Outdoor Rooms: How to Take Your Indoor Decorating Style Outside
Extend the colour, style and atmosphere of your rooms into your garden for a cohesive look that bridges inside and out
Any outdoor space, from a small balcony to a spacious garden, can act as an extension of your interior and a valuable extra ‘room’. Yet often when it comes to decorating it, we head for specialist garden retailers for our furniture and accessories. An alternative is simply to take your interior decorating style out into the elements, from your living room’s colour scheme to the decorative touches that pepper your home.
This may involve simply moving pieces that normally live indoors into the garden on fine days, or it could mean sourcing items specifically for exteriors, just not necessarily from a specialist garden shop. So stay true to your decorating style by taking the inside out. These 12 inspiring exteriors show how well that approach can work…
This may involve simply moving pieces that normally live indoors into the garden on fine days, or it could mean sourcing items specifically for exteriors, just not necessarily from a specialist garden shop. So stay true to your decorating style by taking the inside out. These 12 inspiring exteriors show how well that approach can work…
Light the space
Inside, thoughtful lighting is crucial to the appearance and functionality of a space. If you plan to use your garden after the sun goes down, consider the lighting here, too. A mix works best, from softly shaded bulbs that provide background ambient light to twinkling candles and accent lighting positioned to pick out a beautiful tree or sculpture.
Discover 10 illuminating ways to light your patio
Inside, thoughtful lighting is crucial to the appearance and functionality of a space. If you plan to use your garden after the sun goes down, consider the lighting here, too. A mix works best, from softly shaded bulbs that provide background ambient light to twinkling candles and accent lighting positioned to pick out a beautiful tree or sculpture.
Discover 10 illuminating ways to light your patio
Lay decorative flooring
Encaustic tiles typically grace hallways in Victorian homes, but they also feature on porches and paths, too. They are practical, hard-wearing and beautiful, and laying them in a garden creates all-seasons colour and interest.
In particular, they work beautifully in portions of outdoor space that lack a clear role, such as a side return, transforming them into a feature that’s visible from inside as well as out.
Encaustic tiles typically grace hallways in Victorian homes, but they also feature on porches and paths, too. They are practical, hard-wearing and beautiful, and laying them in a garden creates all-seasons colour and interest.
In particular, they work beautifully in portions of outdoor space that lack a clear role, such as a side return, transforming them into a feature that’s visible from inside as well as out.
Keep it informal
Continue a loose, relaxed, eclectic style onto the terrace and into your garden with vintage objects and interesting finds. Rather than adding just a few pieces to your outdoor space, why not furnish it properly? Don’t stop at a table and chairs – add storage, art, bunting, cushions, flowers and decorative objects like this bird cage.
Learn the secrets of successful second-hand furniture hunting
Continue a loose, relaxed, eclectic style onto the terrace and into your garden with vintage objects and interesting finds. Rather than adding just a few pieces to your outdoor space, why not furnish it properly? Don’t stop at a table and chairs – add storage, art, bunting, cushions, flowers and decorative objects like this bird cage.
Learn the secrets of successful second-hand furniture hunting
Paint the walls
A feature wall of bright colour can inject personality into any room, and the same goes for a courtyard garden or roof terrace. So try painting a boundary wall to bring a bolt of year-round colour to your exterior.
A feature wall of bright colour can inject personality into any room, and the same goes for a courtyard garden or roof terrace. So try painting a boundary wall to bring a bolt of year-round colour to your exterior.
Dress your table
If you enjoy boho tea times or eclectic dinners complete with mismatched china and twinkling candles inside, take this idea outside, too. Admittedly, hurricane lamps may be more practical than conventional candles, as they protect the flames from the breeze, but you get the idea!
If you enjoy boho tea times or eclectic dinners complete with mismatched china and twinkling candles inside, take this idea outside, too. Admittedly, hurricane lamps may be more practical than conventional candles, as they protect the flames from the breeze, but you get the idea!
Throw down a rug
Bright rugs add colour, pattern and energy at ground level and can be laid both inside and out. Borrow a mat from your home and spread it across a terrace, or source a rug specially designed for exterior life that you can leave outdoors 24-7.
Bright rugs add colour, pattern and energy at ground level and can be laid both inside and out. Borrow a mat from your home and spread it across a terrace, or source a rug specially designed for exterior life that you can leave outdoors 24-7.
Scatter some cushions
Big, colourful floor cushions are a versatile addition to any home and garden. They can be picked up and moved easily, look zingy and create a relaxed, lounging vibe that particularly appeals to kids and teens.
Big, colourful floor cushions are a versatile addition to any home and garden. They can be picked up and moved easily, look zingy and create a relaxed, lounging vibe that particularly appeals to kids and teens.
Stay sharp
So your style is sleek and contemporary and you want that to flow into your outside space? No problem! You don’t have to move your beautiful furniture outside; you can simply source an equally sharp equivalent, designed for outdoor use.
Garden furniture design has come a long way since deckchairs and plastic tables, so shop around until you find a style that corresponds with your rooms.
So your style is sleek and contemporary and you want that to flow into your outside space? No problem! You don’t have to move your beautiful furniture outside; you can simply source an equally sharp equivalent, designed for outdoor use.
Garden furniture design has come a long way since deckchairs and plastic tables, so shop around until you find a style that corresponds with your rooms.
Continue your colour scheme
Take the palette you love and have used inside and adopt it for your outdoor space, too. This includes walls, furniture, accessories and planting. This space, with its white and wood theme, has a softly Scandi feel.
Take the palette you love and have used inside and adopt it for your outdoor space, too. This includes walls, furniture, accessories and planting. This space, with its white and wood theme, has a softly Scandi feel.
Use space-savvy tricks
There are a handful of classic tips and tricks that help boost the feeling of light and space in a small room and they translate beautifully to an outside space. In this small garden, mirror-polished steel on the wall creates a reflection that seems to expand the area.
There are a handful of classic tips and tricks that help boost the feeling of light and space in a small room and they translate beautifully to an outside space. In this small garden, mirror-polished steel on the wall creates a reflection that seems to expand the area.
Create a lounge
Plan out and approach your exterior space as you would a room inside. Want a comfy place to relax? Arrange it like a living room. Position armchairs around a coffee table and, if your budget allows, build in a fireplace, too.
TELL US…
Have you styled your outside space like your indoor rooms? Or are you inspired to do so by any of these images? Share your thoughts, ideas and photos in the Comments below.
Plan out and approach your exterior space as you would a room inside. Want a comfy place to relax? Arrange it like a living room. Position armchairs around a coffee table and, if your budget allows, build in a fireplace, too.
TELL US…
Have you styled your outside space like your indoor rooms? Or are you inspired to do so by any of these images? Share your thoughts, ideas and photos in the Comments below.
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The British climate doesn’t allow for a huge amount of alfresco life, so pieces that will work both inside and out are a sensible choice and will get maximum use. Take a stylish design like these rope chairs outside, but soften them as you would indoors with cushions, throws or animal hides.