Fire and ice, sometimes in the form of chilled beverages, are becoming the centerpieces for some outdoor tables. Today’s multi-functional tables add ambience and ease to entertaining, with fire pits, coolers and planters designed into the tables.
Companies ranging from Restoration Hardware to Target, join designers and DIYers making party-worthy tables with built-in coolers and fire tables in a variety of shapes, materials and price ranges.
Fire tables: The popularity of fire pits is seen in the growing options for fire tables, sold at home improvement stores, mass retailers such as Target, outdoor furniture stores and in design showrooms. Macy's Bellingham outdoor gas fire pit (retails for $2,399) is a square cast aluminum piece of furniture that has space to hold glasses and other small items. Other fire tables can hold a full place setting, food and more. At AuthenTEAK in West Midtown, options include the rectangular Terraflame fire table made of Ipe wood from South America and a stainless steel frame ($799, authenteak.com). RH, which opened a massive Buckhead showroom in fall 2014, has the Ixtapa asymmetrical propane fire table, which also is rectangular and made of concrete ($4,670, restorationhardware.com).
Cooler tables: Some cast aluminum dining sets also are making room for ice buckets to be inset in the center and filled with beverages. The round Mississippi Dining Set, by Oakland Living, includes a dining table with an inset ice bucket and six chairs ($2,399.99, wayfair.com). Styles range from contemporary to traditional, and some tables have dual purposes. The Compass Mosaic table comes with a iron fire bowl and stainless bowl for beverages, for folks to switch out depending on the time of the year and the gathering ($1,263.16, wayfair.com). Square-shaped tables include Target's 4-in-1 coffee table, grill, fire pit and cooler ($149.99, target.com). DIYers also can find instructions online through companies such as The Home Depot for building a picnic table with a built-in cooler (homedepot.com/c/how_to_build_a_picnic_table_with_built_in_cooler_HT_PG_LC).
Planter tables: Create a mini garden or display flowers in tables with built-in planters made by companies such as Fishtales and designers such as Jamie Durie Design (jamieduriedesign.com). On average, the planter and cooler tables by Fishtales, which are made of mahogany marine-grade lumber in acrylic and epoxy finishes, retail from $3,800-$4,200 (fishtalesoutdoor.com), according to the company.
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