Inside outside

A perfect way to spend a warm, sultry evening is on your terrace or in the garden, sipping a chilled glass of wine. Why not enjoy the same comfort and aesthetic beauty outside as you do inside?

You can effortlessly extend your living space by applying the same interior design principles to your terrace or garden as you do to the rest of the house. Relaxed sitting and dining areas, design pieces and subtle lighting can all work together to seamlessly merge your exterior and interior space and create a warm, intimate effect.

Lesley Watt, Design Director of Obelisk Interiors says, “Your exterior space may not have a roof, but it does have all the same features of an interior room, such as entrances, flooring, walls and furniture pieces. Fences or exterior walls can be painted or have texture added in the same way as interior one can. Floors can incorporate stone slabs, tiles or wood.”

Your garden furniture and decoration will reflect your own personal style in the same way that your interior style does and the two should fuse to create a fluidity between the two areas. For those who prefer modern and contemporary interiors, why not use concrete or metal features outside and incorporate them with some unusual planting. If you are happier with natural materials inside, go for something softer outside, such as bamboo or hardwood. Garden furniture is a different matter and must be beautiful but also durable to withstand the elements. Hot sun, rain and wind all need to be shrugged off by any outside furniture. Wrought iron, cedar or teak are perfect materials.

Lesley Watt stresses the importance of lighting, “Make sure that once you have chosen furniture, floor and wall coverings, you focus seriously on your outdoor lighting. Lighting can change the entire ambience of your outdoor room, garden or terrace.” Whether you prefer subdued or bright lighting, highly ornamental lights or beautifully simple ones, carefully chosen outdoor lighting will make all the difference to your outdoor space. Why not plant a set of decorative pots with seasonal flowers or some sculpted trees or bushes and then use your lighting to make them attractive focal points in the garden.

All these ideas can work to smooth the transition between your garden or outside area and your interior living areas and reflect your own distinctive style. So make the most of those warm summer evenings and ensure that your outside space is as beautiful and comfortable as your inside space.

For more information, visit obeliskinteriors.eu