Take your living space outside, where you can surround yourself with lush greenery and fresh air while you cook, eat, work and relax. Numerous landscapers have adopted this practice, reorienting gardens to blend everyday activity and therapeutic time outside, leading to a flourishing trend in outside living spaces.
The Appeal
This practice has been one of the defining trends of 2022 landscaping, with every kind of indoor living space replicated outside. This rapid growth of outside kitchens, living rooms and dining halls could well have been accelerated by lockdown, where our essential time surrounded by nature was limited to a mere hour a day.
Being outdoors boasts exceptional health benefits, from lower blood pressure to reduced fatigue. Alongside the physical health benefits, spending time in nature lowers stress levels and diminishes anxiety, whilst the green colours of thriving vegetation instil a sense of tranquillity and calm. We desperately missed these benefits when we were confined to our homes, so, since the start of the pandemic, we’ve been busy redesigning our gardens to make the most of the outside, whenever and wherever possible.
Cultivating An Outside Living Space
An outside living space could be a neat patio area, laid out with rugs, sofas and beanbags in the style of an indoor living room, but it doesn’t have to be! The popular practice of ‘zoning’ involves dividing the space into numerous garden areas, which could include anything from an outdoor kitchen to a kids’ playroom.
The first step is to decide how you’re using the space and which is the best spot, whether that’s a sheltered area or somewhere that soaks up the sun. If you’re pursuing a cosy living space, then weatherproof furniture is the way to go, with garden chairs, loungers and tables covered in blankets, throws and pillows. Pot plants are a great way to bridge the gap between the inside and the outside, whilst mirrors add light, space and elegance to the environment.
It’s not just for the summer either! Pergolas are extremely popular, creating a miniature room that’s perfect for a dining table and chairs, especially with some fairy lights wound around the legs for when the nights start drawing in. Alternatively, you can explore having a sail stretched against one wall for a less formal sheltered area, while a fire pit can make a wonderful focus point and source of heating for the winter.
Maximising Your Garden Potential
Outdoor tiles provide a clean, hard surface on which to arrange your fresh-air living space. They also add a touch of authenticity, making it seem as though your conventional room was magically transplanted from your house direct to your garden.
For example, our Grassington Tumbled Flagstone is a traditional limestone floor, bringing a classic kitchen decor to an outdoor barbecue area. Not only is it more practical, it brings with it an old-fashioned charm which really enhances the new outdoor living space. Other ranges, like our large-format Matina porcelain tiles, come with various shades that allow you to match your exterior tiles with an interior equivalent, giving you the chance to create a smooth and seamless continuation from indoor to outdoor flooring. We have a wide array of limestone and porcelain exterior tiles, meaning that you have just as much choice when it comes to cultivating an outdoor space as you would with an indoor one.
Exploring The Possibilities
Head to our website to browse our outdoor tiles or get expert advice at one of our five showrooms!
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