Morning, busy day today as Iâm in the store for a change around. Apologises to anyone coming along â and they mess we may be (will certainly be) creating in advance. As much I think weâre be in and out in a few hours I feel it might take a little longer as some new furniture is going in which is super exciting.
Onto today's post â perking up your porch.
If you happen to have a porch, terrace, balcony smidge of outside space or a garden then can I suggest that you look at it like another room so an extension of your inside space. Yes I've written about gardens and outside areas before but itâs a subject that has many many layers we could talk about it until I'm 90 and then we still wouldn't be done!
On the weekend we brought a pendant light - big resin thing which I thought would look pretty cool outside over one of the dining tables. Suspending it took forever but now its up it looks lovely apart from the wire hanging from one side of the space to the other. Trailing greenery along should disguise it further but what something as simple as hanging a light over a table has done is it immediately takes the eye outside. Draws it out of the living area straight to the garden â perfect, because the more interest you create inside or outside the more confused, tantalised and intrigued the eye becomes!
Iâve designed a few terraces in my time and Iâm forever tweaking mine so some tips below on what takes them to the next level!
Furniture arranging - same principles for outside apply to inside - no furniture against the perimeter please- plonk it in the middle, yes you might have to weave through it and its not as practical but practical is boring. If you have to put it one side then layering a coffee table in front with the odd occasional table alongside will help you out big time.
Talking of coffee tables why aren't they used much? Â Anything wooden can be given a coat of yachting varnish and its good to go. The more tables the more layers I say. I use apple crates, big lumps of wood which then house some candles maybe a posy of flowers again its all about the layers.
Plant pots - I try and go supersized not with everything but all terraces or outside areas need greenery that isn't in those conventional small pots (a little boring) so varying the height of your pots and the plants in them will work wonders. Homebase do amazing burnished gold ones, which I am obsessed with as at night they reflect and bounce around the light.
Texture is as important outside as it is in - hence my shiny gold pots against roughly hewn wooden tables. Texture adds dimension, intrigue and without it your outside space will read like a big yawn. Mix shiny and rough, mix the texture of the plants, add a basket, any room inside or out for that matter without oodles of different texture going on will feel totally bland. I won't linger on lighting as I've mentioned it a million times but lighting an outside space is just as important as lighting an inside space. At night its magical it will expand horizons, create depth, intrigue and pizazz all from a couple of lights - pretty darn cool no?
Some images below I found on apartment therapy that make me wish summer would never end!
