How to Seamlessly Transition Between Your Indoor & Outdoor Living Spaces
In London, the weather is slowly but surely progressing from frigid to tolerable, and the city’s parks have been enlivened by technicolour carpets of daffodils and tulips. It’s out with bulky outerwear and knits, and in with lighter layers, billowing sundresses, and a sense of sartorial freedom. Dare we say, spring is finally here! And naturally, it’s time to embrace the glorious outdoors. This week, we’ve asked a handful of interior design experts to share their top tips for creating a seamless transition between your indoor and outdoor spaces. Here’s what they had to say…
Embrace a New Point of View
Kitchens tend to be the heart of a home. When the sun is shining, outdoor cooking and entertaining are a no-brainer. The great outdoors can be integrated into the overall aesthetic of your indoor kitchen by thoughtfully considering the layout. Tom Howley, Creative Design Director at the eponymous bespoke kitchen company says:
“If your kitchen is near your garden, or has a nice view, make sure the furniture layout makes the best of this by orienting towards the view. Your sink doesn’t always have to be positioned looking out to the garden, consider locating your dining area with the best view in the kitchen. Creating an indoor-outdoor living space will mean that dinner parties can extend outside into the garden, with all the essentials to hand in the kitchen. You can enhance the connection to your garden with the addition of bi-fold doors, which can fully retract and provide a seamless link to the outside.”
Create a Sense of ‘Connectedness’
“We see outdoor spaces as an extension of your indoor interior aesthetic. Opt for garden furniture and decor that fits in with the overall look and feel inside your home, for connectedness,” says David Harris, Design Director at textile and furniture design house, Andrew Martin.
Philippa Thorp, Founder and Director of Thorp, a luxury London-based architecture and design studio, echoes this, saying: “Indoor and outdoor spaces should balance each other perfectly. Our garden and landscaping projects are designed to elegantly complement the homes we make, reinforcing the overall connection to nature and creating a sense of organic harmony.” This can be achieved by upholstering both your indoor and outdoor furniture in the same hues or prints.
Harris adds, “we offer many options for dual use – from rugs and cushions to seating. Upholstered in removable, cleanable, and waterproof fabric, our outdoor pieces are perfect for high-traffic interiors, especially for families with pets or young children.”
Floral Freshen-up
When it comes to textiles, the appeal of botanical prints is enduring. Produced in the Lake District, Andrew Martin’s Pavilion and Folklore collections are inspired by Britain’s love of outside spaces and green-fingered nature. Dashing wildflower sprigs and undulating vines in lush tones capture the essence of a garden in full bloom. The collections’ plump feather-filled cushions, for instance, are perfect for uplifting neutral furniture, creating a nature-inspired scheme with minimal effort required.
You can continue this floral freshen-up with a dreamy bedscape, opting for organic linens splashed with saturated botanicals – because what’s dreamier than frolicking in a wildflower meadow? A restorative snooze on bedding covered in them. Look to bedlinen designer Sheridan for some splendid examples. We suggest the Lyric Quilt Cover Set which boasts springtime shades of periwinkle and coral.
Material Matters
Exposure to the elements calls for materials that strike a balance between durability and beauty. Mor Krisher, Head of Design at premium surface brand, Caesarstone, says: “The outdoor kitchen market is growing rapidly, and we have seen an increasing desire for year-round garden entertaining. Don’t make the mistake of choosing the wrong materials. Natural stone such as marble, is highly susceptible to staining, especially in a high-traffic, exposed area such as your outdoor kitchen. To avoid substantial staining, you would have to seal your marble surfaces at least annually.”
Non-porous, durable, scratch, stain, mould, and mildew resistant, and easy-to-clean, Caesarstone’s Porcelain range promises to live up to the demands of the outdoors without the need for any high maintenance. These surfaces have each been meticulously tested to withstand harsh sunlight and variable temperatures, ensuring they always remain highly UV and weather resistant, for years to come. They’re also perfect for indoor use, allowing you to seamlessly align all of your culinary spaces.
Let There Be Light
Lastly, a well-lit garden makes outdoor evening soirees an effortless prospect. Cue Phileas, Pooky Lighting’s first-ever rechargeable cordless lamp, designed in collaboration with award-winning British interior designer Matthew Williamson, and named after the iconic Mr P Fogg – the protagonist in Jules Verne’s novel, Around the World in Eighty Days – for its ability to travel anywhere, indoors or out.
Illuminating al fresco dinner parties with a full charge that lasts 10 hours, this antiqued brass table lamp has an array of new sorbet-hued empire shade options. An enchanting alternative to taper candles, Phileas is thoughtfully sized to ensure you can comfortably see over it whilst dining.
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