Creating the perfect entertainment space this Summer

Perfect your outdoor spaces this summer with Alexander James Interiors

A magnificent garden design makes a property come alive. Interior design is not just about creating a stunning interior for the house, but instead about creating a more holistic picture in order to complete the overall style of the entire property; the exterior areas of any property play an essential role in ensuring the house feels like a home.

As we creep ever closer to the long overdue warmer evenings, Alexander James Interiors would like to share some ideas of how to create the perfect summer entertainment space. Exploring that ideal alfresco environment can be challenging, however below we list some of our top tips to create a seamless shift from inside to outside living.

Whether you are looking for a relaxed, more child and family friendly space or intend on hosting a number of more sophisticated evening do’s – understanding how you can make the most of the area you have is crucial to the success of any inside/ outside living. With the weather being hugely unpredictable here in the UK, our designers encourage you to explore furniture that is fairly weather proof and fabrics that are hard wearing. This will allow you to enjoy your garden without being too precious of something potentially being damaged. Given our summers can sometimes be short lived; explore the use of fabrics that will also stand the test of time to be re used next year.

Don’t limit your accessory choices, custom made cushions and area rugs can play just as an important role within the exterior as that of the interior. Interchange patterns and textures on cushions to add depth and excitement to your garden furniture; this is an easier more cost-effective way to keep your garden furniture looking fresh and new. Add a touch of luxury to your older pieces by redesigning or reupholstering your furniture with more premium quality fabrics. The richer and more lavish the fabrics, the more you’ll sink into that idyllic zen-garden vibe. For the full inside to outside feel, explore outdoor weatherproof rugs – this allows you to add specific zones to a garden space or patio area. Consider using them to divide a more casual seating space before entering a more formal dining area.

Spending time and effort considering where to put outside lights is an easy and effective way to create a sense of ambiance within a garden space. Considering both up lighters and down lighters to create mood, combined with garden sleepers and or patio lighting can assist in giving that beach bar come holiday feel. For a more casual look, consider adding fence lighting and more bohoo furniture to give your garden a more festival feel whilst remaining timeless and trendy. We encourage you to consider the look and feel of your internal space thoughtfully – for example, if you live in a grand, stately home then don’t plan an edgy, artistic garden design filled with eclectic outdoor furniture. Instead, continue your home’s theme of elegance through into your exterior spaces.

Make the space work for you, and most importantly celebrate the home you have. Whether it be a flash London apartment with city views, a rustic barn surrounded by rolling hills or a refined country home with extensive gardens. Identify the strengths of your exterior space and make them the focal point. Explored in our magnificent London apartment, we continued the sleek, polished mode of the interiors out onto the terrace, dressing it with trendy outdoor furniture to match the breath taking urban landscape vistas and creating the perfect environment to entertain friends or relax after a long day.

Do not be down hearted if your space isn’t the largest, no matter how limited your external space, you can still create an outdoor haven in your garden design. In our quirky London apartment, we brought the stylish furniture outside the walls of the home, introducing this contemporary rattan chair to the terrace with views of the vibrant, bustling city of London and softened the urban environment with these verdant, green pot plants. This is a seamless way of creating the impression of more square foot without overcrowding the space.

Lastly, consider bringing the outside in – if you are lucky to have a garden room or orangery then ensure furniture doesn’t block the outlook onto the garden. Getting a clear eye line perspective of the view from inside as well as bringing featured greenery inside gives the illusion of a larger more cohesive space.