Outdoor Living Ideas
With Summer in full swing and BBQ season underway, now is the time to give your outdoor space a quick and simple freshen up. Whether you have a compact balcony, a suburban back garden or a large patio space, we have a few ideas to help transform your outdoor area this summer.
Create a link from inside to outside
Make your outdoor space an extension of your daily life by creating an area for entertaining, relaxing and dining. Lounge furniture sets are an ideal way to combine all three needs, as they can be easily adapted for any activity or family size. An affordable addition to any outdoor living space is a fire pit or chimnea, these can be lit up after the BBQ to reduce the chill and increase the ambience.
Consider lighting
Lighting plays an important role in setting the mood and ambience of an outdoor space. Solar or low voltage lights are a great way to zone a space. An affordable way to introduce mood lighting is fairy lights or candles, these provide an atmospheric setting and can be easily changed. Lanterns are also a great way to add a source of light in a small outdoor space. Lighting of any kind will add excellent atmosphere (plus visibility!) when the sun begins to set.
Add some greenery
Your outdoor area may be surrounded by trees, flanked by walls or even framed by railings or fences, adding some decorative plants in beautiful containers can help instantly dress a patio or balcony area. Vary the sizes, shape and types of greenery and plants for a more natural look. Tall planters can look elegant planted with manicured Buxus or Topiary tree, while hanging pots with trailing plants look great hung from a timber fence.
Comfort is key
Ensure that your seating area is comfortable by adding some scatter colourful cushions, outdoor rugs or throws to encourage lounging. These accessories can easily be stored away or even used indoors during the cooler months. If you are short on space, floor cushions are a compact way to be able to sit outside. Making your outdoor space just as cosy as your living room will encourage you to spend more time outside.
Instant paint refresh
Simply giving the shed, timber fence, decking or garden bench a lick of paint can instantly revitalise an outdoor area. There is a wide variety of exterior colours available in DIY stores, so don’t be afraid to experiment with tones, designs and combinations.
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