The best colourful garden furniture
Wahoo! Haven’t we had the most glorious May and the sun continues to shine on us into June. If the past two years has taught us anything, it’s that we love our outside spaces. So whether you have a meandering country garden or compact city terrace, styling your garden to look as lush as your interior spaces is where it’s at.
I’ll be square with you, I find most garden furniture deeply disappointing; a sea of grey wicker effect boxy blandness. But I’ve been trawling the corridors of the internet to bring you all the colour joy! Invest in a pop of colour this summer and lift your heart and boost your gardens style stakes. And if you already have wooden, metal or (ahem!) grey garden furniture, you can spruce up the holiday vibes with a parasol, some fabulous cushions or a brightly coloured drinks cart.
In terms of trends, I’m seeing ALOT of yellow, which is perfect if you want to introduce some sunny positive feel good vibes to your garden area. Mexican style string furniture, inspired by the iconic Acapulco chair, is also hitting the high street in a big way. Legend has it that a French tourist was visiting Acapulco in the ’50s and was uncomfortably hot sitting on a solid seat in the Mexico sunshine. Inspired by the open string construction of traditional Mayan hammocks nearby, he designed a chair that allowed your bum and back to breathe. I have two and I can contest- they are super comfy and cool!
The Acapulco chair was first produced in the ’50s, and quickly became popular but as I say, it’s making a big splash this year. Usually made of vinyl cords on a metal, slightly pear-shaped frame, it stands out in bright, tropical colours. This Salsa 5-Seater Corner Garden Sofa, £379, John Lewis, fulfils both trends perfectly, and I love how the corner sofa works to create the feeling of an outdoor room. For so long interior designers have been talking about bringing the outside in, with the notion that bringing plants, botanicals and green hues into our interior spaces helps to create the feeling of well being. Well, this trend is all about bringing the inside out with furniture as stylish as anything we’d want in our living rooms. Layer the look by bringing in rugs, cushions and colourful potted plants and you have the ultimate summer hang out.
Here is my pick of the best buys in some of the hottest summer colours. Outside is the new inside!
Yellow
1. Paisley fringed canopy, £360, Cox & Cox | 2. Roberta side table, by Novogratz, £80, Next | 3. Indu 2 Seater Metal Bench, £140, Habitat | 4. Ray Eucalyptus & Cotton Deckchair, £148, La Redoute | 5. Fringed wood and canvas canopy umbrella, £180, Business & Pleasure Co at Selfridges | 6. Set of 2 loungers in yellow, £75, Argos | 7. Belmar striped indoor/outdoor chair, £198, Anthropologie
Red & pink
8. Wooden Director Chair in Geo Orange, £55, Habitat | 9. 2 -Seater Garden Adirondack Chair, £107.99, Home Done | 10. Luxembourg Bar with Wheels in pink praline, £705, Nunido | 11. Brusen outdoor sofa, £199, Ikea | 12. Stripesol foldable woven parasol, £479, Fatboy at Selfridges | 13. Geometrics stool, £138, Anthropologie | 14. Mag coffee table, £655, The Conran Shop.
Green
15. Salsa Garden Rocking Chair in jolly green, £100, John Lewis | 16. Soriano 4 Seater Garden Dining Set, £625, Made | 17. Green striped fringed garden parasol, £229.99, Gardenesque | 18. Outsunny Set of 2 Cushioned Sun Lounger Reclining Chairs, £76.99, Robert Dyas | 19. Kalian synthetic wicker chair, £134.95, Sklum | 20. Paco Lounge Chair, £119, Dunelm
Blue
21. Brights 2-Seater Metal Garden Sofa, Directoire Blue, £95, John Lewis | 22. Hasso Blue and White Stool, £229.99, H&M | 23. Salsa Garden Hanging Chair, Teal/Aegean, £299, John Lewis | 24. Rendezvous Fruit Blue Parasol, £187.12, Oliver Bonas | 25. Penelope Bar Cart by Novogratz in blue, £90, Next | 26. Gibston Folding garden table in teal, £172.50, Maisons du Monde | 27. Acapulco Garden Chair, £50, Homebase
Shopping edit by Luisa Ferdenzi-Rouse
Please note: All prices correct at the time of posting
