Sip, Lounge, Relax: Tess and Luke Reveal How To Design Your Perfect Outdoor Retreat

How To Style Your Outdoor Furniture

Do not over-style! I see this a lot and there is honestly no need to over-style beautiful outdoor furniture. You do not want your guests having to guess where to sit. Your outdoor lounge should have a few/minimal styling cushions with a nice throw to add that extra layer and for the pure convenience of those cool nights to throw over your legs. You want guests to be drawn to your coffee table with a simple outdoor magazine or look-book or even a beautifully styled game to enjoy together (like our naughts and crosses timber board). Dining tables shouldn’t have too much height on it when it comes to styling. It's where you connect with your guests or family and have memorable conversations and make new memories. Keeping your styling pieces low and out of your vision is the way to go!

Pictured (top left to bottom right):Brenna Vase;Aiguablava;Saconca Outdoor Armchair;Portitxol Modular Armchair;Dinesh Outdoor Lamp;Marta Stone Bowls

How To Create An Outdoor Oasis

Making your outdoor area an oasis is important for not only guests but you. We have always believed that you should want your home to feel like a holiday that you don’t want to escape. A few things to consider when designing your outdoor oasis are:

• Lighting

Beautiful warm lighting for your outdoor space is important. If you have higher ceilings, pendants are a great idea! Otherwise keeping it simple is the way to go. Using wall lights and up-lights in the garden surrounding your patio area make it incredibly inviting.

• BBQ area/dining

Incorporating a BBQ area with cabinetry and a wine fridge is a great way to be able to entertain without having to constantly go back inside. Have your outdoor glassware, cutlery, plates etc stored in the cabinets and your glasses cooled in the fridge. It’s great to have everything right where you need it to entertain your guests.

• Comfort / spots for lounging

If your outdoor space isn’t large enough for dining and lounge, fear not! You can still create beautiful lounging areas using bench-seats against walls or even using 2 large chairs with ottomans to create a spot to lounge and relax. You want to be able to sit outside and read a book while having a cup of tea on weekends.

• Add plants

Adding extra pot plants to your outdoor area is always a great idea. It brings the outdoors closer to you and creates a connection between your patio and your garden. It also brings an element of sophistication having a cluster of pots in the corner with a beautiful fiddle leaf fig or palm. You could even create a great herb garden!

How To Create Connection Between Your Outdoor & Indoor Space

The design of your house is important when creating a connection between the indoor and outdoor areas. Having a seamless flow using wide openings helps make the spaces connect. We have installed large bifold doors that open from our kitchen and dining onto our patio which keeps the entertaining areas all together. If you have the ability to do so, also making your entry door into your home as large as possible creates a breezeway and allows natural light and air into your home (it’s also very impressive)!

Using fixed glass panels in spaces instead of block walls also allows the outside to travel in. We have installed large fixed glass panels and corner glass to areas that would usually just be a painted block wall and would have made our house feel smaller and more enclosed. You obviously only want to do this if the view isn’t your neighbours block wall!

We have made our patio slab the same level as our indoor finished floor height and yes it makes a HUGE difference. When you open our bifold doors to walk onto the patio, there is no step down and to be honest you really notice it. If you are using the same materials (e.g polished concrete) for indoor and outdoor areas it will also make the space feel huge and connected.

(IMPORTANT – if you decide to do this when designing your home, ensure that your patio slab falls away from the house to prevent flooding etc inside your home)

Your outdoor furniture does not have to look similar to your indoor furniture. They are different spaces and need to be different materials to withstand the elements etc. What you can do is use similar colours for your styling pieces. For example, we have used beautiful soft pink/beige tones in our pillows for our lounge that match the art on our dining room wall. This very subtle technique ensures that the areas still connect and create a flow. These spaces aren’t sisters – they’re cousins!

Pictured (left to right):Saconca Outdoor Chair;Itai Outdoor Cement Table