It’s likely more of us will be staying at home to enjoy the summer this year, rather than jetting away to far-flung shores. To make the most of it, we’ve put together our top picks of how to make the most of outdoor living.
Jazz up your dinner table, discover how to cook the crispiest al fresco pizza, or find out how to transform your conservatory to make it a beautiful space you want to spend more time in.
Stay cool
Enjoy your conservatory or garden room by bringing the outside in with these fantastic leaf print roman blinds from Blinds 2go. Designed by Clarissa Hulse the Tropical Leaves design features big bold ferns and leaves picked out in exquisite detail which work well with house plants and greenery. Priced from £34.65 made to measure from Blinds 2go.
Jazz up your dinner table
Make meals more fun with some bright, colourful tableware. We love this Tropical Birds design from Les Jardins de la Comtesse range from Amara. Made from melamine, its perfect for dinners and picnic outdoors. Items start from £13 for salad servers and £20 for two side plates.
Lazy days of summer
Recreate that holiday vibe with your very own beach-style cabana. This beautiful Karama Daybed from Oka (from £1195) is a three-seater sofa, which has been transformed into a daybed with an off-white canopy and curtains. Roll up to enjoy the cooling breeze or roll down for some privacy and a sneaky snooze!
Light up your garden
Glass lanterns add a romantic glow as night falls. These handmade glass lanterns from MY Furniture have a brass effect base. Use one as a centrepiece to your outdoor dining table, or group a mixture of large and medium lanterns together. This Glass Lantern Multi-Colour is available in medium (from £29.99) and large (from £39.99). Pictured here on the distinctive hexagonal-shaped Kronos Dining Table Brass with a unique marble top (from £699.99).
Al fresco pizzas
There’s nothing like the taste of a wood-fired pizza to get your taste buds tingling. If you’re looking for a project this summer, how about building your own clay pizza oven in your garden? We’ve found this handy step-by-step guide from Delicious Magazine. But if you don’t want to make your own, the elegant Morso Forno cast iron outdoor oven (from £999) will do the trick instead.
Transform your pool house
Update your pool house with this stunning Matki Slate Shower Floor, which fits perfectly into a wet room style shower room. Made from dense, cast stone, the slate texture is moulded from a real piece of Cornish slate and provides an A-rated anti-slip surface, which is both comfortable underfoot and easy to clean. Choose the colour to match your existing tiles or go bold and pick a contrasting colour to make a standout feature.
Sustainable picnics
Chill out on the grass or at the beach on a soft, outdoor blanket. You might be surprised if we tell you that Weaver Green makes all of its blankets and rugs from recycled plastic bottles (blankets from £45). They are perfect for outside, being both water- and stain-resistant, while offering all the comfort of a natural fabric. The company makes these gorgeous outdoor cushions too (from £30).
Update your bifolds
How do you completely transform the look of your home in a matter of minutes? With no need for drills, these ClickFIT Premier Haze blinds (from £20.30, made-to-measure) from Blinds 2Go will clip easily into your BiFold frames. The gorgeous fabric has plenty of texture to keep the glare away and look super-stylish, allowing you to enjoy the outdoors from inside.
Enjoy the view
If you’re looking for some new furniture for your garden room or orangery, but want to keep the glamour, we’ve discovered this fabulous Cooper Sectional Sofa from MY Furniture (from £699.99). Inspired by 1970s interiors, this luxe sofa can be used individually or in multiples to create a dramatic semi-circular shape, allowing all your guests to enjoy the outside view.
BBQ in style
Popular with chefs, the Egg barbeque makes a real style statement as well as being a fine bit of cooking kit for the outdoors. Requiring minimal cleaning but offering maximum flavour, the Egg will cook large joints of meat come rain, snow or shine. But you don’t have to just stick to your garden, there’s even a Mini Max portable option to take camping or to the beach (from £685).
For more inspiration see our blog post Holiday Vibes.
Author: Sara Chardin