AD – This post is written in collaboration with Cox & Cox
For me it’s poor seating and a lack of shade. I know for others it’s not having direct access or the garden being overgrown. What about you? I have never been more grateful for a garden than I am now but if I’m being really honest I would have to say that whilst the idea of a garden is wonderful, the feeling of space it gives is invaluable and I love staring out into the garden I am never really drawn to sitting in it or spending much time out there as it stands. I’m really determined to change that because being on lockdown has shown me how incredibly privileged we are to have our own outdoor space.
Very simply if I can’t sit comfortably in the garden I will always retreat back inside before long. Honestly, if we had the space I would buy this swinging lounger and I would never leave it! We currently have a small bench and a couple of folding wooden chairs and they are all very uncomfortable, hard and quite rickety. Our lawn is very lumpy and bumpy and we probably won’t re-turf until next year so we don’t sit on it much. I am collaborating with Cox & Cox to help make our new deck the perfect place to sit and relax and what really appeals to me is the fact that they make so much indoor/outdoor furniture. Outdoor furniture that can easily pass as indoor furniture wins bonus points from me from an aesthetic stand point but it’s the comfort level of having indoor type furniture outside that makes me really happy. The full outdoor collection has lots of gorgeous seating, planters and lighting for the perfect outdoor space so do check it out.
A really good outdoor armchair is ideal for time spent in the garden. My mum has some chairs similar to this and they are so comfortable as the footrest and contour of the chair allows your body to really relax.
We currently have a second hand plastic dining table that really doesn’t encourage outdoor dining because it is white so the sun blinds us when we sit at it, it is difficult to keep clean and it is very creaky. We would like to create a shaded dining area under our pergola, which I think would encourage us to spend so much more time out there. I love the idea of shingle in this area as it is such a great natural texture and it reminds me of holidays in France. Adding some gorgeous indoor outdoor dining chairs would make all the difference as the comfort of outdoor dining chairs is just as important as indoor ones.
I also think bench seats outdoors are very practical as you can squeeze lots of kiddos on and as long as the benches are nice and wide they can be very comfy. I can so see this Albany set in an industrial style interior as well as on a lovely terrace.
The second thing that puts me off sitting outside is a lack of shade. Our new deck will be in full sun until about 2pm so to use it in the morning and at lunchtime we will definitely need some shade. I know a couple of people who have proper awnings over their patios but they can cost an absolute fortune so a parasol or sail shade seem like a good solution.
Jules’s parents have a wonderful wooden bench and matching armchairs in their garden that have been there for years and years and they are still the first place we all migrate to when we spend time there. I’ve chosen something similar from Cox & Cox that is quite traditional looking and made of hard wood in the hope that it too will last years and years. The delivery of the decking boards has been delayed but it should be finished in the next couple of weeks so I hope to be able to show it all to you soon!
Katy x
Beautiful Gardens. British style.