Making a garden more of an outside room with atmosphere

[RockingMyFiftiesNot]

I'd like to make my garden a more Interesting space. Am ok with the flower beds as are and we have some nice furniture and I always plant up some pots. Visited a few friends' gardens over the last 10 days and seeing lots of photos on FB of what people have done with their gardens in the recent lovely weather. I've been inspired to do more with our garden eg we've bought an outside wall clock as it's practical and decorative - makes the patio more of an 'outside lounge', and I'm thinking of complementing the usual pots with a larger tub which will be more of a feature. Ongoing debate with DH as to whether we have room for a corner seating unit with coffee table. I don't think we'll go with that as might be too cluttererd. Some of the gardens are overly fussy for my taste (appreciate it's a very personal thing). I don't mind a few garden ornaments but don't want to fill every nook and cranny. We had some solar lights but they need replacing. Not sure if we will though as rarely warm enough to be outside after dark.
So am looking for ideas - what do you have in your garden which makes it more of an outside living space?

Before I posted here I did start to google and look at Pinterest but there was so much to wade through - so any pointers to good design sites would also be appreciated.

Thank you.

can you post a plan of your garden?

think about where would be a good place to sit - a bench to catch the evening sun or a bistro table for a morning coffee?

All depends on the size you have got to work with and what you require the space to do ie play area for kids or adult area for socialising I have seen some amazing small gardens. I follow one on YouTube called tropic plant addict and she has made a wonderful tropical garden in a small space but what she does requires a lot of effort.

This is the transformation video

I went to visit a friend in her garden last week, it was sunny, but a bit nippy, but she had deep cushioned chairs and lots of blankets! So that would be my suggestion, lots of blankets or fleece throws.

I agree that you need decide what the space is for. Only then can you start to design it.

Thank you all. Not able to draw a plan at the moment but pretty straight forward. Flower beds on 3 sides, 4th side Is a long deep patio In front of the house. Sun is on the patio first thing, moves back over the garden during the day, no sun at the back of the garden after 5 in the height of the summer, so we move chairs throughout the day,doesn't make sense to have seating fixed at the back of the garden. I guess I'm thinking of things mainly to do on the patio which can easily be moved back during the day. Blankets is a good suggestion certainly at the moment.

We have done this, so ok, We have a large patio but on it we have a dining set and then a seperate sofa area with coffee table fire pit, and we also have a bar and stools up against the wall. Along from that is a gas bbq near the dining area. We are shortly putting a wooden gazebo in over the dining table and chairs.

So if you have the space, then seating options, and a permanent gazebo covering one of them, would be my solution.

I like the idea of a permanent gazebo, did suggest it to DH who didn't agree - will keep working on that. Settee/table area has also been dismissed by OH,but will also continue to push for that.

I have an outdoor sectional sofa with cushions, a fireplace table and an outdoor rug to make it feel more room like. A gazebo, and string lights for night time give it a nice atmosphere too.

That sounds lovely @FromEden , not heard of an outside rug before but does sound very cosy

We did this recently and added

• a chimnea
• a new sofa
• a mirror
• strings of lights
• blankets and hot water bottles at night
• fairy lights in some climbing plants

Outdoor rug is a great idea, am stealing that.

I can’t envisage your area from your description.

But if your DH doesn’t want a gazebo, table or sofas - and you’d have to be constantly moving things to get the sun (I’m guessing this is why your DH isn’t keen on the fundamental outdoor items you’d need, to create the space you want?) - it does seem a bit limiting.

I can’t envisage your area from your description.

A deep patio the length of the house between the house and the lawn. Flower beds along the other 3 sides of the lawn.

But if your DH doesn’t want a gazebo, table or sofas - and you’d have to be constantly moving things to get the sun (I’m guessing this is why your DH isn’t keen on the fundamental outdoor items you’d need, to create the space you want?) - it does seem a bit limiting.

Yup it is. I guess I need to focus on the patio, and maybe also think of how I can make the flower beds more interesting

Have you watched Your Garden Made Perfect? I haven't loved them all but the episode in Cheshire (first one, I think) and the one in Manchester (last episode) both had amazing outdoor lounging areas.

I've seen a few of them @MilduraS, love a lot of what they do but didn't ever see anything that I thought would be suitable for our garden - but might be a good idea to watch them again and look at the finishing touches they put in, which probably is more what I am after given the various limitations.

This is the one we have purchased from Dunster house, got some friends coming to help us install it next month. We have a pop up one, the same size, 3x4 m but you need to keep taking it down if it’s too windy , but the shelter really makes it more of an out door living space, hence why we have now opted for the more permanent version.

If you’re going to keep working on him show him some images, they look fab in my view. You can get all different sizes too.

We just stick up a gazebo and bring in in September or when its windy

That is gorgeous @Bluntness100 . That whole area is what I would love if we had a bigger garden.

We have a corner sofa unit but it has a dining table rather than a coffee table, so it doubles as our dining area as well as lounging. Would that work for you? Ours is Made.com Catania set, I don’t know if they still do it.

There’s even a few out there with adjustable tables ie the table raises and lowers so it can be coffee or dining height.

We have an awning over the sitting area which we use in summer that helps make it feel more like a room. You could do the same effect more cheaply with a shade sail though that does need a support post somewhere.

Lighting makes a big difference, I like those festoon lights strung along the fence in key places, plus lanterns.

I’ve seen outdoor rugs but worry they’d go mouldy very quickly

We have a large garden and a really large patio area.

Outside the kitchen we have a glazed pergola area (approx 4.5m square). I have curtains around the posts (one layer of mosquito netting and one layer of thicker outdoor fabric) which can be pulled across the sides if there are major bug problems or to give a bit of shade). We have sofas with squishy cushions plus lots of decorative cushions, a big coffee table, outdoor rugs, vintage mirrors on the wall and lighting around the edge of the pergola. Plus drinks trolley and a chimnea.

We then have outdoor candles in lanterns and an auricula theatre (like a bookcase with potted plants).

Outside of the glass pergola we have a large BBQ area, table, chairs and benches.

thank you for the ideas. That might be an option @minipie although we invested quite a lot in our table and chairs so not sure I want to replace it just yet. Everyone's kind responses has made me think about the limitations of our space eg , DH's reluctance for more or different furniture, and the way the sunny/shaded areas change over the day, I'm now thinking I maybe need to focus on 'accessories' rather than furniture. Eg putting a plant in a nice pot in the middle of the table if not using the parasol; Lighting is something I need to look at. It's very rarely warm enough to be out in the garden after dark but I think we have all got used to being outside when it's cooler than we'd normally consider comfortable. And maybe invest in a really lovely larger planter as a feature.

@HasaDigaEebowai

We have a large garden and a really large patio area.

Outside the kitchen we have a glazed pergola area (approx 4.5m square). I have curtains around the posts (one layer of mosquito netting and one layer of thicker outdoor fabric) which can be pulled across the sides if there are major bug problems or to give a bit of shade). We have sofas with squishy cushions plus lots of decorative cushions, a big coffee table, outdoor rugs, vintage mirrors on the wall and lighting around the edge of the pergola. Plus drinks trolley and a chimnea.

We then have outdoor candles in lanterns and an auricula theatre (like a bookcase with potted plants).

Outside of the glass pergola we have a large BBQ area, table, chairs and benches.

That sounds amazing, very envious of your space. Our garden isn't tiny, but certainly isn't 'very big'

Sorry, but can I be that person and ask that you consider whether you really need solar outdoor lights? Especially if you aren't sure you would be sitting out in the dark.

They are really disruptive to birds and moths and other nocturnal creatures in your garden, which you need to promote a healthy garden. And it seems a shame to do that if you aren't even using them.

Solar ones are especially bad when they are always on at night, perhaps get some that you turn on and off, so just use them while you are outside?

The decorated "room" space isn't very big though OP. It's about 4.5m square. You can definitely do it with accessories and plants. Think about it like an indoor space so for example could you put shelves and mirrors on the wall of the house.

Ours is used loads. I have a big basket of blankets so that we can snuggle up even when its colder and the glass roof means we can use it if it's rainy too.