Go beyond red, white and blue: Everything you need for summer entertaining
It doesn’t have to be just about just red, white and blue at your Fourth of July shindig.
Although those patriotic colors — alongside motifs of stars and stripes — are an expected feature of any Independence Day party decor, designers suggest mixing things up.
“It’s always fun to play off tones of color, so it’s not just the cliche of red, white and blue,” said New York decorator Sarah Magness, who likes to incorporate bordeaux and teal shades, She also advises her clients to set up their outdoor entertaining area as if it were a living or dining room.
“Use all the comforts outside you would have inside,” she said. “There should be pretty pottery and flatware, instead of just seating someone next to a grill with a paper plate.”
Here are some design-centric accents to elevate the tone of your Fourth of July party — but they’ll also work all summer long:
The table linens from Bottlecloth are made from upcycled plastic bottles and come in fun, contemporary patterns. The 60-by-60-inch Mod Stripe is a striped bright blue and white pattern with artful smudging. $59, bottlecloth.com
Los Angeles-based Bend Goods makes the Lucy Stacking Chair, a modern option to basic plastic lawn chairs. Pictured is a model in Chrome. $540, bendgoods.com
Fill this blue acrylic drinkware with watermelon juice for a festive beverage. From Home Design Studio, priced from $10 to $39, macys.com
Add some patriotic flair to the table with this serving board in the shape of the U.S., made from sustainably sourced woods, by Epicurean. $34.99 at a variety of outlets, including Sur La Table, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Amazon.com
For when the temperature dips while out fireworks-gazing; a throw from Crane and Canopy in coral and navy stripes. $89, craneandcanopy.com
Beaded stars on fade-resistant navy fabric outdoor cushions by Nourison, $119 at wayfair.com
Artisans in Poland made this nostalgic Americana Polish pottery collection for Uno AllaVolta. Pieces are $28 and up, unoallavolta.com
Keep a set of these attractively packaged Skeem Design safety matches handy to light citronella candles; longer versions are available for fireplaces and grills. $14 and up, skeemshop.com
A navy-and-white striped patio umbrella from Australian brand Basil Bangs, $945, basilbangs.com
The Stella serving bowl set from Joss & Main is a trio of star-shaped red, blue and white bowls. $27.95, jossandmain.com
A pair of 18-inch cherry-colored square pillows with abstract patterns. $59.91, lampsplus.com
Fireworks are patterned on this Spatulart blue spatula from Tovolo. $8.50, amazon.com
