It’s Cocktail Hour!

As the weather gets warmer, we all start spending more of our time in our outdoor spaces. At Partners in Design many of our clients are looking to refresh these relaxing and entertaining areas to look and feel inviting and innovative.

Before you start designing, it’s important to know how you plan to spend time in your garden; If you love entertaining in the garden and dining al fresco, think about patios, decking and garden furniture. A fabulous, relaxing sanctuary can be created by adding outdoor rugs, tactile furnishings, fun lighting features and outdoor cushions.

Just like indoors, textiles do wonders for any space by adding personality and warmth. Osborne & Little have created the fabric collection “Sea Breeze” which are ideal for gardens, poolside, terrace and indoors. They are stain and mildew resistant and have excellent light fastness. Most of the names are taken from favourite cocktails such as ‘Pina Colada’ an exuberant tropical print of stylised flora, ‘Mojito’ a small-scale trellis of interlocking circles or ‘Margarita’, a semi-plain weave composed of tiny squares. The designs are available in a jubilant palette of mandarin, turquoise, ultramarine which sit well next to the natural outdoor colours of green, grey, stone and linen. This vibrant indoor/outdoor collection can bring infinite possibilities, combining beautiful designs with extreme practicality.

Designers Guild have introduced “Palme Botanique and Palasari” – a collection of beautiful textures and signature prints which can be complemented by their Delray outdoor rugs. These rugs are durable, practical and can liven up a boring patio, adding layers and softness. Here at Partners in Design we hold a vast collection of outdoor fabrics.

Added to soft furnishings, key to creating the perfect ambience is outdoor lighting. Once you’ve created the perfect place to entertain guests you can play with illumination and consequently the mood and ambiance; dim lights for a quiet evening or bright for festive outdoor parties.

Mantra have wonderful contemporary lighting ranges such as Cool or Flame, which would pass muster in any smart interior but are IP rated for outside use.

Vincent Sheppards’s lighting garland “Light My Table” is a feel-good enhancer for both indoor and outdoor use and allows you to add a welcoming glow to your dining area all year round. A canopy of light literally brings people closer together and creates a cosy atmosphere in the blink of an eye. Because of its simple design, the lighting garland easily blends into any style and brings to mind old-fashioned luminous garlands seen in shopping streets or garden parties.

So, let Partners in Design help you liven up that garden and enjoy the sunshine whilst it lasts!