It’s that glorious time of year again, the time of year that another living space comes alive. Or at least it should be. When we moved into our house it had a perfectly lovely and mature garden, full of wild flowers and low maintenance beauty. It was not until we spent our first summer in the house that it dawned on us that as lovely as our garden was, we didn’t actually have anywhere dedicated to sitting and enjoying it. Slowly over our first summer we began making the garden a bit more habitable. We scaled back the bushes, jet washed just about everything in sight and removed a very damp and rodent infested shed that stood in the corner of the patio, it was that year that we learnt the lesson, that we are rubbish gardeners. Fast forward to 2020 and the sun came out again and we knew that we couldn’t spend another year not being able to sit in the garden. As I have mentioned before we have plans to extend the house in the not too distant future so I did not want to spend a fortune re doing the garden in case this would later be impacted by the build. The corner where we had removed the shed was crying out for a seating area and I knew exactly what we needed to do to create a little relaxingoasis on a budget.
I am a huge believer that accessories are key to transforming any space, you can buy the most expensive outdoor furniture, the garden dining set of dreams but styled incorrectly these things can just end up looking plain and un-special. We really lucked in when I found this rattan sofa and chairs on a local for sale page for £150, the quality of them is fantastic and who doesn’t love a bargain! I used this as the starting point for my styling ideas. We ordered white masonry paint from The Decorating Centre Online and painted the grey and gloomy back wall and garage, this gave the area a real freshen up and instant airy feel while providing the perfect simplistic backdrop for me to go wild on accessories!
I am a huge fan of geo prints and summer 2020 has not disappointed, I spotted these cushions in the Homesense sale and paid less than £5 for each and loved the pastel colours in a geometric pattern. Outdoor rugs have become a huge trend recently and with a tired old patio to cover, this seemed like the perfect way to fix this issue on a budget. The rug is from B&Q and is a great size, they had many styles available but I wanted to keep such a large item slightly more neutral in colour and let other accessories pop.
You can never have too much seating and as a family of five who spend a lot of time entertaining guests I was thrilled to find this amazing Moroccan floor cushion from RU comfy. These beanbags are a great solution to incorporate extra seating into an outdoor space without the need to store clumpy furniture, as the seasons change these Indoor/outdoor beanbags and floor cushions are a great addition to any space. With a huge range suitable for the outdoors it was so difficult to chose! I opted for this Mandala floor cushion, at a 120cm this oversized floor cushion is perfect for low level seating and lounging, you can also flip the cushion on its side and it makes a comfy beanbag chair that moulds to the users shape. I love the touch of bohemian style and I can confirm it is incredibly comfortable and there is often fights over who will be sat on it! You can check out RU comfy’s fantastic range online or over on their Instagram page.
We picked up the cushion box, wall hangings and oil burners from The Range, they had a huge amount of affordable accessories that work well outdoors. Of course no space indoor or outdoor woiuld be complete without an IKEA trip. We brought some low maintenance but realistic faux plants and some lovely pastel coloured pots. The Garage wall had two glass windows that we have covered with faux foliage for a rustic and earthy vibe.
Finally we added a gazebo that we already had to add a bit of shelter to the space and really give it that indoor/outdoor feel. I did have my eye on festoon lighting but I was actually really surprised by the cost for the length we would need and wanted to keep this project as low budget as possible whilst not scrimping on style. We found these lights pictured on Ebay and I am so pleased. They have several different modes and give a really pretty ambiance of an evening. Teamed with the fire pit that my clever husband built out of left over storage heater bricks, this area makes a great space to relax and enjoy a glass of wine, late into a summers evening.
I hope you like the space, I think this shows just how powerful accessorizing the outdoors can be. Simple and affordable accessories can make a huge difference and really transform an area without costing the earth. In total I think I have spent less than £300 including furniture. The area feels transformed and I love the relaxing Ibiza vibes. We are spending so much time in this space and can’t wait to enjoy more time in our garden.
Chynna
Moroccan floor seat was gifted, as always all words, opinions and photographs are my own.
