INTERIORS
With mercury dropping, it’s time to take the party al fresco. Here’s how you can spruce up your outdoor space.
Let sustainable lighting lead you down the garden path this season. Design and energy-efficiency go hand-in-hand when it comes to lighting outdoor spaces, say experts. ‘If you are looking for an environmentally friendly outdoor lighting, opt for solar powered-lights,’ says Claudia van der Werf, director of Desert River. They come in an array of options, says Lynn Merry, Ace’s visual merchandiser. Think solar spikes, ball lights, LED strip lights that can be cleverly hidden under the edges of decking, steps or balcony rails to create an illusion of floating. But string lights win the popularity contest, and rightly so for their versatility. Lynn suggests hanging them along pathways, in plant pots, under gazebos to create a soft ambient glow that’s cost-effective. ‘String LED lights used to create overhead canopies give outdoor spaces a lively, dreamy look,’ says Philipp Selva of Selva ME. But before you’re strung along by the Instagram opportunities of the string lights trend, ‘take stock of what kind of style and brightness you desire, and zone each area,’ explains Claudia. While string lights are great to add a warm glow above seating areas, table areas require brighter but smaller (preferably portable) lights, she says. Pendant lamps are great too for table areas, adds Lynn. She suggests using floor lamps to envelop dull corners of balconies and patios in a cosy bubble of light.
There’s also the material of the fixtures to consider, reminds 2XL’s marketing head Amit Yadav, who suggests textured and rubbed metal finishes that can withstand [harsh] climate.