Blurry Eyes

Pretty patios

0 Comments | Gloucestershire Echo, The, May 8, 2010

FACED with a blast of sunshine and a bare patio it’s all too easy to panic-buy the first cheap-and-cheerful garden furniture set you spy.

It’s a common summer error, but if you want a stylish hot spot rather than a dull space you should take as much care furnishing your outdoor area as you would your home. New materials, such as synthetic rattans, are ensuring that outdoor furniture needn’t fall foul of the elements, and there’s no limit to atmosphere enhancing elements.

Take the chill off cool evenings with fire-pits, make a space magical at night with lanterns, hang up wall art and windchimes, and you’ll be ready for a season of dining and lounging alfresco.

Living zone If you’re yearning to be an outdoor couch potato, the best choice is living-room style furniture – sofas, armchairs and coffee tables. “Match the tones of your outdoor furniture to the scheme in your home,” says Rob Fairhurst, managing director of Outdoor Chic.

“Where your window and doors meet the garden boundaries, view from both sides to work out how to make sure your interior and exterior space flow seamlessly together.” Try: A Chesterfield-style one or two seater Big Blo Blofield white armchair, from Pounds 335, from The Chelsea Gardener. Made from the sturdy waterproof material used for life-rafts, it takes a few minutes to electrically inflate or deflate. A modern Puerto Rico three-piece in weather-proof poly- rattan, L-shaped sofa, coffee table and armchair, Pounds 999, from Bhs. Patio poseurs If you’re planning a staycation – lounging, daydreaming and relaxing in your own back yard – the right kit is essential.

Day beds, swing seats, and loungers are indulgent ingredients for a ‘kick-off your shoes and get comfortable’ approach.

“In larger gardens, plan areas for use at different times of the day,” says Rob. “So an area which gets more shade in the middle of the day may be more comfortable as a dining spot than the patio which is in full sun then. Similarly, a bench positioned at the end of a garden could be ideal for evening drinks and catching the last rays of the sun.”

Try: A dark brown synthetic Malibu day-bed with canopy, Pounds 699 from Next.

A La Luna day bed, Pounds 1,499, in wheat-coloured synthetic wicker from John Lewis. It comes complete with drape and handy base drawer.

Pretty patios Capture the sultry atmosphere of a Mediterranean- style piazza with zingy-coloured furniture and accessories.

Revamp a wall or fence with exterior paint, and treat last year’s jaded furniture to new cushions.

Graham & Green has followed the fashion for ethnic-folk style with its brilliant collection of embroidered Gypsy Caravan cushions, Pounds 25 each.

Help lift the gloomy feeling of cloudy skies with bright blue, hot orange and pink floor cushions, Pounds 30 each from House of Fraser’s Linea collection.

Try: Cafe-style steel furniture, with cut-out floral pattern, in sky-blue, red or black, from Graham & Green. Table Pounds 45, set of two chairs, Pounds 56.

Pint-size patios Don’t cramp your style just because your space isn’t much bigger than a postage stamp. Space-saving, fold-up furniture sets are ideal for paved areas, balconies, or tiny back yards.

Make up for a lack of rolling acres with planted up pots and containers.

Next’s shiny silver embossed Word planters, are Pounds 45 for a set of two
outdoor patio furniture