Well, there’s no doubt winter is well and truly here. But there is still plenty of the cold season to come which is why it’s certainly not too late to take advantage of some winter furniture trends for your outdoor space. There’s no reason to not enjoy brunch on the patio on a crisp blue-sky day, or an alfresco dessert while rugged up under a knitted throw.
And the good news is, spring will arrive one day soon and it doesn’t hurt to be prepared for the changes of style it will bring.
1. Light it up!
Of course, the days are a lot shorter in winter, so any evening entertaining will need to be well catered for with lighting. String lights are perfect for a no-fuss fix, creating a lovely low-lit ambience, but if you want to ensure the space is perfect for reading, or the favourite family board games, then you’ll need something a little more substantial.
Whatever you choose, make sure it will be fit for purpose for how you like to use the area.
2. Dual-purpose furnishings
Carrying on from autumn trends – that mentions the growing popularity of multi-purpose furniture – winter outdoor entertaining will certainly benefit from dual-purpose furnishings. This means choosing pieces that allow for storage of outdoor cushions and other items that need to have some protection from the elements.
Things like footstools and coffee tables which open up are ideal, and they also provide seating when extra guests turn up. This helps to make the most of a space that may not be so generous in size, making sure you don’t clutter it up with items that might only get used once or twice.
Another important note is to try and buy furniture that is light-weight, as this will make it so much easier to move it around when required.
3. Let the indoors meet the outdoors
This is a wonderful trend that certainly opens up the possibilities of using your outdoor space even during the colder months.
When your exterior entertaining area doesn’t feel too far removed from your indoor living, it makes it feel so much more accessible. Having a Fresco Shade obviously helps with this transition, but it is not just about covering the practical aspects, but ensuring it ‘feels’ easy moving from indoors to out.
This includes things such as having a cohesive and similar look as you move through the doors that open to the space – for example, similar colourings and materials. But also make sure you have everything you need to feel comfortable outdoors right there at the ready, like blankets, heating and cushions.
We are moving on from having separate looks for the indoors and out, meaning this trend is one that will be sticking around.
4. Banish winter blues with colour
Colour is most certainly in, so make sure you pick a couple of favourite hues to go with your outdoor furniture.
Pantone’s colour of the year is living coral, so that could always be a good place to start if you aren’t sure which colours you want to embrace. But really, anything goes as long as you love it!
