With longer evenings upon us, and holiday time fast approaching, it’s a great time to give your outdoor space a little spruce up.
With a little forward planning, outdoor living and dining spaces really do have the capacity to function as an additional room, all summer long. Here are a few simple ideas for maximising your outdoor space.
1. Vary up your seating options. It’s common to see a standard dining setting in outdoor spaces, but for a less formal approach, consider a cluster of lower, lounge style seating (we love canvas butterfly chairs, available from Angelucci 20th Century). When hosting a garden gathering, flexibility is key – lightweight seats and versatile stools can be really handy to have on hand.
2. Get comfy. Weatherproof outdoor upholstery fabrics have improved in recent years, allowing for truly plush, comfy outdoor lounge seating that really stands up to the elements! We like Tait’s new ‘Trace’ outdoor furniture collection, designed by Adam Goodrum – it barely looks like outdoor furniture.
3. Throw some shade. Shade is always a necessity in the Australian summertime – aside from the usual market umbrellas (we love Basil Bangs offerings) consider a retractable shade, as seen at the Mount Martha beach shack of Jeff and Mariko Provan. Camoflage netting, available from army surplus stores, is another great idea seen in this home, offering partial shade / dappled light over the outdoor dining area.
4. Fire up. A fire pit can be a great centrepiece, and makes your outdoor space an enticing space even in the colder months. We love the example in Carly and Matt Skinner’s iconic mid century home – the artfully arranged stack of firewood makes a beautiful feature, too!
