Ways to Make Your Outside Space Perfect this Summer
This year, perhaps more than any other year, our outside spaces will be used to welcome friends and family back into our lives.
Lockdown has meant loved ones have been absent for so long – and even if family and friends have been able to see each other inside bubbles, socialising has certainly been out of the question.
With that in mind we’ve been thinking about our gardens and outside spaces and the things we can do to make them into perfect places for happy and welcoming get-togethers. Here are four essential ideas to consider which will make sure your long awaited meet-ups go off with a bang…
Pick the Right Furniture for Your Situation
For some, the classic fixed all-weather furniture that will stand-up to the rigours of the British weather may work best, for others they may have the convenience of indoor-outdoor furniture that they can manoeuvre into position – or perhaps a covered space allows you the luxury of more conventional and comfier indoor items. Whatever your choice, grouping them with practical accessories like side tables, blankets, rugs and vases can turn a basic outdoor seating space into a comfortable and welcoming home-from-home for your guests.
The Ground Beneath Your Feet
A decked area in your back garden is now de rigeur for home entertainers who do it with style and composite decking takes the traditional deck look into newer, more practical – and better looking – realms. It doesn’t warp, it lasts longer, there’s no need for maintenance and, crucially when Aunt Mary has had one glass of Pimms too many – it’s non-slip and so much safer than traditional wood decking. You can even get it in different colours and different effects, including the very handsome-looking oak composite decking pictured above.
Get Covered Up
In Britain, our outdoor living and dining is very much dictated by the vagaries of our weather. It can only take a matter of minutes for your beautiful spread to be ruined by an unseasonal downpour. The solution is, of course, getting a covering over your outdoor space. This could be a permanent overhang that you can unroll to cover your space and protect from wind or rain – or it could be a wheel-in umbrella that unfurls to cover the space. Whatever your choice – it’s an essential item in the UK.
Turn Up The Heat
If your gathering goes on into the evening, it can get a little bit nippy out there. Outdoor heating options can vary from the cheap and cheerful electric heater to the luxurious built-in tower heaters that you may see outside pubs or restaurants. For breadth of choice, free standing outdoor heaters are becoming very fashionable and can add an extra design element, although overhead heaters or portable electric radiators can be just as effective depending on your type of space.
Whatever choices you make this summer for entertaining your friends and family, we’re sure the feel-good factor of finally getting back together with your loved ones will make your meet-ups special days to remember.
