With the days getting longer and the weather improving, April is the ideal time to think about garden lifestyle, whether it’s lounging or dining furniture, shade and lighting, or ways to keep the family or friends entertained this summer.
Taking the indoors outside is an ongoing theme – follow some of this year’s hot interior trends and do it with sumptuous candy-striped cushions, combined with natural materials such as wood and marble that will last a lifetime. Many subtropical house plants also enjoy a stint outside in the warmer months and add a lush, holiday atmosphere to a garden room.
Outdoor kitchens and bars are also popular this year, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need huge bits of kit. Dress up a balcony with a bistro table and pretty glasses, fashion a mini bar in a courtyard or cook alfresco on a swing-arm fire pit. Planting the area with accessible kitchen garden herbs and cut-and-come-again edibles also provides a ready source of flavourings and garnishes for food and drinks. Create a backdrop for tangy summer cocktails by painting a wall in Mediterranean colours such as terracotta, Peach Fuzz (2024’s Pantone Colour of the Year), orange or bright blue, or up the joy factor with brightly coloured furniture and containers.