I love our garden. It was one of the biggest selling points when we bought the house 7 years ago. It wasn’t huge but I knew it had potential. For a suburban garden it isn’t that bad at all sizewise. It’s also southeast facing which means we get to bathe in sunlight for most of the day. It didn’t quite look the way it does now when we bought it. The garden needed tons of work which is why we had it landscaped (see my garden make-over post here). We have been spending a lot of time outside during the ‘lockdown’. I feel very blessed to have this outdoor space, especially since we have children. This summer I wanted to properly ‘bring the indoors out’. To turn this outdoor living space into our second living room filled with mirrors, wall baskets and few extra accessories that will hopefully transform it into a summer sanctuary. I started decorating this area few years ago but never quite finished. It was time to add few more accessories and get rid of some empty walls.
By the way, every spring we get the decking cleaned and stained. We have it pressure washed (always use a patio cleaner attachment so you don’t damage the wood!) and then we add a really light natural decking protector on it. We love using the Ronseal Natural Protector and it hasn’t let us down. Decking stains (especially oil based) tend to make the colour much darker so I don’t like using them. They take a lot longer to dry as well. Real wood decking looks great in a natural setting, but it needs a bit of work every now and then. We only have it properly cleaned once a year though, so I don’t think it’s too much work. I would be very curious about getting a composite decking for the next house though. Especially if I found one that would look more natural. Our decking is 5 years old now and I think it still looks pretty good considering it’s real wood.
We keep the double doors open pretty much all day long during the summer months. I love getting some fresh air and admiring all the greenery. Of course that also means that the neighbour’s cat wonders in whenever she pleases but we don’t mind at all. Sometimes I feel like she is the adopted child and we have shared custody with the neighbour! She loves the Moroccan rugs as you can see. The rugs aren’t actually meant for outdoor use, but because they are inexpensive and machine washable I’ve been using them without any problems. I don’t usually leave them out for the night though but that’s more to do with foxes in our area. I love pairing contemporary furniture together with Moroccan textiles and patterns. I feel that mixing different styles together really elevates this space.
Our sun loungers are pretty old but they are still going strong. I bought the softest beach towels from White Company to go with them. It’s so hard to find good size towels and these are just perfect. I love the neutral colours against the green backdrop. You can never have too many bamboo trays either, am I right? They are perfect for serving drinks and snacks in the garden. The grey bamboo tray is the ideal size and complements the neutral colour scheme (*previously gifted by Wayfair).
I’ve always wanted to add a mirror to our garden room but struggled to find the perfect size/style. I’m in love with the Fulbrook outdoor mirror in medium (it’s available in 3 different sizes). The window panel style is super stylish and it reflects all the greenery beautifully. Placing a mirror in the right spot in the garden can be harder than you think though. It is so important that the mirror reflects back what you want to see. If it’s a shed or a storage that’s probably not ideal. Also make sure you don’t just place it somewhere on its own. Don’t forget to add some interesting objects or plants around it to make it feel like part of the (outdoor) room. I also love that our new mirror makes the garden appear even bigger. I’d love to have a bigger garden but right now I’m making most of what we’ve got. It’s compact and cosy and works for us.
I found the perfect wall vessels from Umbra to go on the exterior wall. Black was always going to be the colour of my choice but I do love the gold accents. I like to stick to the same colours but I’m a huge fan of mixing metallics if possible. The big wall vessel in size large and the smaller ones come as a set of two. Grouping them together makes them look more impressive and gives this little corner a sense of unity. It’s also really important to mix different shapes and sizes together for a more natural look. Mixing geometric wall baskets together with regular planters creates more interest and breaks the pattern a bit. Again these planters are meant for indoor use, but I love them so much that I am willing to risk it. I can always spray paint them if they get rusty. I decided to go for carefree succulents for the vessel that require minimal maintenance.
I love industrial side/coffee tables in the garden. They are very low maintenance and look a bit different compared to all the rattan furniture. Don’t go for matching furniture if you can help it. Mixing different outdoor furniture styles together is far more interesting and unique. In this case I’ve kept the colours same in order to create balance. You can always add pops of colour with cushions or a rug if you want to make the space feel more vibrant. The wire side tables are old and not specifically designed for outdoor use. The tabletop was looking a little rusty this year (after 5 years) so we just spray painted them black. It was so quick and easy. I would absolutely use indoor furniture outside in the UK as long as it can be repainted (and is fairly inexpensive). I ran out of planters, so I upcycled my old Jo Malone candle jar (black gloss) and planted a succulent in it. I upcycle most of my old candle jars. I either use them as mini planters or for my make-up brushes/storage.
We’ve been having barbeques most weekends, so our outdoor dining table has gotten more use than our indoor one. I found the ceramic Moroccan planters from Homebase last year but Etsy also have a great selection. They are the perfect size for small plants like succulents/cacti plants. I’m not very good at keeping my plants alive so I tend to buy the inexpensive ones that can be easily replaced. The white seat cushions covers aren’t the most practical but I can bleach them which makes a huge difference. I really don’t know what I’d do otherwise. They always need a good clean after the summer.
I hope you like our garden decor and that I have given you some new ideas for your own home. Gardens (like any room in the house) are work in progress for me. I don’t buy everything at once. I like that it evolves with time. I like the original design in this space so much that I haven’t changed the furniture layout since we had the decking built. If I’m happy with a design I don’t see the point in changing it. I do like playing around with accessories though and it’s a great way to fall in love with the existing space you’ve got all over again. Subtle chances can make a huge difference and give you that instant update you’ve been longing for.
* Post includes some previously gifted items.
