How to style your outdoor living space this spring!

How to style your outdoor living space this spring!

It’s no secret that we had a rather damp and cool spring in the UK, and that made outdoor living plans had to be shelved for a while. Thankfully, with the sun shining and the temperatures rising nicely ready for summer, we can all start planning alfresco parties, BBQs or just lazy weekends in the garden!

If your patio or deck is looking a little sad, maybe full of moss, dead leaves and some old plastic garden chairs, here are some tips to help you style it up and create a welcoming outdoor living space to spend the summer enjoying. Whether you prefer somewhere to cook and eat or a spot to read, relax and unwind, we can help you find inspiration! Let’s get started:

Why invest time creating outdoor living spaces?

Our gardens, patios and balconies became more important than ever during the lockdowns of 2020. With going out largely banned one year and gathering in larger groups tricky, people decided to create more living space with the addition of new outdoor seating, sun loungers and even outdoor kitchens. Now, several years later, the trend is sticking around, and we all love adding an Instagram-worthy outdoor living space to our home. Plus, with the cost of living climbing, being able to spend quality time with friends and daily at home is more important than ever. Extending your living space into the garden can help give everyone a change of scenery, create a new spot for entertaining or be a sanctuary to take a few minutes on their own. Plus, if you love watching birds feeding and enjoying your garden or tending to your plants, you can enjoy the fruits of your labour from your patio or deck.

How to upscale your outdoor space

If you’re in need of outdoor furniture but you don’t have the budget to buy brand new items, make sure you scour local sales listings and freecycle sites. The saying ‘one person’s junk is another person’s treasure’ is spot on, and you could find a table and chairs that just need a lick of paint or some new legs, or a hammock that needs patching. You can also look for old, used indoor accessories that you can use to style the outdoor living area, such as lanterns and tea light holders, vases and even mirrors!

One tip to help you create a clearly defined and welcoming outdoor living space is to add an indoor outdoor rug. Placing a rug underneath a modular outdoor sofa set or your table and chairs draws the eye to the area and means you can pad about barefoot, enjoying the sunshine on your feet. In the evening the rug helps to enhance the feeling of cosiness and when paired with indoor outdoor throws and cushions, means you can settle down and relax in the open air until bedtime.

Caring for indoor outdoor rugs

We stock rugs suitable for use in your outdoor living space from a range of brands and in a huge variety of designs. That means there are a couple of different materials to mention, and their care needs vary slightly. For example, Brink and Campman’s new indoor outdoor rugs are made from 100% recycled PET plastic bottles! That stops more plastic going into landfill and means these rugs are very durable. To care for them, just spot clean with water and a mild detergent, and bear in mind they are water resistant so dry them upside down so the water can run away. The backing may soften when wet which is normal, all you need to do is pop it in the sun to dry and it will return to normal.

Laura Ashley have released a range of indoor outdoor rugs too, including this gorgeous blue striped rug that just screams blue skies, pool days and riviera beachy vibes! They recommend hoovering them to remove dust and spot cleaning with water if they get dirty. If it rains (or, given that we’re in Britain, when it rains…), hang them to dry the front and back and they can be used as normal.

What we would say about ALL the rugs we stock is that we recommend ensuring they are clean and dry then storing them somewhere dry and not too cold or too warm for the winter months. That way you can carry on enjoying them for many years to come!