ASK MR MERRIDEW
Home help from our resident under butler
QNot only have I been taking on bigger upholstery projects, but I’ve also bought a splash pool. What fabric would you recommend to use for some DIY cushions that might get a bit wet?
Robyn, Hertfordshire
TRULY the summer of spending all week on weekend projects, my mailbag proves just how many of us have been using lockdown to upskill, upcycle and just generally up their decorative game. Thankfully, designers have been following suit, and brands such as Casamance (whose Maupiti collection features some surprisingly subtle pineapples),
Osborne & Little and Christopher Farr Cloth have all released new outdoor fabrics with patterns that are bright, beautiful and brilliantly bold. A favourite of mine is the aptly named Splash Outdoor collection from Zinc Textile, in wavy, shimmering, aquamarine shades. The colour of the Med, it harks me back to my last trip to Sicily and the sardines I ate on the harbour, gazing at the glints on the sea. Anyway, why stop at outdoor cushions, when you could take the lead of this photo and make a parasol, pair of sunloungers and blind for your windows, too? Nothing would be more fabulous. &