Forget manicured lawns and hot borders – modern outdoor spaces are all about playing with convention
Witty concrete furniture and accessories instantly set the scene for a contemporary garden.
Gladstone Bag concrete plant pot, £98, Marcantonio Raimondi Malerba for Seletti at Rockett St George. For details of the concrete side table; and bench, see below. Plant and packet of seeds, Petersham Nurseries.
For a potting shed with edge, add a designer bench, swap your classic statuary for 2-D art and mix up your simple terracotta pots with modern geometric pieces.
Amaze teak sofa, £1,585, Foersom & Hiort-Lorenzen for Cane-line. Cupid, after Praxiteles enamel panel artwork, £445; and Cabbage print by Ernst Benary, Royal Horticultural Society Collection, from £70, Surface View. Ceramic watering cans, from £200 each, Paola Navone for Lando at The Conran Shop. Concrete side table, £185, Holly’s House. Gladstone Bag plant pot, as before. Chaussures concrete planters, £55, Marcantonio Raimondi Malerba for Seletti at Do Shop. Copper watering can, £49.50, M&S. Kronen concrete bowl, £179, Adam Christopher Design. Terracotta pots and saucers, plants and packets of seeds, all Petersham Nurseries.
This ingenious straw bale seat sums up the modern country vibe perfectly.
Straw Bench seat, from £599, DesResDesign. Stainless-steel lantern, £595, Indian Ocean at Selfridges. Moss Schnauzer, £128; and moss Scottie, £133, both Abigail Ahern. Border fork, £13.99, Dobbies. Enamel plate, £24.99 for a set of four; and mug, £7.99, Falcon Enamelware. Dune Weave recycled PET-fibre outdoor rug in Coal/Limestone, £640, Armadillo & Coat Northwood Home. Tray, grass brushes and apples, all Petersham Nurseries.
Long hot days are for kicking back – meaning more time to cosy up on a cool lounger made for two.
Orbit faux-wicker and poly-acrylic love seat, £5,820, Richard Frinier for Dedon; and Helix stainless-steel table, £745, Wolfgang CR Mezger for Fischer Möbel, both at Leisure Plan. Bleached driftwood hanging wreath/bird’s nest, £745, Karen Miller for Doris Brixham; woven with artificial flowers, from 99p each, Hobbycraft. Babà beech outdoor floor lamp, £1,125, Raffaella Mangiarotti for Serralunga at Chaplins. Harvest Weave recycled PET-fibre outdoor rug in Slate/Granite, £940, Armadillo&Co at Northwood Home. Apples, basket and plants, Petersham Nurseries.
We all need to escape from time to time – a romantic swinging seat is the perfect place to unwind.
1900 steel hanging armchair, £325, Fermob for The White Company. Glazed ceramic apple sculpture, £850, Lisa Pappon for Bull & Stein at Urban Living. Artificial box cones, from £43.19 each, Blooming Artificial. Real White Women’s bike, £1,100, Lorenzo Martone for Martone Cycling Company at The Conran Shop. Herbs, Petersham Nurseries.
A mismatched group of outdoor chairs creates an impromptu party vibe.
Joa Sekoya stackable chairs: T backrests in Greyish Green, £45 each; and bases in Cream, £95 each, all Philippe Starck for TOG at Heal’s. Espina outdoor dining chair in Saffron, £150 for a pair, John Lewis. Parki outdoor dining chair in Grey, £50, Habitat. Zinc-top table; plates and bowls, from a selection; and cabbages, all Petersham Nurseries. Gold spraypaint, from £5, Hobbycraft.
Photography: Paul Massey
Styling: Hannah Franklin
