How to pick the perfect outdoor furniture for your garden – advice from the expert
There’s more choice than ever before when it comes to selecting outdoor furniture. Of course, more choice is always a good thing – except when you a struggling to decide! Here at ELLE Decoration we love to help you make those decisions, whether it’s choosing what outdoor sofa to buy, looking for the best outdoor rugs or picking from the vast array of outdoor armchairs out there, but sometimes we have to call on an expert. Here, Heather Hobbs, creative director of Indian Ocean, shares her advice for picking pieces that will suit your garden – both in size and style…
What are the rules for selecting outdoor furniture?
Just like in any room of your home, consider the functionality of your space by carefully planning the placement of your garden furniture to maximise the entertaining and relaxation options. It’s crucial that any pieces you choose blend harmoniously into their natural setting without blocking the line of sight to the planting or obstructing any views beyond.
In a very small space, I would prioritise a comfortable chair with a footstool for quiet moments of peace outdoors. Adding a sculptural focal piece (such as Indian Ocean’s high-backed ‘Pimlico’ chair) creates a visual journey when looking outside from within. A no-go for me is a novelty egg-shaped hanging chair – they are unstable and always mounted on huge, ugly metal frames, taking up an inordinate amount of space just to seat one person!
Are there colours or fabrics to look out for this summer?
Taking note of the latest cushion designs can give you a taste of the season. We are seeing geometric patterns and stripes (both narrow and broad) in earthy hues, such as deep terracotta and green. Velvet outdoor fabric in jewel tones is also on-trend for 2024, and we are proud to have collaborated with Dedar to bring luxurious softness to our ‘Marina’ and ‘California’ collections. The extraordinary durability of Dedar’s ‘Libertino’ outdoor velvet brings beauty and practicality with the freedom to use it outside.
Which is better for outdoor furniture: wood or metal?
It’s very much a personal style choice; however, wood for outside use must be teak. We only work with FSC-certified, mature teak (tectona grandis). Its renowned durability is due to a high natural- oil content, which limits the absorption of moisture and protects the pieces from warping – the ultimate material for life outdoors. It’s also surprisingly low maintenance and, when left to weather naturally, it develops a distinctive silver-grey patina.
How can you use soft furnishings to zone a space?
Modular outdoor sofas lend themselves to creating a design that seamlessly links indoors with outside, with the added flexibility of being easy to reposition if required. Also consider using outdoor rugs to define spaces – they are resilient, hardwearing and help to tie areas of a garden or terrace together with a feeling of comfort. Number-one tip for creating shade? In the height of summer, we all certainly need the assistance of a beautiful garden parasol. I suggest a cantilevered design with a tilt mechanism, which offers several angles of protection, and a canopy that can ingeniously rotate 360 degrees to block the sun when needed, indian-ocean.co.uk.
