Written by Catherine Seagrave

It’s that time of the year again when (fingers crossed!) we can all get out in the garden and enjoy some sun!!

At The Living House we all love our gardens and want to make the most of what we have - however big or small. In the summertime the garden can make our homes feel larger, like we have gained an extra living or dining room. And if you spend a bit of time planning your garden space and making it as comfortable as possible, you might never want to come back inside.

Sophie, Becky and I all have different sized gardens and need them to work in different ways for our families, friends and pets. We thought you might like to see our garden plans for this summer, and get some ideas so you can feel as inspired as us by your outside space!

Sophie has a small sunny space at the back of her house. It’s not looking that inspiring right now, but she has big plans for the tiny area. Measuring no more than 1.5m by 6m it currently has an unattractive concrete floor and not a lot else. As soon as it stops raining for a day or two, Sophie is planning to use white floor paint on the concrete and then add a dark grey stencil over the top to add interest. This will lighten the area and make it feel like expensive tiles have been laid. To break up the long line of the fence she is going to hang wall mounted plant pots so the flowers can tumble over, and make a lovely show from the kitchen window. As space is limited, the Tarno table and chairs from IKEA are perfect for a spot of lunch. In the evening the festoon string lights, candles and lanterns will give it a romantic bistro feel - a million miles away from a concrete yard!!

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Becky has a long garden with a patio at the end which gets the evening sun. It’s been feeling a little neglected over winter and is in need of a revamp. Becky would be the first to admit that she is at the trial and error stage of learning to garden… plant something, cross your fingers and hope for the best! And preferably keep it away from the overly adventurous foxes in the area and her gorgeous cat Daisy - they all love to dig up her hard work!! But when it comes to choosing the look and feel of the outside area, Becky has plenty of ideas. Having just come back from a weekend in Ibiza, she wanted to bring that laid back beach club vibe, warm colours and Mediterranean patterns to her garden - perfect for evening cocktails with friends. Using the pergola adds height and gives a feeling of privacy to the seating area. The rug helps define it further and the pop of colour from the furniture adds a sense of fun. With the solar lighting strung around the pergola and the candles lit, who cares if you have green fingers or not?! Processo anyone?

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My garden is very long, and is mainly designed around the ‘football’. Definitely not my first choice of garden design, but with two football mad boys it was a case of embrace it, or constantly have everything in the garden battered by flying balls. The compromise has been to create an area towards the end of the garden for a football pitch and the area near the house for me and more delicate living things! It works with varying degrees of success as I also have two cats and a puppy who also show scant regard for my beautiful flowers. But I remain an optimist and this year I want to make my patio area more comfy, like an extension of the house, somewhere to lounge with a good book and soak up the sun (I told you I’m an optimist, ha!). The patio area near the house is slightly sunken and surrounded by raised planting. This provides the ideal space for a corner sofa. As this area opens out from my kitchen, I liked the idea of continuing the same colour scheme onto the patio, to really make it feel like an extension of the house. We always like to bring the outside in in our schemes, but in the summertime it’s good to bring the inside out too! The rug and cushions give the area a cosy feel and the teal solar lanterns are really pretty. To take the chill off the evening air, the log burner adds character and the large plant pots help to surround you with greenery. And the sun lounger is just for me - when I can sneak away and find a quiet moment!

If you need some friendly expert help in your home or garden, take a look at our design packages. We’d love to help you make the most of your garden this summer.  Book a free Discovery Call and see how we can help you today.

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