Like most of you, I am so ready for summer to be here! At the moment any free headspace I have goes towards planning and designing my outdoor living spaces. With that part of our never-ending renovation nearly completion, it’s become my latest obsession.
And oh boy do I know that designing an outdoor living space can be a challenge for many reasons. Firstly, outdoor furniture doesn’t come cheap, and selecting just a few pieces can easily burn through your overall budget.
You also need to select pieces durable enough for your setting. Is the space completely exposed to the weather, or is it partially or fully covered? Will you need to cover the furniture and bring cushions in on a daily basis, and can you just leave them out there throughout the summer and only need to pack them away during the winter months? For many people unpacking and packing away their outdoor space on a daily basis is just too much admin, and they’d rather go with hardy pieces that either whether well or will withstand the elements.
While I do believe that an outdoor setting is a great place to have some fun and bring in colour and pattern, given the cost of furnishing an outdoor space it’s wise to create for yourself a timeless and neutral base that you can easily accessorise and update over the years.
If you’re still not sure where to start, these are our three tried and tested go-to outdoor looks that we rely on to create the “base” for an outdoor setting.
Wood & White
Nothing says “absolutely classic” quite like a wood and white based setting. Each of the spaces below is different in style and materials, but each space is using the theme of wood furniture and white (ivory) cushions to furnish the space.
Notice how they’ve all subtly brought in different colour through the accessories. I’m really loving the ochre coloured throw in the second image, while image number three is bringing in a classic blue stripe for the outdoor space. Both of which can be changed year in and year out to tweak the style and feeling of the space.
If this screams boring and bland to you, simply bring in bright colours and interesting patterns to let your inner maximalist out and completely alter the look of the space.
Dark Spaces
With dark settings it seems like the choice is yours. You can play on the darkness bringing in darker cushion for a moody setting – which we feel gives off very #adulting vibes and adds a lot to the ambiance in the evenings, especially when you have the perfect low lighting in place.
However you can also choose to go with wood based furniture and lighter cushions to lighten up the space. This style really calls for stripes and patterns in the accessories, to tie in both the light and dark colours.
Images Classic Style
If classic is your game, then you can’t go wrong with oversized wicker and rattan pieces. The softly curved edges and abundance of cushions offer a relaxing decadence to your outdoor setting.
