All this talk about events, styling and summer gets me thinking a lot about your outdoor space.
Interior Design again does not stop with your outdoor space, your outdoor garden etc is also a continuation of the style of your home and the experience in which you want to create. It is really important to embrace your outdoor space, especially if you are going to be doing a lot of entertaining over this period of the year. Making it comfortable and enjoyable is as simple as the little details again we were talking about last week. One of my absolute favourite places is IKEA because it has so much on offer and it really makes things accessible to everyone. They are running a fabulous campaign this summer about loving your space and making them your own, especially your outdoor one. If you are having trouble coming up with how to make your outdoor space come to life or embracing it, here are some of my questions and tips you should ask yourself to help bring it to life. By the way, I do not think you will find these tips or questions anywhere else, this is pretty much anything I myself as the designer would ask a client.
1. Think about the type of outdoor person you are? Maybe you do not like the outdoors, or maybe you do not have a lot of space. Even if you tick these particular boxes it does not mean you cannot have an outdoor area that does not cater to you. Think about what you like in this kind of environment and what you like to do out there. Is it reading? Is it tanning? Is it entertaining? Is it just for the kids? Ask yourself all these questions and I am sure you will find a link somewhere there that will help you begin to build a trend.
2. DIY! DIY! Are you wanting to recreate a space you have seen previously? Are there simple things you can do yourself to achieve the desired look? Do you have animals that you want to create a space for? Do not just think about the garden in terms of being on the ground and on a flat surface, the thing about your walls, maybe you do not have any space so you could benefit from a vertical garden or a series of hanging plants. Contact Men Behaving Handy and request a handyman to get all those DIY jobs you haven’t got time for done.
3. Do you like plants? Do you like flowers? Do you want to use fresh vegetables in your cooking?
Are you a herb person? I know these questions do not sound like typical interior questions but trust me it all comes into play when planning an outdoor space.
4. So now you have answered all the questions in number 1, but now what? Well, guess what? All those answers assist you in knowing what kind of furniture you want and will require to achieve your perfect outdoor space. Get planning!
Here are some of my favourite photos from IKEA in regards to outdoor living. I also wrote about this recently on my blog so you can also find out a lot more about it there.