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Make the most of your outdoor space this summer, no matter how small it is

From rugs to jam jars, and creeping plants to colourful tableware, you don’t have to spend a fortune to transform your garden or balcony

The garden has become a great way of creating additional room in which to live. Photograph: Miki Barlok

Marie Kelly
Sat May 18 2024 - 05:00

At a time when it’s very difficult to move house, making the most of your outdoor space or garden has become a great way of creating extra room for living in.

“Before the pandemic, many people didn’t consider their outside spaces all that important, but in lockdown they became critical,” says Galway-based interiors expert and founder of Tripod Design, Lynne O’Loughlin.

'Homeowners want their gardens to work really hard for them,' Lynne O'Loughlin says

The accessibility of weather-friendly materials, efficient solar panelled lights and environmentally friendly infrared heaters, mean these outdoor spaces don’t just serve us during the meagre months of an Irish summer, then remain forgotten former oases for ten months of the year. Neither are they necessarily just extensions of where we sit, relax, read and dine; they can also be places to work in, work out in and even shower.

“Outdoor offices, utility spaces, gyms and shower rooms are all very popular at the moment,” O’ Loughlin says. “Homeowners want their gardens to work really hard for them.”

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Apartment dwellers feel the same. “That extension of a living space and connection to nature is so important when you have no access to a garden,” she says. “And there’s an enormous range of products available now for smaller outside spaces, including attractive screens, which are great for creating privacy in dense apartment blocks.”

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Lynne O’Loughlin of Tripod Design and Emma Delanay, interior designer at Dublin lifestyle store April and the Bear, recommend steel-framed furniture for a year-round, Irish weather-friendly option

Emma Delaney also suggests choosing items of furniture that can do double duty

Emma Delaney insists that it’s possible to create a beautiful outdoor scheme without spending a fortune

Whether your plot is grand or intimate, materials are the most important starting point. O’Loughlin and Emma Delaney, interior designer at Dublin lifestyle store April and the Bear, recommend steel-framed furniture with a powder coating for a year-round, Irish weather-friendly option.

Bistro-style tables and chairs are ideal for balconies or small courtyards and terraces. Delaney also suggests choosing items of furniture that can do double duty. “Stools can be used as seats when guests arrive and as planters the rest of the time.”

Delaney’s first purchase when creating an outdoor room is always a rug. “A rug is a pocket-friendly way of creating the right ‘homely’ atmosphere but also of defining the space. It establishes the perimeter and anchors your ‘living’ area and is a more cost-effective option than traditional decking.” Delaney insists that it’s possible to create a beautiful outdoor scheme without spending a fortune. Inexpensive decorative finishes can have a huge impact,” she says. And she suggests anchoring your scheme with furniture and planters in autumnal colours, such as soft terracottas and greens. These will “sit in the landscape”, and you can then add personality through budget-friendly textiles, and accessories, in bold stripes and vibrant checks.

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Mixing up materials brings textural depth to any scheme, something that’s especially important for small spaces, as it will give the impression of a more generous square footage. To make a small space feel lush and abundant, add hanging plants from above, and attach planters with compact varieties to walls or railings. “Consider the vertical space available where you’re short on floor space. Think narrow and high for balconies,” she says.

Garden designer and interior architect Leonie Cornelius agrees. “Climbers and creeping plants are great for balconies, as they’ll bring greenery to the walls; rosemary is a good option as it cascades downward so won’t block a view or obstruct the light.” Cornelius loves the ‘edimental’ trend, which is popular right now. “It refers to ornamental plants that are also edible, such as peas and beans. They yield a crop but they also produce amazing flowers that are beneficial for wildlife, so they are great multitasking plants.”

Garden designer and interior architect Leonie Cornelius. Photograph: Laura Hutton

For any space, big or small, she recommends choosing a variety of plants that span the seasons, so your outdoor room always has character. “Witch Hazel is a great early spring bulb. It produces beautiful feathery flowers in orangey-red before it goes to leaf and it needs very little attention. Erysimums, or wallflowers, are great summer blooms with beautiful purple flowers that go with almost everything.”

Besides the obvious jobs of giving patios a good scrub and having a proper tidy-up, Cornelius suggests painting a table, fence or back wall. “These are small jobs that can have a big impact.” The founder of Wild Eden is a colour enthusiast, but she advises anyone drawn to colour trends, such as Pantone’s Colour of the Year – for 2024, it’s Peach Fuzz – to incorporate them using inexpensive textiles and tableware, which can be easily swapped out when you feel like a refresh. Otherwise, she says: “Choose the colour of your accessories based on whether you want your outside space to soothe you or energise you.”

Used as vases and tealight holders, recycled jars and bowls create a ‘wilder’ aesthetic, which sits really well in an outdoor room, Emma Delaney suggests

For any space, big or small, she recommends choosing a variety of plants that span the seasons, so your outdoor room always has character. “Witch Hazel is a great early spring bulb. It produces beautiful feathery flowers in orangey-red before it goes to leaf and it needs very little attention. Erysimums, or wallflowers, are great summer blooms with beautiful purple flowers that go with almost everything.”

Besides the obvious jobs of giving patios a good scrub and having a proper tidy-up, Cornelius suggests painting a table, fence or back wall. “These are small jobs that can have a big impact.” The founder of Wild Eden is a colour enthusiast, but she advises anyone drawn to colour trends, such as Pantone’s Colour of the Year – for 2024, it’s Peach Fuzz – to incorporate them using inexpensive textiles and tableware, which can be easily swapped out when you feel like a refresh. Otherwise, she says: “Choose the colour of your accessories based on whether you want your outside space to soothe you or energise you.”

When tablescaping, Delaney is a fan of adding rustic, recycled jars. “Used as vases and tealight holders, they create a ‘wilder’ aesthetic, which sits really well in an outdoor room, plus they cost nothing.” She also suggests picking some blooms from your flower garden, if you have one, and using them to decorate a table. “They will help to tie in your outdoor living area with the wider outside space for a more cohesive look.”

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