Miguel Milá, this cordless lantern casts warm shadows as the sunlight fades. Powered by a rechargeable lithium battery, it’s shaded by either white opal glass or white opal polyethylene, then placed in a sleek cherry wood structure. Its modern design casts a timeless glow.
Get in Touch
Whether you choose to live in a climate warm enough to make outdoor dining a year-round option, or you treasure the change of seasons, Turkel Design can customize your home for where you want to be.
Contact us to discuss how you want to live.
