How to style your outdoor living space.
With a bit of a mini heat wave heading our way again this weekend, we thought it high time to throw a little advice out on how to style your outdoor living space so that you can get organised in time to take full advantage of the weekend warm spell.
Festoon lights from John Lewis
First up the easiest thing to do is think of your outside space as an extension of your indoor space, it’s all about making the outdoor area feel like another room in your home. Lighting is key for this, whether you are looking to make ambient little cosy nooks or go full on Brighton Pier bright. I love festoon lights… in fact, there probably isn’t a corner of our garden which hasn’t been strung with the little critters. They have a kind of nostalgic vibe but also these days come in totally safe outdoor versions so you can hang them and plug them in and also leave them out in bad weather – what’s not to love about that! There’s also the joy of solar lighting which comes into play, making it easy to support renewable energy. Many of the products are made from recyclable materials like bamboo, and there are no cables or wires to worry about.
The White Company battery tea lights in jam jars
You can also incorporate tea lights along a dining table, hurricane lamps or lanterns and torches to light darker corners and it’s always good to have some candles with citronella in to keep the pesky bugs away. I’ve also just become a huge fan of battery operated tea lights rather than traditional candle ones – much easier to pop into a tealight holder or jam jar and leave to its own devices than have to go around blowing out all the lights at the end of the night.
Heating is equally important – think fire pits, heating lamps and snuggly blankets, wraps and throws so that your guests can enjoy those twilight hours and beyond once the sun goes down.
If you are incorporating dining, then picking a theme works well. If you can come up with a focal point which is theme related… think floral decoration or lighting vibe which takes a centre spot at the table, then the rest of your setup inspiration can work from there.
We used a vintage theme for a summer tea party last year for my daughter Millie and her school friends.
Chill out zones are fun – if you have somewhere to hang out pre and post your al fresco dining plan. We’re not talking dragging your whole bedroom outside… just a low-level sofa or two will do the trick, or big scatter cushions that you can throw around to sit on. Add a stretch tent, and you can ensure that your al fresco experience is definitely weatherproof.
Outdoor Living… where to shop.
Lots of my outdoor living stuff has come from The White Company over the years, so a big thank you to them for supporting this little blog. For more ideas on items in the post above and beyond click the images below.
