This post is in collaboration with CALA Homes. As the Summer draws to an end, we enter into my favourite time of the year. That period spanning Summer and Autumn, where the weather is still warm and the nights are drawing in. This has always been my favourite time of the year to enjoy the garden, making the most of the late Summer sun. Bliss.
If only we had a garden and not a building site.
We cannot wait to get our hands on our back garden. I have visions of blousey blossomy flowers, lots of luscious greenery and a little seating area to enjoy that early Autumn sun from. Luckily, Brian shares the same dream. We may have to wait until next year however, to make them come true.
Earlier in the Summer, the lovely folks at CALA Homes got back in touch to ask if I would like to style the patio area of the Moncrief, a gorgeous showhome in Milltimber Manor, at Oldfold village, Aberdeenshire. If you think this sounds familiar, you would be right. This is the same beautiful house that I decorated for Christmas last year. See that post here.
Unfortunately, lockdown restrictions put the fun on hold for a while, and it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that we could pick up where we left off. Is September too late for a garden post? Of course not. It’s Scotland. The weather is always amazing when the schools go back.
The MonCrief Patio Area: Before.
Although I had visited the Moncrief show home before, I didn’t get a chance to venture outside back in December. Luckily, the weather held up on the day we went around, so we could really appreciate the lovely surroundings of Milltimber Manor. This paved patio would be the perfect place for an outdoor seating area. Somewhere to relax and enjoy the late Summer sun. Imagine opening up those bi-fold doors after dinner and settling into a cosy little seating area, surrounded by gorgeous planting, sipping on a cocktail as the sun goes down. Who needs holidays abroad?!
Of course, it’ll need a little magic, before the dream comes alive. Sometimes a blank area like this can be a little daunting. Whilst concrete pavers may not provide much inspiration, they do provide a perfect starting point for styling an outdoor area. These are oversized, which helps provide a contemporary feel for our base.
How To Start Planning an Outdoor Seating Area
When you’re faced with a blank space like this, treat it like you’re decorating a room in your house. Think about what how you want the space to function. Does it need to have more than one function? If so, what? How do you want the space to feel? What important elements do you need your space to contain? (e.g. chairs, table, lighting…)
Another consideration that may not seem so obvious for an interior, but is usually always a consideration in the garden, would be that of maintenance. Do you want something that is easy to maintain? Or are you happy to bring in lots of cushions and accessories every evening, after watering your high-maintenance plants for the seventh time this week? Most of us would prefer a low-to-mid level of effort when it comes to our outdoor spaces. Don’t worry, there are lots of accessories and plants out there, perfect for us lazy gardeners who want the best of both worlds.
Going back to my first two questions, I wanted to create an inviting seating area for two, with a warm contemporary feel. I also wanted it to have a coherent link to the interior of the Moncrief, so chose to carry the monochromatic elements through from the dining area. To create the perfect space, I would need two comfortable seats, a table (for that early morning cup of coffee, or that early evening bottle of wine), and some subtle atmospheric lighting.
Styling An Outdoor Seating Area
Once you’ve established the requirements for the space, you can start thinking of the decorative elements. That is, colour, pattern and texture.
To form a base for the seating area, I chose a black and white geometric outdoor rug to soften the concrete pavers. The trellis pattern is a classic and stops the scheme looking too trend-driven. The great thing with an outdoor rug, is that you can leave it outside without worry… although I would recommend taking it in through the winter seasons. I would also recommend choosing a rug that your chairs can sit comfortably on. This one is a little small, due to an ordering error. It still works… but in an ideal world, those chairs would it on it fully.
To stop the black and white scheme looking too stark and soulless, I opted for natural brown woven chairs rather than grey. These not only add warmth through colour but also through texture. The shape also reflects the shape of the dining chairs inside. The warmth of the weave is carried over through into the soft terracotta colour of the side table; a large garden pot with a top added using offcuts of wood. This is a simple and affordable solution if you can’t find an outdoor table to suit.
The cushions carry the black and white scheme up to the chairs and the graphic patterns echo the outdoor rug and the curtains in the dining room.
As the Moncrief already has outdoor lighting and the seating area is situated directly off the kitchen/diner, I chose to add in a couple of solar powered lanterns, just for atmospheric light. These are ideal as the patterns echo those on the fabrics and the mix of materials add even more texture. Texture really is the key to stopping a scheme from looking bland.
When it comes to greenery, I’m a big fan of easy to care for but pretty plants. I like soft billowy shapes, next to more structured forms. As this is a CALA show home, I didn’t want to create too much maintenance, so chose just a few easy to care for plants to bring life to the space. An Olive tree adds a bit of height, whilst the beautiful hydrangea softens and adds interest. I added in an Achilea, which has tiny white flowers, to give variation in scale. A variegated hebe continues the green and white theme, which is all tied together in co-ordinating pots.
On the table sits and ornamental cabbage…just because I like them.
My Top 5 Tips For Styling An Outdoor Seating Area
Tip 1. Plan your garden like a room. How do you want it to function? What do you need in it for it to do so?
Tip 2. If you’re not a fan of your paving, add in an outdoor rug. Not only will this instantly transform the space, it will also feel really nice under bare feet. Just don’t go too small!
Tip 3. Keep accessories to a minimum to avoid a cluttered look and for ease of maintenance. Allow the plants to be the focus. A couple of cushions and some simple lanterns will add interest whilst being functional.
Tip 4. In true DesignSixtyNine style, if you can’t find what you want, make it. Simple garden pots can make excellent stools or tables when a wooden top is added.
Tip 5. Play with texture and scale to add interest. You can do this through materials and through planting. Rough textures contrast with smooth surfaces and large flowers look dramatic next to smaller blossoms. It’ll keep your eyes moving and will help to gloss over the areas that are less than perfect.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little ‘end of season’ styling post as much as I enjoyed making it. Getting to style the garden for CALA Homes has really helped to inspire me for our own outdoor space… although I will admit that I would love if it was in the beautiful setting of Milltimber Manor.
Visit the CALA Homes website here.
Outdoor rug, lanterns and cushions, B&Q. Chairs, Dobbies Garden Centre. Plants and planters, Raemoir Garden Centre.
