Although we’re hurtling towards autumn, there’s still a good couple of months (or even longer, depending on your outdoor heating arrangements!) to enjoy your outdoor entertaining spaces. Leaving the patio/kitchen doors open and treating outside as an extension of your inside prolongs the summer holiday (or staycation!) vibe. The trick is not to just have easy access between indoors and out, but to have a decorative theme that embraces both areas. Here, we take a look at how to do just that…
Streamlined for Family Life
Blur the lines between indoors and out by creating an airy, open space, with easy access to the terrace from wide-open folding-sliding doors. These are our Dakota Light Grey Outdoor Riven porcelain tiles, which can be used both indoors and out. The high slip rating makes them safe for outdoor use, and the large format – 600mm x 600mm adds to that sense of expanded space as there are fewer grout lines. The riven finish means the tiles are slightly textured, which adds interest to the space, whilst creating a calm background to sleek modern kitchen-dining style.
Strong Design Lines
The large, spacious terrace leads naturally into the kitchen (or vice-versa!) with large-scale sliding glazed doors linking the two, allowing fresh air and sunshine to fill the kitchen. Adding greenery softens the overall design, without the need for high-maintenance gardening! Our Dunsen Grey Anti-Slip Floor Tiles are a whopping 800mm x 800mm, so are ideal for larger spaces, and can be used indoors as well, with the advantage of a slip rating of R11. Get ultra-modern look of concrete, without the expense and upheaval of a poured concrete surface with these tiles – the rectified edges mean that grout lines will look neat and clean.
An Outdoor Living Room
We absolutely love the idea of treating the outdoor space as an extension of the living area, it’s an idea that many of us have embraced over the last year or so. Go full on with an investment in outdoor sofas too (beats those old sun-loungers!). For a similar look, try the Ascot Modular Sofa Set from Bridgman, which would rather fabulous with our Icarus Grey Porcelain Outdoor Slabs with a R11 slip rating and no need for sealing, so they’re good to go forever! The random patterning is designed to replicate natural stone, and they are also available in a Beige colourway for a warmer colour scheme, perhaps for a more traditional setting.
Formal Design Looks
If you’re looking for a dark grey outdoor tile to compliment dark grey indoor tiling, look no further than our Granito Black tiles (they’re a very dark grey, rather than absolute black), and are designed to replicate real granite. These large-format, 400mm x 800mm tiles are suitable for use with underfloor heating (as are all our porcelain tiles), so can easily be used indoors to continue that crisp, formal and linear style.
Small & Decorative
Smaller homes may look better with a smaller-scale used for exterior tiles – for courtyard cottage garden, for example, or a balcony terrace. Take a look at our Eire Gris Cobbles, which are designed to look like smaller cobbles, although each tile actually measures 610mm x 610mm – and there are décor tiles available to create focal-point features within the pattern, such as a centre circle or curved border. A great choice to compliment smaller tiles used indoors.
Indoor-Outdoor Inspirations…
Keep it pale, keep it simple, keep it sophisticated! What could be more serene and beautiful than this indoor-outdoor scheme? We love the seamless, effortless style that has been embraced here. Our Grange Beige Matt Floor Tiles are a massive 1200mm x 600mm, replicate brushed concrete, come in a couple of other colour choices, Grey and Blanco, and for indoors, can be used with underfloor heating. And remember, if you did ever want to switch up your colour scheme choices, there are plenty of ways to transform a scheme such as this, buy adding colourful blinds, curtains, changing the colour of the cabinetry, or adding intensely colourful patterned wallpaper.
Blurring The Lines
Well, it’s not that warm all year round in rainy old UK. However, it’s possible to re-create that Mediterranean/Greek villa vibe by treating indoor-outdoor areas, such as a half-covered terrace or a veranda type space as an extra room. An expanse of tiles that flow from indoors to outdoors reinforce that seamless style. Get that look with our Maddox Antracita Indoor Outdoor slabs, with a look of weathered concrete that looks at home both inside and outside. Suitable for underfloor heating, of course!
In The Background
Tiling the dividing wall of your balcony or outdoor terrace is a great idea and can add depth and interest that paint or plain brick alone won’t provide. We suggest you try our Himalaya Madera Roble Wood Split Face effect tiles, which are designed to replicate strips of wood, for a fresh and individual look. Each ceramic tile measures 170mm x 520mm and there are several other colour options, including Black Shimmer, White Shimmer and Gris Wood. These tiles could easily be used in the rest of the living/kitchen/family area too for a continuous decorative theme.
Getting The Vintage Look
Our Vintage Wood Effect Wall & Floor Tiles have a brilliant design that replicated vintage wood planks – so are great choice for a kitchen, hallway, porch and for general living areas. However, these hardwearing porcelain tiles are frost proof with a matt finish, so can stand up to outdoor use as well. We’re imagining them use as an outdoor terrace or deck-style area, ideal as a continuation of the wood-look style used indoors. Each tile/plank measures 150mm x 600mm.
Patterned Projects
If you’re looking for a patterned tile for an outdoor seating area, balcony or veranda, consider our Wicker Grey Patterned wall and floor tiles. They could be the perfect finishing touch, perhaps for a conservatory that leads out onto a terrace, or for a feature-pattern on the tiniest of balconies. Just add greenery and a bistro table and chair set for that al-fresco aperitif!
Been inspired to extend your summer with any of the ideas you’ve seen here? If so then we’d love to see your pictures of the end result – share your images with us over on Twitter tagging @TileMountainUK or on Instagram!
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Linda has worked as a freelance interiors writer and blogger for many years; she has written for most of the major home and design magazines, including KBB Magazine, Grand Designs, Homes & Gardens, House Beautiful, Period Homes and Good Homes. She made the break and moved from London back to her home town of Shrewsbury three years ago and has just finished renovating her house. She also works in an interior design studio, produces copy for brochures and website, tries to tame her garden, aims to finish all the home furnishing projects she has on the go … and loves walking.