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How to create an indoor-outdoor space that flows

Outdoor patio with rattan sofa and large glass window

Here we are looking at ways you can transform a small balcony, courtyard or patio into an outdoor masterpiece that will blend seamlessly with your indoor living space.

Some of the ideas in this blog would be perfect to create a small “outdoor extension” to your living room, kitchen or bedroom. You may find some great ideas to help brighten up your outdoor space if you are in a flat in town or have a small brick-walled courtyard out the back of your house …….and you might even find it makes both the indoor and outdoor spaces feel more spacious and light.

Wherever you can, choose natural materials

If you have a wooden interior floor consider wooden decking for your outdoor space. If you have a tiled floor then get tiles that are as close a match as possible to let the space flow. Stone also works well – it looks lovely and natural and is perfect for outside. When it comes to furniture, again choose something natural that would be used inside and out – a rattan sofa set for a living room and a rustic wood dining table paired with rattan dining chairs for a dining room. Reclaimed wood furniture fits in perfectly here.

Bi-fold, crittall or sliding doors will open up the space

To make the most of any available light and to make your space look as large and open as possible then big doors and windows that can slide open or fold back are a must-have. If you do have the opportunity to replace a window or door then make the new one you install as big as possible and you will get to see even more of your cosy garden space.

Think about walls inside and out

Just as you have with the floor, if your patio is surrounded by a brick wall, consider exposing the brick on one side in the inside, if the brickwork is a bit dull then you can paint it white. Or how about wood panelling to mimic fencing? Or some bamboo panels for an eco-friendly fix. If you are in a flat and want a bit of privacy when you are sat out then you can add thin bamboo panelling to the railings, if you don’t want to block out light then a nice thin panel would be ideal.

Match planting inside and out

You can have the same plants inside and out and set a theme for your plant pots to give the feeling of continuity from indoors to out. Plants don’t just have to be stood on the floor you can save space by having hanging baskets, wall boxes and plant stands. To mimic this indoors arrange houseplants on reclaimed wood shelving. If you have a wooden table and chairs then place a garden-inspired centrepiece to it. A tall plant in a pot by the doorway will help disguise any door or window frames and give the feeling of a continuous space. Fairy lights help make your outdoor space magical as day turns to night, you can wrap them around your plants which again will ensure your outdoor space doesn’t fade away in the darkness!

Quick tricks of the trade to create a sellable home

Welcome doormat in front of white front door with two large grey plant pots with green shrubs either side

Moving home is listed as one of the most stressful things in life. Organising finances, selling, finding your new home, packing, unpacking and finding new schools for the kids can make it time-consuming and costly. So, here we have put together some basic pointers of what you can do to get your home ready to sell and hopefully get as close as possible to your asking price, without stressing every time the estate agent calls to organise a viewing.

Entrance

This gives the all-important first impression. Paint the front door if it looks a bit shabby, wipe down outside windowsills and thresholds and give the windows a clean. If you have a front garden make sure the grass is mowed and any borders are weed-free. A hanging basket or a floor-standing planter always look good to potential buyers as they walk or drive up to your house. Hide wheelie bins around the side or in the garage! Inside, a hallway storage bench will be a place to hide away shoes ready for when viewers pop round.

Photo featuring: Chelwood Reclaimed Wood Coffee Table

Living room

The living room should be set out to show how the most popular pieces of living room furniture can be placed in it. A 3 seater sofa arranged around a rustic coffee table and a TV unit are essential in this room. A bookcase with doors can hide any living room clutter ready for viewings but there is no need to clear everything away – the house will benefit from a few personal pieces left on show to make it look homely and lived in. Light the open fire if it is a cooler night to give your room an instant cosy look and feel – a velvet armchair pulled up to the fire will make the buyer imagine themselves sitting there reading a book!

Kitchen

This is probably the most important room of the house to have ready for viewings. Floors, walls, worksurfaces and cabinets have to be clean. If your kitchen units are a little dated or too dark for the room you can consider painting or replacing cupboard doors. Touch-up dirty grout using a grout pen. Once you have the decor tidied-up you can look at decluttering worksurfaces and open shelving – don’t think that everything has to be hidden from sight, just minimise it giving an open and uncluttered feel to the space. If you have a breakfast table in your kitchen put a crisp table cloth on it and add some fresh cut flowers.

Dining room / area

The dining room should be clear and clutter-free ideally in a neutral colour with rustic furniture that is in good proportion with the space – a small round table at one end of the room will look a bit lost if the space is large, maybe consider an eye-catching reclaimed wood dining table instead? Arrange the dining table and chairs and add a wooden sideboard, again showing there is ample space for the most popular size, a 6 seater dining table, as well as storage. Have a clean runner on the table and a centrepiece on it, like some fresh cut flowers or greenery.

Photo featuring: Mitcham Industrial Oak Spider Leg Dining Table & Standford Brown Leather Dining Chairs

Bedrooms

The master bedroom should be a calm and inviting space with room for all the bedroom furniture essentials like a double or kingsize bed, bedside tables, a wooden wardrobe and a wooden chest of drawers. Let children’s bedrooms be children’s bedrooms, but tone them down and declutter them a little – just taking a few posters off the walls, adding a neutral throw and some cushions on the bed will transform the room.

Garage and garden

Now’s the time to clear out the garage, it’s going to have to be done when you move anyway, so do it before viewings start. Gardens of course should be cleared of toys, maybe get a storage shed to keep things in. Make sure the grass is mowed and flowerbeds are weed-free. If you have patio furniture and it is the right time of year, then put them out in the garden, again you are giving the potential buyer a small glimpse of happy days in the garden!

How to enjoy a family bonfire night party

Young children in dark holding sparklers

An alternative bonfire night is on the cards for most of us this November. There will be very few large organised events so we have come up with some suggestions on how to create a safe bonfire night to remember at home with your family.

Two steel fire pits in a field with small wooden stool

Photo featuring: Barrington Steel Fire Pit

Obviously, one of the main elements to get the ball rolling is a bonfire but having a great big bonfire in your garden may not be a very practical option, so we love the idea of a wood fire pit! This is a great addition to your outdoor garden furniture that will bring you many warm and cosy evenings under the stars, long after bonfire night has been and gone.

There are so many gorgeous types of fire pit available now and they’re perfect for small or large outdoor sitting and entertaining areas. A metal fire pit will make your garden become an area where you can spend many more hours – they provide light into the night and make your garden a cosy and warm place to be during the colder months and of course, they are just gorgeous to just simply sit and watch….on extra chilly nights you can wrap up in a blanket and sip a hot cocoa!

Photo featuring: Lyneham Round Fire Pit

Back to Bonfire night….!

During the day get your garden furniture ready in situ with your fire bowl, load it up with a couple of fire starters, kindling and wood ready for lighting later.

To get organised in the kitchen – we suggest getting a hearty chilli con carne in the slow cooker for dinner – it’s a bit of a bonfire night classic, full of flavour and soul-warming spices. We love this firework cupcake and we’re pretty sure the kids will love them too!

Bonfire night theme cupcake with sparkler in the top

When the kids come home from school you can do bonfire finger paintings – get some large sheets of thick paper along with yellow, orange and red liquid paints – get those little fingers into the paint and swoosh the paint from the bottom to the top of the page to look like flames – paint some logs on the bottom and sprinkle over some glitter for a bit of sparkle!

Close up of marshmallows being roasted on sticks over a bonfire

You can set the dining table with a bonfire night theme. We love how the colours of bonfire night, warm red, orange and yellow work with the natural tones of reclaimed wood furniture, use a vase of fresh-cut autumnal flowers as your centrepiece, use red napkins and some candles to create a cosy atmosphere. Or if it is a milder night, you could take your evening meal outside and sit in the cosy light and warmth of the fire, followed by toasting marshmallows over the flames. You can still get some garden fireworks, a few Catherine wheels and some sparklers for the kids. Probably the best and safest way to spend the 5th of November this year. Enjoy!

Big Ideas for Small Urban Outdoor Spaces

Clay coloured garden bistro table and chairs

Living in the city comes with a whole host of benefits, but outdoor space is not usually one of them. Having an outdoor area, no matter how small, is something to cherish, and with summer on our doorstep, now’s the time to make the most of your patch. Here are some creative ways to create an urban oasis in the heart of the city. Your neighbours will be green with envy…

Go Vertical

Vertical planters and ‘living walls’ are a clever way to bring greenery to outdoor areas without taking up too much room. By planting upwards, instead of outwards, you maximise the space you have for an outdoor table and chairs or a rattan sofa maybe, whilst giving you the chance to be as green fingered as your country cousins. And the best part? It doesn’t have to be expensive. DIY planters made from everyday objects or a simple trellis is a wonderful way to add plant life to your urban pad.

Mirrors

It’s a tried and tested interior design trick to use mirrors to create the illusion of space inside our homes, but did you know the same principle can be applied outside? Cleverly placed mirrors in small gardens, especially walled ones, help to bounce light into dark corners, giving the illusion of depth and space. It also adds a focal point to your courtyard, balcony or terrace. Just be sure to place the mirror with care and out of direct sunlight to avoid any glare and potential fire hazard.

Create Flow From Inside Out

Taking the floor level inside straight out into the garden or outdoor space is a proven strategy to create a sense of one bigger space. The natural flow from inside to out is achievable by using the same flooring and wide open doors or bi-folds. Another top tip to help make your balcony or courtyard feel like a natural extension of your living space is to position a pot with a tall plant right inside the doorway to your outdoors. It helps create a strong indoor-outdoor connection, making both appear more spacious.

Create some privacy

By adding a choice of tropical evergreen plants, you can create a lush secret haven in any type of small urban space. Bamboo is ideal for privacy and as it’s hardy and fast growing, you don’t have to be a master gardener to make it work. Place in a large container to not only contain its size (as we said, it’s a grower!), but a large planter will make your urban space look grander. Style with rattan furniture or a bamboo bench, such as the Hampstead Outdoor Bamboo bench or Bamboo armchairs for a classic colonial feel.

Go natural

To truly enjoy your outdoor haven you need somewhere to sit and relax. Keep it simple with natural reclaimed wood furniture or a rattan outdoor furniture; the perfect antidote to the hustle and bustle on your doorstep. For small patios, terraces and even roof tops, a laid-back garden sofa set with a low table or footrest, is ideal for lounging.

Or how about a sleep-inducing hammock for a real castaway mood? If space really is on the tight side, keep it super simple and create a cosy corner with a floor cushion tucked into a corner. The cushions can be kept inside and brought out when needed for added flexibility. A garden bistro set is also a great option for small areas as they can be folded away when not in use.

Whatever outdoor space you have, summer in the city has never looked so good. Don’t you think?

6 Tricks to Turn Your Garden into an Extra Room

Rattan corner sofa with matching coffee table and white cushions

We could all do with some extra living space, right? And with the sun shining and most of us spending more time at home, why not take the opportunity to organise your outside space and take your living and dining rooms outdoors? Whether you have a humble balcony, small patio, sunny courtyard or large garden with these tips you can create somewhere calm and beautiful to while away your days and nights. Let’s take it outside…

Work with what you’ve got

If you have a favourite tree, flower bed or even a potted plant, you want to make it part of your outdoor living room and arrange your furniture around it.

A garden sofa set under a tree will enjoy dappled sunlight or how about an outdoor corner sofa or rattan bench next to a large terracotta pot filled with lavender on a patio for a Mediterranean touch?

Zone your space

Just as you would in your kitchen, dining room or living room, use furniture to create a comfortable and sociable area to relax and dine.

An L-shaped settee or garden corner sofa has multiple benefits – ideal for seating a large group or lazing about on your own. Add a pair of armchairs, a matching coffee table and anchor with an outdoor rug and you have an instant outdoor area.

Keep it simple

An outdoor sitting room doesn’t have to be grand and elaborate or cost a fortune. A modest corner can be made into a snug hideout, whether that’s in a suburban garden, a sunny terrace or small city balcony. Create a cosy nook with soft throws and piles of cushions, and add a hanging pendant light or a simple string of fairy lights to take your space from day to night.

Create a ceiling or canopy

For a romantic and bohemian vibe outdoors, nothing is more dreamy than an overhead covering shading an area. What’s more, it can work in whatever size outdoor space you have, be it a balcony, patio, decking or lawn. If your outside space is lacking colour, choose a bright fabric or for an exotic Bedouin style covering, a sheer muslin drape gently blowing in the breeze will transport your imagination to faraway destinations. A natural slatted wood ceiling gives a beautiful dappled light – paint white for an instant Balearic vibe.

Go au naturel

Wicker and rattan is a favourite for garden furniture, and not just because it’s super durable and easy to look after. The natural texture works seamlessly in both classic and modern settings, blending in with the natural surroundings rather than competing with it. Another natural and sustainable alternative to wicker or rattan is all-weather bamboo and reclaimed wood furniture. Style with soft, neutral cushions, throws and table linens to achieve a chilled yet elegant atmosphere.

Dine al fresco

From long lazy lunches to dinners lasting late into the evening, nothing feels more like summer than eating al fresco. A stylish garden dining set instantly transforms your outdoor space into an elegant dining room and with a few added touches, it could well become your favourite room in and out of the house. Apply the same level of detail to your outdoor table as you would to your dining table indoors. Dress with natural linen, style with jugs filled with fresh flowers and accessorize with pretty festoon garden lights or hanging lanterns for a cosy, rustic look.

If space rules out an outdoor table and chairs, how about creating an outdoor drinking spot with a bar table? For a chic outdoor bar, add a high reclaimed wood table with an integrated ice bucket, like the St Mawes Bar Table, and a set of wooden or bamboo stools to bring happy hour to your outdoor space any hour you please.

Fall Back in Love with Your Home

Sweet home written on green card with white flowers

We’ve all been there and it’s more common than you think. Falling out of love with your home or feeling a little lacklustre over what it can and does offer you is a sign you need to bring back a loving feeling to it. Here are some ideas to help you see you home with a loving gaze once again.

Have a good ‘sort out’

You may be glad to see the spring sunshine streaming in through the window but not so much the dust and the clutter that seems to have accumulated in your home. Set time aside to de-clutter and re-purpose items. If you feel that clutter becomes a problem due to lack of storage, consider how you can improve this, such as wooden sideboards or rustic coffee table.

Rearrange the furniture

With clutter gone and ‘stuff’ tidied away, you may feel like now is the time to have a move around. Don’t be constrained by traditional ways of arranging furniture. For example, in the living room, don’t assume the sofas and the leather armchairs have to revolve around the TV – place them in ‘sociable’ positions instead.

Clean from top to bottom

It may not be your favourite pastime but, with the vigour of spring comes a wave of new energy, so ride this crest by spring cleaning from top to bottom. You’ll be surprised how cathartic it feels! As well as recycling items you no longer need, move furniture, vacuum in corners, clean the windows and give the surface of those reclaimed wood shelves a good dusting.

Sort out lighting in the home

There are many reasons why you may have fallen out of love with your home, even if it is only an occasional and temporary feeling. Shadow, shade and darkness contribute to a space feeling small and closed in. Layering light is the solution – ambient light for a soft, gentle glow but functional light for when you need to ‘see’. Just changing the light bulbs from bright white to soft white will make a difference and add a table lamp or floor lamp to dark corners.

Refresh the walls

Even if you haven’t got time to sand down for glossing and doing a very thorough decorating job, simply taking a brush and emulsion paint to the walls will give any room a vibrant kick. Choose light but warm shades to lighten the space and your feelings about it!

Artwork and photos

Surrounding ourselves with items that we find ‘nice’ or pretty is sure to help our mood and how we feel about a space. Within the ancient art of Feng Shui, there is an ethos that surrounding yourself with personal things that are uplifting will nourish your mind and soul. So get out the old family photos, invest in artwork you like and create a wall of magical memories that are personal to you.

Get creative

Also known as DIY, trying your hand at something new for your home can be one way of helping you fall in love again. There are thousands of ideas online but one great idea is to create a reading nook (that awkward, unused space under the stairs could work) or making a window seat complete with wooden blanket box and homemade cushions for sitting and watching the world go by. Or if you’re feeling more adventurous, how about making your bed into a four-poster style long with a piece of fabric…?

Garden party ideas for Father’s Day

Bistro Garden Dining Set with Round Table and Chairs

Father’s Day is not far off and the perfect excuse to thank the significant males in your life for all that they do, whether that is your father, grandfather, uncle, brother or family friend. It is also the perfect excuse to welcome the warmth of June with a garden party, bringing together your nearest and dearest.

Of course, you don’t have to theme it. You could just invite everyone over for the afternoon, sitting on the outdoor table and chairs enjoying tasty savoury treats from the BBQ. Sometimes, it’s nice to do something different. Why not theme it, like your dad’s favourite movie or pay homage to your uncle’s hobby? There are so many ideas but we’ve come up with five that are worth exploring.

1 Host a breakfast meeting

The garden is a beautiful space and no more so than in the morning before the heat of the day climbs too much. Hosting a breakfast meeting on the patio on the rattan sofa or mid-morning brunch on the garden sofa set is something different from the evening BBQ, perfect if you want to gather family and friends for a celebration but have something planned for the afternoon.

Keep it small and informal, opting for breakfast in the sunniest spot of the garden at your patio table set.

2 Go formal

Sometimes, the best parties are those that have a formal flavour about them and so update the BBQ with a formal, sit down meal. An outdoor table in the style of a trestle table is ideal for this. Use garden benches for shared seating, as well as a mix of outdoor seating but set the table in a formal style, with beautiful napkins and small clusters of fragrant flowers as table decorations.

3 Buffet, Royal Garden Party style

Break out the bunting and the china plates for a royal-themed garden party to celebrate Father’s Day. Catering is simple but exquisite with delicately flavoured sandwiches cut into finger food size, with lashings of ginger beer and sweet cakes for after. Perfect for when you don’t want the smog of the BBQ!

4 BBQ with a difference

Up your game when it comes to the BBQ this Father’s Day ditching the ‘traditional’ burgers and sausage for locally-sourced delicacies from full-flavoured banger from the local farm to chunky, meat-filled burgers from the butchers.

Bring more change with heavily flavoured chicken, perfect for roasting in the heat of the pizza oven or rotating over the open coals of a BBQ. Don’t forget to serve plenty of sauces and dips, making sure the outdoor garden bar is well stocked with a mix of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

5 Roll up, roll up – a raucous funfair in your back garden!

If there are children to keep entertained (and big kids with a sense of fun!), a funfair is a perfect theme, especially for sitting alongside an informal BBQ. From a gazebo to shade guests as they shade from the sun on an outdoor bench, to apple bobbing, hoops on cones and a bouncy castle, a fun fair is the perfect backdrop for a fun-filled day of games and laughter.

Throw your own Royal Ascot inspired garden party

Outdoor Bar Table with Drinks and Rattan Stools

With the summer comes racing season and mid-June, the Royal Ascot meet is a chance to enjoy the summer sun and to dress in your very finest threads. You can replicate this with your own Royal Ascot themed garden party but beware, it is unlike any other garden party you will host…

Theme it

The Royal Ascot meet is hundreds of years old and although the fashions may have changed, the dress code hasn’t. Everyone attending, from VIPs to race punters are expected to dress in their finest. It means flowing dresses, sharp suits and for the ladies, fantastic hats and fascinators.

You could emulate the same at your garden party this summer. It doesn’t have to be a black-tie event, just as you don’t have to insist on morning coats but you could suggest that ladies come in their finest hats and gentlemen in their finest but most outlandish shirts.

Games

Of course, you’ll need some horse racing inspired games for your garden party and there are plenty of ideas to choose from. You can hire plastic, sit-on horses which your guests race by bouncing along (a bit like the old space hopper) down predefined lanes painted onto your lawn. There are also winding horse races that are a lot of fun too in which guests furiously turns their handle to ‘pull’ their horse home. Take a look online for more inspiration.

Refreshments

After all this playing and chatting, your guests will rightly look for refreshments. And this is where your clever garden design eye will come in to play…

Go formal with a sit-down meal

Your Royal Ascot themed garden party is the ideal time to ring the changes so ditch the informal, stand-and-eat BBQ in favour of a sit-down meal with a chic garden dining set. Just like you would dress the dining table in your home, make the most of your outdoor table with a pretty covering, polished cutlery and plenty of flowers and sparkling accessories. Keep the menu simple and classic, from ‘coronation chicken’ filled sandwiches (a dish with its own royal connections) to jacket potatoes and more. And don’t forget dessert.

Keep the outdoor bar stocked up

The unpredictability of the great British summer weather means you could be sheltering from a downpour under the eaves of your gazebo with guests or basking in temperatures commonly seen in the Mediterranean.

Either way, you need to keep the garden bar well stocked. As garden furniture goes, along with ample outdoor seating, this is possibly one of the most important investments you can make. It will serve you well, time and time again.

Ample seating

Whether you have a handful of guests or a fair, few more, you need plenty of outdoor seating. A rattan sofa set comes into its own and can be used time and again for family and social occasions. A rattan garden lounger is also ideal because they can double as comfortable sofas for two or more people and with a low table too, cocktails won’t get knocked over.

A garden party is all about your guests’ enjoyment. What would you add to your Royal Ascot theme garden party?

Garden tips for people who hate gardening

Whitcombe Teak Garden Trestle Table and Bamboo Chairs

Hate gardening but would like a welcoming outdoor space? You’re not alone. Here’s the good news; with very little effort and even less gardening know-how you can have a beautiful garden perfect for relaxing on your outdoor table and chairs and partying all summer long (and beyond). Here’s how.

Ditch the grass

If there is one aspect of a garden that causes anxiety for the non-gardener, it is the vast expanse of lawn that requires regular mowing. Ditch it in favour of a practical patio or decking, making sure you get details such as lighting and varying floor levels for interest.

Make more of seating

Regardless of how big or small your garden is – or whether you are a gardener or not – you will want to spend time relaxing, napping, reading and socialising in your garden. And that means outside furniture such as a small garden table and chairs. However, don’t just opt for one type of seating. Different seats offer different possibilities such as rattan garden loungers for a summer’s afternoon nap in the garden or a comfy bamboo garden bench for enjoying the sunset and a cocktail or two.

One focus

Gardens can be a cacophony of colour or they can be of a minimal design, with minimal updating and care needed. If the latter does it for you, opting for a singular colour and plant is a perfect choice. In other words, once the hard landscaping is complete, you arrange your outdoor furniture around pockets of planting, maintain the same plant and colour throughout. It gives a fantastic designer appeal to your outdoor space and can be changed each year if you desire.

One raised bed

Raised beds are a gift. They offer a defined pocket of flower and plant growing space that is super easy to plant up and maintain. You don’t need a lot of gardening know-how when it comes to plant choice – your local plant nursery will help – but opting for ‘safe’ choices such as the ever fragrant and quintessentially English lavender is perfect for around seating areas and the al fresco dining area too.

Or opt for shrubs

Evergreen shrubs are a delight. They thrive in almost any soil, only requiring a quick prune in spring to contain straggling growth. The rest of the time you have a garden bathed in green and perfect for relaxing and entertaining.

Paving & pots

If all else fails, a courtyard style garden with ‘patio and pots’ is not only hard to get wrong but perfect for everyone, gardener or not. Use pot plants full to the brim with colourful bedding plants (you renew these each year and takes no more than compost, plants and watering through the summer) to create areas for different garden activities. A garden dining set for dining works best by the house but the outdoor sofa works best in the sunniest spot of the garden. Make sure to add some outdoor storage to keep the cushions handy when guests come over.

Fake it

You’d be joining the hundreds of non-gardeners and gardeners alike in enjoying a carpet of lush green grass that requires no upkeep and no mowing because it is artificial grass. Perfect for adding pops of green to everything from the garden to the roof terrace, faking it is certainly an option…