At the time of writing, the UK is in throes of a mini-heatwave (long may it last!) and so the sunny weather made us very glad that we found some lockdown time to make an effort with the garden a few months ago. Small actions such as putting up a hammock and moving a few things around make the garden a real haven, almost like dividing it into ‘rooms’ for different times of the day. A shady spot for reading and snoozing in the afternoons, a sunny spot outside the French windows for morning coffee, a semi-sunny space for the picnic bench for outdoor dining when we’re back to entertaining again. As well as a convenient (and safe!) spot for the firepit for cooler evenings through to autumn. If you’ve been wanting to do similar but don’t know where to start then read on as we bring you five outdoor design themes you can employ in your own exteriors…
He Lives In A House, A Very Big House In The Country…
Well, it doesn’t have to be a big house, of course, it can be a small house! Create a country-themed outdoor area to compliment and emphasise a relaxed rural setting, surrounded by country-cottage flowers, rustic style furniture and vintage accessories. We suggest some of our Kashmir Natura Outdoor Slab Tiles which will blend well with a country look. Keep the lighting gentle and atmospheric with some string bulbs from a selection at Lights4Fun
Green Themes: Gather together some white and green crockery and linen to keep your outdoor dining country-themed look fresh and appealing. Crockery and cookware, all Marks & Spencer Home.
Dark & Dramatic: We love the trend for dark exteriors for country homes – often seen as exterior window joinery and timber cladding. Keep the theme going with your outdoor dining furniture, such as Skagerak Overlap dining table and bench collection, available in a variety of colour options, from Amara. Get the dark look with our Maverick Anthracite Outdoor Slab Tiles.
Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside!
Make the best of all the space in your garden by creating a beach-hut-picnic-seaside inspired spot – either as a hide-away for yourself or perhaps as an outdoor den or camp for the children! A coat of paint for the shed or summerhouse plus some colourful outdoor accessories will transform a tired corner into a haven – and you don’t have to queue up on the motorway to get to the beach! We can’t resist suggesting that our Vertige Outdoor Slab Tiles, which come in Beige or Grey would be a fabulous choice to add a seaside flavour to the garden. All these great accessories and planters are from a selection at Dunelm
Seaside Schemes: Keep the seaside spirit intact with some super ceramics from a collection of Nautical side plates and serving bowls from Marks & Spencer.
On The Beach: Settle down with some sea-green and pale pink cushions and this Churchgate throw for a lazy beach-style garden afternoon, all from a selection at Dunelm.
It’s A Jungle Out There!
Is your outdoor space overgrown? Do you need to get out there with the secateurs and extending loppers but would rather just enjoy the sunshine instead? Hmmm…why not embrace the greenery and go with the flow? Let your garden, patio or garden go green. Get the basics sorted out by concentrating on the hard landscaping then add some colourful jungle-themed accessories to pin down the look.
Gypsy Waves Parrot Cushion; Jungle Monkey Placemat; Zebra Jungle Outdoor Cushion | Podevache Collections at Amara
Keep Calm & Carry On
Create a calm and peaceful look for your outdoor space by keeping it sleek and simple. Furniture is a must, of course, for an indoor-outdoor space, and we love the concept of having not just an outdoor ‘dining room’ but an outdoor ‘living room’ too! Maintain the calm and contemplative ambience by choosing ‘cool’ colours, such as greys, blues and neutrals. For a decking-style look, we suggest you click onto our Atlantis porcelain wood-effect tiles, which can be used outdoors (as well as indoors for walls and floors). Oh, and all the furniture and accessories here are from a selection at Dunelm.
Sofa Surfing: This is kind of a winning the lottery suggestion for outdoor furniture, but wow, anything from Ligne Roset’s Saparella collection of outdoor upholstery would definitely make our day! We feel calm and peaceful just looking at it!
Peaceful Pink & Grey: Small scale outdoor areas can look just as appealing as endless expanses of tiles and grass. Get creative with some pastel paint and choose soft shades of grey for your furniture. Beige-gold tiles, perhaps such as our Castilla Teja tiles add a warm glow to the outdoor space, and look great with pink and cream accessories. All the bits and bobs here are from the George at Asda Home & Garden ranges.
Fabulous Fiesta-Style
And for our final theme for this story, we’ve gone all-out fiesta-style! If you want to cheat a little creating this style, really it’s just a way of putting together an eclectic mix of furniture, plants, lighting and accessories. The important thing is a tiled floor – naturally! We would highly recommend some intricately patterned outdoor floor tiles. Take a look at our Harrogate, Skyros, or Concretia Outdoor Slab Tiles for a similar patterned look. This furniture and lighting is from a selection at Dobbies.
The Girl From Ipanema: Well in this case it’s the Ipanema Lantern – a bright orange pierced ceramic design, from a very cheerful collection at Sainsburys
Fiesta/Festival: If you’re having your own ‘at home’ festival, get the picnicware out – bright colours such as this gorgeous green Discovery collection from Wilko will set the scene perfectly.
Will you be adopting any of the themes here in your latest exteriors project? If so then we’d love to see your pics! Tweet us @TileMountainUK, share on Facebook or tag us on Instagram!
You might also like these posts on the Tile Mountain blog…
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.