As the weather warms up and evenings get longer, our attention turns to gardens and outdoor spaces. Steve Hird, Director and Co-Founder of show home interior design specialist Edward Thomas Interiors, shares how to maximise your space and the summer trends to watch…
In the past few years, there has been a significant shift in how homeowners view gardens; they’ve become an extension of our home. Since the dark days of lockdown(s), we’ve all embraced more outdoor living and the boundaries between inside and outside have well and truly blurred.
But just as our homes are now multifunctional spaces, so too are our gardens. Add cosy corner furniture with a fire pit and they’re a dining room; a sand pit or mud garden and they’re a child’s playroom; a built-in pizza oven or barbecue and they’re a kitchen; a vegetable patch or greenhouse and they’re a hobby space. Yet how does this work without appearing chaotic?
If you’re not afraid of hard work, consider how your garden could be zoned by adding physical differences such as split levels or gabion walls. For more budget-friendly alternatives, there are some excellent temporary options such as bamboo screens, reed fencing, wood slatting, even outdoor wall paints can all aid differentiation. Of course, not all first time buyer properties have a garden, so if you’ve opted for an apartment, how do you maximise any outdoor space?
With balconies and terraces, there are plenty of inventive and stylish options. The key is making it somewhere you want to spend time, so start by identifying what the primary purpose of the space should be. Entertaining area? Reading nook? Herb garden?
Styling can then follow suit, and don’t limit this to just furniture. Add wall art, outdoor mirrors, rugs, throws, hanging lights and you’ll soon have developed another room! Other creative solutions we’ve seen are making doorstep gardens with plenty of hanging and potted plants. Or thinking vertically and adding window box storage you can use for vegetable and herb growing.
For gardens or balconies, remember the splurge/save split. Splurge on the best quality furniture you can afford – not only will this be more comfortable, but it will withstand the changing UK weather! Then save on your accessories. High street, online and supermarket retailers often bring out a great, affordable selection of outdoor accessories, particularly rugs, cushions and lanterns. Not forgetting the upcycling trend that’s evolved into outdoors now too. Think wheelbarrows as bar carts, wine or spirit bottles as candle holders, old trellising to hang lights from, and pallets as pot plant holders. Having planned your design for a garden or outside space, you can then think about trends you want to replicate. So, what’s popular this summer for outdoors (and indoors)?
Top Trend #1 – Stripes
One of the most versatile patterns, stripes offer an excellent way to inject personality. They can be bold and bright or sweet and subtle, and we expect to see these a lot this summer on outdoor rugs, cushions, upholstery and other fabrics. Not least because they’re a super-effective illusion for making rooms look longer, taller and more spacious!
Top Trend #2 – Marvellous Mediterranean
Drawing inspiration from adventures abroad, Mediterranean colours will make a splash this summer. Azure blues, sunshiny citruses and earthy terracotta are set to appear on tableware especially, creating that al fresco dining vibe. Similarly, Moroccan or Spanish-inspired tiles remain fashionable and are appearing as splashbacks, wall art or as a statement floor for outdoor dining/patio areas.
Top Trend #3 – Quiet Luxury
This trend is all about exuding an appearance of luxury without being a show off! Think good-quality, timeless furniture that is arranged in a minimalist design and can have many lives or evolve through reupholstery. Quiet Luxury celebrates subtlety, restraint and has an understated elegance. It’s not dissimilar from the Japandi trend of last year, so think muted, natural colours where everything has a place.
Top Trend #4 – Colourful Kitchens
In new build homes, the kitchen typically offers access to any outside space, whether that’s through French doors from the dining area or a personal door off the utility room. This presents an opportunity to unite your indoor/outdoor styling and this summer, it’s all about being bold with colour. Kitchen design that embraces warmer shades such as red, purple and rich brown is becoming popular, and you can include outdoor accessories or even window frames to match. This trend also encourages a deliberate mix of metallics for handles and taps.
Top Trend #5 – Dramatic Lighting
People are less sheepish with their interior design choices now, preferring to take risks and make statements that showcase individuality. One area where this is becoming evident is lighting. We all know the right lighting can transform the look and feel of a room, but trends indicate that lighting design is becoming increasingly decorative, even sculptural. Think base lamps in quirky or bold shapes, opulent chandeliers, pendant lighting and designs inspired by nature.
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