Colleen Hawkes

Has some advice on what the best-dressed decks and patios are wearing this summer.

You have the chairs, tables and barbecue for your outdoor living area. What else do you need? If you follow the current trend toward making your patio another ‘‘room’’ of your home, then you should probably be thinking sofas, coffee table, outdoor rugs and even resort-style outdoor curtains.

Thanks to modern technology, fastdrying foams and fade-free fabrics, this is all achievable, says designer Sonya Cotter. ‘‘These fabrics are no longer stiff and one dimensional – they are soft, textural weaves.’’

For most of us, however, there are a few simple accessories that will enliven our outdoor living area and make it more useable.

In the shade

Firstly, you need shade. A large market umbrella works well. Cantilevered umbrellas, such as those manufactured by Shade 7, can be swivelled to follow the sun through different times of the day. Whichever style you choose it’s a good idea to check the details before you buy. Look for durable, UV-resistant fabrics, as it’s fair to say that the cheaper the umbrella the more likely it is to fade quickly, even within a matter of a few short weeks.

Alternatively, you could opt for a shade sail. These have the advantage of being relatively easy to customise to provide the shade exactly where you need it.

Off the wall

The next thing to address is the view. Perhaps you have an attractive landscape with a tree or two. But don’t despair if your outlook is a wall or a fence – you can always create a vertical garden. This is a good way to green a wall quickly using a pocket system, much like a fabric shoe holder, to contain potting mix and plants.