How To Expand Your Living Space To The Outdoors
Spring has sprung, the flowers are blooming, the sun is (mostly) shining, the beer gardens are packed and lockdown is easing. These are exciting times for us all, and one of the biggest changes that has happened in recent weeks is that we can now entertain people in our gardens again.
You can – and should – remind yourselves of the current restrictions here but the important news is that any group of up to 6 from any number of households or any group of any size from two households can now meet up outdoors, so garden parties are on again!
We saw last year how crucial outdoor spaces are for our mental and physical wellbeing and it’s clear that they’ll play a huge role again this year as the situation remains unclear about what we’ll be able to do in terms of holidays.
So here are some tips to help you get your gardens ready for a summer of fun:
Think About Furniture
When we talk about expanding your living to the outdoors, we’re thinking about how much time we’re all likely to be spending out there when the weather is kind. So we need to think about our gardens in the same way as our interiors, and that means getting the right furniture.
This is especially important while our guests can’t come inside, so we need places to sit, bearing social distancing in mind of course. It’s important to consider what type of furniture you’re looking for to, is it somewhere to sit and chat or a dining area? Could people eat casually on comfy outdoor chairs, or do they need a proper table to sit at?
Furniture can also be used to define a space too. If you’re creating a seating area, a pergola can not only provide style, shade and something to hang lights off, but it can formalise that space as the social focus of your garden when you have friends round.
Make sure whatever you buy is fit for outdoor use of course, which means weather-resistance so you don’t end up with damp, discoloured sofas ruining your garden party’s atmosphere. Think about how you’re going to protect or store it over winter too, when you’re probably not going to be having quite as many BBQs…
Get The Lighting and Heating Right
Spending more time outdoors is great when it’s the middle of the day and the sun is shining, but – particularly in spring – it can get surprisingly dark and chilly and you don’t want this to bring an end to the fun. Luckily, with a bit of inspiration from Love Island, there are solutions to these issues.
Fire pits aren’t just places for reality TV show contestants to have meaningful conversations, they’re a great and atmospheric way to warm up an evening gathering. They can also act as a great focal point, like an old-fashioned campfire, and they come in all shapes and sizes to suit your needs.
Lighting is important too, not only to make sure your friends and family aren’t tripping over things in the dark. Festoon solar lights and lanterns along fences and in trees and bushes create a really cosy ambience and will make your garden look incredible every evening.
Make It Your Own
One of the great things about buying a new build home from Laurus is that you’re not inheriting someone else’s garden, so there’s no weekends spending digging up old bushes to try and get it looking how you want it to look. Like inside, you’re starting with a blank canvas and you can decorate it however you want.
You can think about where you want furniture to go, where you’ll be planting flowers and bushes and where ornaments might go. So, whether you like statues, garden gnomes, buddhas or fountains, you’ve got the space to work with, and you can think about exactly where you’ll want to sit in the evening to maximise the fading sunlight, for example.
These are exciting times for our gardens and hopefully these tips will have given you some inspiration for how you can make the most of yours this year. If you’re still looking for your dream garden (and home) why not get in touch with our team at the development of your choice.
