The warmer weather has us dreaming of days outdoors. Often our mood shifts and our aesthetic impulses align with what’s happening in the natural world outside our homes. We feel obliged to open our windows letting the summer breeze and humming sound of wildlife in. Designing an outdoor area should be a continuation of your living space creating a seamless harmony between indoor and outdoor living.
Often the garden gets forgotten about or will be last on the list to re-design. However, it is a space that is equally as important as the interior – yes that’s right! Designing the exterior of your property can have a huge impact on the appeal of your home, it doesn’t have to be over complicated to create a sophisticated statement which will grab your guest’s attention on arrival.
Sit back and relax while we talk you through some of our key ideas that can instantly transform your space, into a sanctuary to unwind.
Layering and Textures
As we step outside, we want the garden to be an inviting space to enjoy with our family and friends. Long, warm summer evenings call for eating al fresco. Layering wooden accents whether that’s in key furniture or touches of accessories will instantly warm the palette and bring in natural materials for a cosy aesthetic. Another way of adding a relaxed feel is by having an outdoor rug, this can be a nice way to introduce colour or pattern, it will also ground your design and make it an even cosier snug area to chill in. Outdoor rugs are a great solution for all-year-round style but also have a practical stance.
Organic and textured ceramics are a must have this summer, earthy tones create a perfect palette if you want to keep your scheme neutral with pops of accent colours in furnishings. However, you can be a little more daring and play around with dark rich tones which would give a contemporary chic look.
Ambient Lighting
Garden lighting should consider layers of light and the building up of different effects to create a balance. As we mentioned earlier, there should be a flow leading from the inside out. A well-designed lighting scheme can draw the eye outside to key features adding enjoyment when night falls.
With large gardens, it is important to know what to light. Consider lighting the immediate garden which might be a patio or terrace and lead the eye down the garden. The simplest way is to have key elements – trees, pots, paths, sculptures, walls and water features. They will create a focal point and will add points of interest which will be pleasing to the eye.
All gardens are a continuation of your indoor living space, having a seamless floor will make the space appear larger – wall and water lights will reflect the light well and often give you the same illusion. Lighting the space with ground lanterns or tea lights will give you a subtle glow creating an intimate and cosy feel.
Table Décor
Last but certainly not least, we want our guests to feel relaxed whilst dining. The great outdoors can be a fantastic space to entertain on a warm summers day and why not make it that little bit special – we hope you have your BBQ sizzling and have a Pimms in hand!
When designing the table, the first step is to have an anchor – whether that’s taking inspiration from your garden or a particular colour palette. Once you have decided on this, the best place to start is choosing a table cloth; classic white linens will give you a timeless look or if you are feeling brave add a block colour as your base. Creating a centre-piece will draw the eye to the middle elongating the table – you can’t go wrong with green foliage and ceramics as a styling tip! Layering a variety of shapes and sizes in your glassware is another way to add interest. Let’s not forget, the crockery whether you’re a minimalist or not this is an area to experiment with layering large plates with slightly smaller ones on top to build up the layers.
This is a great area to be playful and let your creativity flow…
We hope it has given you some useful tips and tricks to spruce up your outdoor space. If you need any more advise please do get in touch, we’d love to hear from you!
