Making the most of your outdoor space
Now that Spring is on its way, it’s time to consider how we use our gardens to get the most from them. In this article, illustrator and interior stylist Theresa Gromski shares her ideas to create an “extra room” in your garden.
Love your garden
Our gardens, if we are lucky enough to have one, have come to mean so much more to us in the last year. No longer just an outside space with a patch of lawn or a patio. They are our sanctuaries, a place to relax, eat, exercise, meditate even, as well as for the more traditional gardening activities of growing things! And soon they will also excitingly be somewhere we can again meet with friends and family after a long winter of being isolated inside.
So now is the time to start creating a special place either just for you to relax and recharge and enjoy some peace and quiet or somewhere to be sociable with loved ones.
Create an outdoor room
I created my garden as another room in my home, somewhere to sit comfortably, with ALL the comforts of your living room, cushions and cosy textiles, sofas and comfortable chairs for lounging and relaxing with friends. A designated area to eat and entertain and lighting and a fire pit to keep us cosy on those chilly evenings.
With the help of one of my favourite homeware brands La Redoute I’ve chosen some of their gorgeous new outdoor pieces to recreate my outdoor living room with a boho/global feel.
Outdoor seating
First of all you need somewhere comfy to lounge or sit so I’ve chosen a selection of different styles of seating. First this Rope Lounge Chair and Footstool, super comfortable and the footstool can double up as a little side table or spare seat too.
I’ve combined it with the Adas Bench/Indian bed in wood and rope. I love Indian furniture and this has a real vintage feel and reminds me of beautiful places I’ve stayed at in India and Sri Lanka so will give a real holiday feel to your space. It could also be used as a low table to serve food and drinks if you laid out some round trays on top of it. Also (and I do love pieces that are multi purpose) it would be great to stretch out on for a nap!
Then this hanging hammock chair, if only I had a suitable tree to hang this from! How amazing would it be to sit in there with a book and a glass of something cold on a summer’s day?
Privacy in the garden
One thing that’s important in a garden space is to have a feeling of privacy and not be overlooked. It’s not always possible to have total privacy in a garden so I absolutely love this Wassif Garden Trellis. You can move it around and either train plants up it or alternatively you could use it to hang solar or fairy lights from, or even some outdoor ornaments like a garden mirror or little pots with herbs in. So versatile and you could use one or a few at a time. It would be fantastic to use on a balcony too for added privacy and as a vertical surface to grow plants in a small space.
Garden plants and planters
Next plants, and interesting pots and planters, I’ve chosen this Natte Stoneware planter which comes in two sizes and I love the texture. It resembles a woven basket which is ingenious as I love the look of baskets to keep my plants in but obviously its not practical to keep baskets outdoors permanently.
This metal greenhouse-style planter is fabulous. Not all of us are green fingers and want to spend lots of time tending plants but even having a few easy maintenance plants to care for is good for our well being. I’d love this next to a seating area planted up with scented herbs, perfect for snipping some mint to drop into your mojito! The shelf underneath is super handy too for storing bits and pieces (ie ice bucket and glasses!)
Decorative touches for the garden
Then some lovely decorative and cosy touches. Outdoor heating is a must so this Obole Metal Brazier would be fabulous to sit around with friends.
Some soft lighting like these stackable cement candle holders.
A fabulous outdoor rug can add so much texture and colour and will zone seating or eating areas perfectly, I’ve chosen this Kunze indoor/outdoor rug for a splash of colour and pattern.
Then finally, and if like me you have a lot of cushions outdoors and always wonder where on earth to put them?!! This Acacia outdoor storage box is perfect and your cushions will never get soggy again!
We hope you enjoyed Theresa’s tips for a boho and relaxing garden. For more wonderful ideas on how to make the most of your home, read interior stylist Maxine Brady’s post on creating a joyful home.
