The Great Outdoors

Summer is just around the corner, which means it’s time to start planning a beautiful garden for the season. From large pieces of furniture to the smaller details, creating a lovely outdoor area means you’re prepared for those rare sunny days and the warm evenings that follow. Whether you want to entertain a crowd or just make a cosy setup for yourself, there are plenty of ways to step up your outdoor game with some wonderful pieces.

‘Somerton Outdoor Dining Set’ from Cox & Cox

Add a little glamour to your alfresco dining by finding a suitable, but stylish table. This Somerton table and benches from Cox & Cox will give both contemporary and rustic elements to your outdoor area. The modern grey is a versatile colour and the long benches mean you can squeeze a few extra people around the table when you have guests over, making it a great table for spontaneous dinner parties. If you don’t need as much space, you can opt for something a little smaller like this Bistro table from Houseology, it’s more modern then your typical Bistro set, meaning you can adapt it to different types of settings.

‘Houseology Collection Grigio Bistro Set in Grey’ from Houseology

To stay out of the shade, and for the ultimate way to show off some style, a parasol is an outdoor must-have. If you’re looking for something really jaw-dropping, Sunbeam Jackie have a beautiful collection of ready-made parasols as well as doing bespoke versions if you really want to tailor it perfectly to your style. This Sunflowers in Blue piece is a gorgeous way to keep cool in the sun.

‘Sunflowers in Blue Parasol’ from Sunbeam Jackie

Another beautiful garden parasol comes from Rockett St George, this beaded piece will transform your back garden into an exotic paradise. It’s a great buy for making a style statement, adding fun and sophistication to your overall look.

‘Boho Beaded Cotton Garden Umbrella’ from Rockett St George

When the evenings get a little cold, gather round a gorgeous fire pit to keep yourself warm. This square aged brazier from Cox & Cox is a wonderful contemporary piece that’ll steal the show in your garden. The unusual shape and style will have people thinking you commissioned it yourself.

‘Square Rusty Brazier’ from Cox & Cox

To make sure you keep the light, a few garden accessories from The White Company are sure to do the trick. These crooks and lanterns will look amazing leading down a pathway or placed on the edge of a patio to give a party the perfect ambient lighting.

‘Metal Crooks and Torch Lanterns’ from The White Company

If you ever need a quick and inexpensive way to create a romantic and dreamy garden setting, fairy lights will never go amiss. This extra-long set from The White Company will allow you to cover your whole garden. Neatly decorate a bush or tree, or give some structural work a little make over like in the picture below; a rustic beam covered in fairy lights and a few branches turn something ordinary into a beautiful decorative charm.

‘Extra Long Fairy Lights’ from The White Company

Create the ideal hangout spot with this sweet crochet hammock from Graham and Green. It’s a great bohemian style and all you need to do is find some cushions to add into the mix and place your hammock in a hidden part of your garden, making it the perfect spot when you want to get away from the world.

‘Crochet Double Hammock’ from Graham & Green

If your garden is lacking a bit of space, you can always create the illusion of more with the use of mirrors; place on the garden wall where it’ll reflect the lawn or a collection of plants and it’ll make your space feel a little bigger. This mirror with some rustic shutters from Cox & Cox will add a bit of old, vintage charm to your garden, giving it its own character.

‘Outdoor Shutter Mirror’ from Cox & Cox

In order to keep your drink close by you on a hot day, you’ll need a few side tables to accompany your outdoor chairs. This bistro style table from Garden Trading is a charming little number that will go with most styles and a great way to finish off a seating area.

‘Rive Droite Bistro Tray Table in Charcoal’ from Garden Trading

For a touch of decorative flair on your outdoor side or coffee table, a few hurricane lanterns will really complete the look. These candle holders from West Elm are the perfect way to dress an outdoor table; the various heights and colours gives depth and range to the collection, making them both stylish and a great way to keep the garden feeling cosy late into the evening.

‘Pure Glass Hurricanes’ from West Elm

While there is always a slim chance that we might not get a sun-filled summer, you can still guarantee a beautiful one with some amazing pieces of outdoor furniture and some charming accessories.

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Let There Be Light!

Blog by Philippa Rosselli

When thinking about the decoration of your home it’s important to remember to include your garden into the mix. Even if you don’t have green fingers there are always ways to dress up your garden that don’t take up too much time or energy, and any garden no matter what size or style can benefit from the addition of a few lighting features. Just like an accessory to a room, lighting can be the perfect finishing touch a garden needs to make it special.

Now that summer has arrived and (fingers crossed!) the weather is bright and beautiful the time has come to adorn our gardens with lighting and turn them into the magical havens we’ve all been dreaming of when the sun goes down. Whether you’re looking to revamp your garden into a welcoming setting for BBQs and other social gatherings or if you’re looking to create a more permanent feature piece for your garden, there’s an abundance of styles and lighting features to choose from.

A few new lighting additions is the easiest way to update your garden,  if candles and fairy lights are your thing or you’re looking for a quaint new porch light, these little finishing touches are just right to show off your signature style in a quick and easy way.

This lantern from the Charles Edwards exterior lighting collection is a contemporary way to add a little old-fashioned English romance to your garden. The bulb and frosted tube combination means that you’ll get that flickering candle effect without having to relight every time there’s a gust of wind!

One of The White Company’s bestsellers this summer are these beautiful Bistro Bulb Fairy Lights. Fairy lights are a beloved home and garden accessory, creating a warm and cosy feel to any surrounding area. These lights are particularly great as the oversized bulb creates more of a retro style, forming the atmosphere of a quaint Italian bistro or perhaps a 1950’s American funfair. Whether you want to hang them on a trellis or in a tree, they’re adaptable to any garden and any style, and are a great last minute addition for any party decorations.

Retrouvius currently has some wonderful indoor and outdoor lighting features, but my particular favourite for a porch feature is this charming Painted Copper Lantern.

Painted on the glass sides are charming seaside landscapes that are the perfect welcoming accessory for every seaside lover or fan of the quaint and quirky. This little porch lamp could be the ideal piece to add a little beach-fun and nostalgia to your home.

If you live in a flat or terrace with perhaps just a rooftop or small space to work with, there are still countless ways to make your outdoor area the most sought after space in your home.

This John Cullen Lighting design uses lighting around the edge to create the illusion of a spacious area whilst using candles and table lighting to make a cosy and inviting atmosphere, making it the perfect place for social events.

The same goes for this lovely al fresco seating area using Collingwood Lighting. Three wall lights throw warm light up and down the wall highlighting the attractive brickwork and the foliage in front.

Summer isn’t the only season your garden should be getting all dressed up for though. Incorporating permanent light features into your garden is a fantastic way to make a statement all year round. Turning a garden into your own personal haven means that you can have your very own beautiful landscape painting to enjoy all to yourself.

If you’re lucky enough to have a gorgeous pond or water feature in your back garden then it’s the perfect canvas for some dramatic lighting. John Cullen Lighting shows how to use lights to highlight a water feature and its surrounding shrubbery. The glow and shadows these lights created by bouncing off of its partnered bush adds a level of contemporary sophistication to a garden.

If you love gardening and have a prized plant, you can use a lighting feature to show off your marvellous creations!

Putting a light next to the plant immediately draws your eye to it making it the feature piece in your garden. You can use this effect to display your plant proudly or to achieve a beautifully dramatic statement with the lighting creating a striking shadow effect on the house wall.

Although a lighting fixture is a great way to show off your garden and all its wild wonders, you might also want to consider finding a light fixture that is the main feature of a garden itself.

This beautiful piece from Artemide is a lovely contemporary way to include lighting into your garden. It can be left to stand alone like in the picture above, perhaps on a patio or decking area, or you might want to integrate it into a flowerbed. A few of these pieces would be the perfect addition simply dotted around in an overflowing wild garden.

Your garden can be the perfect canvas to play around with adventurous and beautiful lighting, and it’s the perfect way to inject a bit of luxury without a complete overhaul. From elegant, contemporary pieces to fun and romantic, adding a little light into your garden could give it the burst of life it’s been looking for!

 

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Christmas is a comin’

I know you don’t want to hear it but there are just six weeks to go until Christmas. I too have been in denial but the arrival of the Rockett St George Christmas catalogue has finally stirred my festive spirit. It is a lovely collection of things we don’t need but really want and I have picked some of my favourites for you below – three of which I have already placed an order for. So that’s my Christmas shopping underway then.

Of course we want these for the Angel and Blume tree!Two snow doll candles – Stargazer and Wish Maker

Glass Christmas Trees – sold separately but they look great as a trio

Moroccan inspired fairy light

Christmas Stickers which look great on plain brown paper

Fabulous gold wall sconce – this is not going to be taken down after Christmas!

Lovely tea light holder

I bought these fab cards but what I really want is the gorgeous box they come in!

Lovely metallic Christmas wreath

A must have Christmas item

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