Build a portable dining retreat

Four large, plant-filled pots form the corners of our 10-foot-square open-air room. Each pot holds a vertical section of PVC pipe in the center, which forms a sleeve for a bamboo pole. (When the framework is removed, the planted pots can be placed anywhere.) Seven-foot-long panels of mosquito netting hang from horizontal bamboo rods to create a sense of intimate enclosure. At night, soft candlelight or twinkling string lights make the walls glow with a satiny sheen.

DESIGN: Peter O. Whiteley

TIME: Two to three days

COST: About $200; varies with type and size of pot and type of netting

MATERIALS

Base

• Four 24-inch lengths of 1 1/2-inch schedule 40 PVC pipe
• Four 1 1/2-inch T-couplings for pipe
• PVC glue
• Four 6-inch squares of 1/2-inch plywood or scrap lumber
• Eight 2-inch deck screws
• Four flowerpots 16 to 20 inches tall and wide
• Potting soil and plants