How to create an outdoor room in three steps

Sink into comfy chairs, rest your feet on a soft rug and make the most of the spring and summer months by bringing the indoors out! This is how you do it:

Decide on the feel and function

Think about the atmosphere and the use you want to get out of the outdoor room. Should it be a chill out zone where you can lie back on lazy loungers or relax in a hammock while reading a book? Or maybe an alfresco dining room complete with an outdoor kitchen and a large dining table to host casual dinner parties and entertain friends? The sky’s the limit, so think out of the box and create a space that you will use and love.

Find the perfect location

As with everything, location is key. Take a look around your garden and pay attention to the amount of direct and indirect light certain areas get during the day. You don’t want to plan your outdoor room in a space that bakes in the sun all day, but you also don’t want to be in complete shade if catching a bit of a tan is on your priority list. Dappled shade generally works best for most outdoor rooms.

Make it homely

Plant a tall hedge around the back of the “room” or add a cute bamboo fence for a sense of privacy and intimacy. Next, you want to create a focal point. Be is a romantic loveseat, a hanging bench or a garden daybed – it needs to be a statement that is inviting and oozes stylish scatter cushions. Add a colourful outdoor rug, a rattan coffee-table or sculpted armchairs and don’t forget the candles. If your outdoor room is under a pergola, hang a variety of trailing pot plants and some fairy lights or place a couple of elegant pots in groups of three at different heights and fill them with lush plants.