KIMBERLY DURAN
‘After building a small kitchen extension, this three-and-a-half-metre square area was essentially a barren wasteland. We recycled some pavers from another part of the garden to create an outdoor seating area. The brick wall behind is our neighbour’s house, which creates a lovely courtyard effect. My fiancé and I did all the manual work, shifting and laying each paver by hand. I found an amazing selection of outdoor pieces and the majority of the planters, mostly in shades of pink, from Made. Comfort is really key outdoors.
Get pieces with plump outdoor cushions, and sofas where you can, rather than metal folding chairs. Pull cushions, throws and lanterns from indoors for a cosy space that’s lovely to sit in long after the sun’s gone down. Try to tie the colours you love using inside to your outside spaces – it’ll feel more like an extension of your home. Creating this area was hard work but worth it. We’ve had many alfresco dinners and spend more time outdoors together.’ Insta: @swoon worthyblog; swoonworthy.co.uk
Entertain long after the sun has gone down by including some form of heating. Fire pits are pretty affordable and boast the added allure of real flames. Throw a grill over the top for a generous barbecue area, too. Chimineas control the flames better and funnel smoke upwards, which can prove safer with little ones running around. Gas patio heaters are more portable and fairly safe if positioned at head height but can prove expensive to run. Infrared outdoor heaters, which heat surfaces and people, not the air in between, are thought to be more energy efficient and provide a wider spread of heat than halogen versions.
Pizza oven painted in Ultra Masonry paint in Pure Brilliant White, from £23 for 5ltrs; table painted in 10
Year Exterior Satin in Cloudy Day, from £16 for 750ml, both Sandtex. Chairs painted in All Purpose woodstain in natural, £34 for
2.5ltrs, Sadolin
Above Sofa modules with outdoor oatmeal cushions, from £945; coffee table, £600; side table, £400, all the Pembrey garden collection, Neptune
‘Previously this patio area was a square of tired, chipped old slabs and worn-out fencing. There’s a large lawn beyond it, then vegetable beds and my ‘she shed’ – the garden is 150ft long. We wanted to create an outdoor living room, so I based the design of the seating area around the idea of a large L-shaped sofa, which we built from reclaimed scaffold boards. In fact, laying slabs for the patio was the only work we didn’t do ourselves. I wanted all the elements out here that we have indoors, such as cosy lighting, soft furnishings and rugs (these are outdoor rugs and cushions), plus music. The outdoor lamp has a speaker that connects to the Wi-fi, and there’s a fire pit to keep cosy. We are planning to extend this with a decked section for our barbecue and possibly an outside kitchen/dining area. I love the tropical/holiday vibe with the tree fern and bamboos. The idea was to recreate a bit of Bali in Birmingham!’ Insta: @theresa_gromski; theresagromskistudio.com
If you are splashing out on new seating, consider a modular collection that lets you add new sections as required (or as funds allow). There are clear advantages to this kind of pick and mix approach. You can build up your seating area as your family grows, and the smaller modules are easy to shift around if you need room for a table or fire pit. They can also prove simpler to store stacked up. From a design point, they tend towards a smart, contemporary shape.
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Bar Champagne
bucket, £70,
LSA International
TO TOAST THE HOST