3 min read

4 colour palettes to use in your garden styling

Sometimes setting the table with anything you have in the crockery cupboard just doesn't cut it. I should know, as I have not bought any new table clothes or plates since 2016.

If you are thinking of investing in some key colourful pieces that can take your dinners to the next level (especially as you might have friends coming over soon), have a look at these 4 colour palettes to help you sort out what you might need to order now and where to find it. Your garden al fresco dining inspiration is right here!

Green colour palette

Image Credit - A warm Scandinavian table setting in green

Image: Villeroy & Boch

Wicker placemats, Cabana Magazine

Who was Bordallo Pinheiro?

You may have noticed an increase in interest for ceramics by Bordallo Pinheiro - especially his cabbage range. But who was this artist? Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro is one of the most influential people of nineteenth century Portuguese culture, with a remarkable production particularly regarding the areas of humoristic drawing, caricature and ceramic creation. His work represents an unsettling, ever timely reality and a fundamental document for political, social, cultural and ideological study of a time period.

Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro will forever be intimately associated with caricature and artistic ceramics, showing quality and important pieces never seen before, and which, in the opinion of renowned modern artists, are the work of a genius.

Bordallo Pinheiro ceramics on a table - Image credit: Tory Burch

Blue colour palette

What can I say about the colour of my country Greece - it's all around it and it's on our flag and it reminds me of beautiful Greek beaches and sun and sea. Although more associated with coastal decor, blue is a colour you should not shy away from in your garden styling endeavours. Fresh and full of energy, this colour will brighten your table setting and can be used on its own or combined with green or yellow giving you an alternative colour palette with just a few key pieces like a table cloth or napkins.

In the setting below, adding just napkins that incorporate the yellow colour as well as yellow tulips and some runaway lemons on the table (!) helps create a secondary colour palette - blue and yellow. Repeat the same concept by changing the colour of the napkins and the flowers for a cheap way to create more secondary palettes.

Image credit

Image Credit

Decorative plate in blue, Rose & Grey

Above: all products by ZARA HOME

The Zesty Yellow colour palette

This colour is just so fun, you know? I mean if laughter had a colour, it would be yellow. It lifts my spirit and makes me want to have people over, to host, to feed the Greek way (no one leaves hungry!).

This is not a colour I could utilise indoors as it really does not compliment our existing colour palette in the dining room, so bringing it outdoors on our garden table makes total sense. I also see this colour as perfectly matching the liburnum tree we have on the corner of our lawn, which comes in full bloom in June. See what I mean:

Below - ZARA HOME accents in yellow

...and finally

the Earthy tones palette

This one I love because it is an all round colour palette that I can utilise during winter too, just by playing up with the table linen. In Spring/Summer for example, use terracotta platters and jugs with a white tablecloth to bring that Tuscan vibe at home and for Winter switch to dark plaid linen to bring cosiness to your table.