The courtyard acts like an outdoor living room, where the Arnolds’ daughter, Josie, plays freely, safe from nearby traffic. The family dines here most of the year at the custom-designed wood-and-steel table. The picnic table set reappropriates the century-old eucalyptus tree that once grew on the site.

Just browsing the cheery selection of enamel-coated steel charcoal barbeques from Bodum boosts our spirits with thoughts of the next summer afternoon spent grilling hot dogs and hamburgs in the breeze.

The Cityboy Picnic Grill by designer Klaus Aalto for Finnish manufacturer Selki-Asema.

A Bay Area landscape designer works her yard like a jigsaw puzzle, packing a bevy of distinctive destinations into a steep and diminutive plot. Photo by: Morgan Rachel Levy Read the entire article here.

The Cityboy Picnic Grill by designer Klaus Aalto for Finnish manufacturer Selki-Asema for the urban dweller.

You'd never designed for special needs children before the Bancroft residence, how did you interpret the clients' needs? Jack Hawkins, architect: I would like to say I did tons of research, but I didn't. I went with the parents' lead. I took most of my design cues from them. They're the immediate caregivers, they know their children and about autism. They did all the research and told me what was important.

These wood-wrapped spaces take oriented strand board to new heights.

Aalto also designed the picnic grill in a double-wide size.

The Fyrkat Charcoal Picnic Grill by Bodum in red, steel, and blue.

A picnic table from Janus et Cie sits off the kitchen; the landscape architecture is by Richard D. Wood. In addition to passive solar, says Hawkins, “there is the added benefit of a thick concrete slab as a thermal mass that absorbs and stores the heat from the sun.”

Backless picnic-style benches stand in for chairs at the refinished Milwaukee Public Library table where the family eats their meals. The sofa and armchair are from Luminaire.

Anyone fond of putting flame to food will appreciate the appeal of the Mangiafuoco fireplace. Pile wood up high for a roaring fire or place the accompanying grill over the kindling and throw some steaks on it.

In the foreground, museum visitors converse at a picnic table constructed by resident artists Aaron Anderson and Eric Timothy Carlson to form a point of communication in the gallery setting. The duo used the museum’s studios to create a new material, which they then applied to the table. In the background is On Display, a plethora of printed ephemera used to create talking points for the public. Through conversation, the display of the materials is covered, revealed, and changed to show the course of the dialogue about the museum and its role in design. On Display was created by Superscript and designers HAO and Neil Donnelly. Photo by Ed Watkins.

The EcoQue Portable Grill not only collapses down to a thickness of one inch, but it uses 75 percent less fuel than a conventional grill; let the barbecuing begin. $125

The miniature backyard was landscaped and now accommodates a Viking grill, a custom picnic table and benches by Ohio Design, and a nook which buttresses the small garden.

Adds Soheil: “Whether they’re retirees or students or young couples, the idea was to create an environment they’ll never want to leave."

Iron Dog by Scott Molampy of Geppetto Studios.

Picnic Basket by Mike Perry Studio.

Puzzle Box by WABI Design.

Much like great design, great meals are considered by most to be an art. Dwell has long supported the work of innovative designers regardless of their canvas or craft because creativity challenges and propels further ingenuity. Thus, it is with great pleasure we announce our exclusive media sponsorship of DIFFA’s Picnic By Design, an event that couples charitable donation with original design on August 21st. Out of the 45 contributing designers, Dwell has picked our five favorites after the jump. Disco Picnic by Jose Fernandez of 17A Creative.

Motown by Corey Damen Jenkins.

Lillön grill by Ikea, $99 Part Maarten Baas, part animated robot, this small-scale barbecue is a fun option for outdoor cooking.

The Wedge model offers a private deck with small propane grill and picnic table.

A true, original classic, the Liberty Americana Picnic Basket is sturdy enough to hold an entire feast, but light enough to lug around from home to park.

Achilleas and his friend Jovi tend the grill, which was Achilleas’s own design and is supported by a concrete beam—cast with slate stones embedded in it—just above the opening.

500 Series Gas Grill by Viking from $5,400 The ne plus ultra of outdoor grills (it even includes a rotisserie!) is made in Greenwood, Mississippi.

When it comes to grilling, Kalamazoo's Hybrid Fire Gril offers a lot of flexibility within its sturdy stainless-steel shell. You can opt for charcoal, gas, or a natural wood flame.

The new kitchen borrowed space and light from the original courtyard. The spirit of the courtyard remains with the buffer between the kitchen and the exterior wall. The cabinets are from Ikea, the countertops are quartzite, and the grill top is from Bertazzoni.

The family takes full advantage of their sylvan yard, Sarah Baird and her children Bo and Sky read a book out on the picnic table.

The sides of the table then fold down and connect with the benches to create bases for the beds. Photo by Sadamu Saito.

Pic-Nic beach towel by Paola Navone for Crate & Barrel, $40 each The Italian designer’s second collaboration with the American retailer yields over 100 summer-ready pieces, like these graphic towels.

Gant says that the design for their clever Canvas Picnic Bag began shortly after a six-month stay in Stockholm. “Although I loved the experience there, the winter left me especially appreciative of spending as much time in the sun and parks of San Francisco as I could.” The design is a blanket that folds into a bag, making it easy to transport. It “was inspired by the desire to take a break in the park on a whim, so your bag could always provide that dry spot and carry snacks from the market.” As for Gant and Deming, she says “it’s a common ‘problem’ for us to find ourselves with a sudden urge to take lunch in a park or on a weekend hike, so we’ve found ourselves using the bags often.”

“We knew we had to connect the exterior to the interior,” says Juilland, who added the large window to the living room and French doors to make it easy to get in and out from the kitchen. The custom picnic table is custom-made from Ben Dagitz.

If you buy extras, one hub can handle up to four probes simultaneously.

Wichita's OldTown Theatre Grill where you can eat dinner while watching a movie.