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01 Jun 22

The best colourful garden furniture

Corner woven outdoor sofa in yellow with matching coffee table and blue dining chairs. Sophie Robinson

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

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Catch Sophie In All Her Colourful Glory On Instagram

No decorations are allowed in the house until the No decorations are allowed in the house until the first of December and we start the morning with Arthur’s advent Calender! That’s as far as I’ve got in the hallway I’ll be honest as this grid post is a hark back to a previous year. But I’ll be decorating it the same way I do every year. I like to use a mixture of colourful baubles I’ve collected over the years, paper  honeycomb balls for maximum wow and plenty of foliage. I keep the ribbons year on year and rarely buy anything new. The repeated tradition is part of the charm. 
On the podcast @mad_about_the_house and I talk all things Thrifty Christmas. It’s been a really challenging year for most so we invited guests @rocketandsquash and @hazelgardinerdesign to share their money saving ideas to make sure you don’t bust the bank account and yet still have a lovely treaty time. Ed has some lovely ideas for feasting around Christmas that crucially cuts down on waste and avoids unnecessary expensive ingredients. And Hazel loves to use foraged foliage in her floral displays so has plenty of ideas on that. 
It’s a peach of a show jam packed with creative inspiration. Listen on your podcast app, and why not leave a comment below on how you will be being thrifty this Christmas 👇 

#1stdecember #itsbeginningtolookalotlikechristmas #hallway #hallwaydecor #christmasdecor #thegreatindoors
Who is looking forward to the weekend! 🙌 Welc Who is looking forward to the weekend! 🙌 

Welcome to a rare tour of my home! Since every room looked tidy, I grabbed my phone to show you around. 

You can see how I have lots of colour and pattern in every room but still the house has flow. I use the same palette of colours through which helps make it all hang together. But it takes more than that to make a maximalist home sing. Repeating the same materials, design motifs, styles and shapes helps to create a feeling of cohesion.

For the ultimate insight into how to decorate in a way that supports you emotionally, flexes your creativity and leaves you loving your home, check out my interior design school where I teach you  everything you need to know. 

- how to harmonise colours
- How to plan and budget
- How to source all the materials
- How to save time and money
- How to burst open your creativity

And this weekend you can enjoy 25% of ALL COURSES across my entire design school by using the code BLACKFRIDAY25 at check out. Click on the link in my bio or visit courses.sophierobinson.Co.uk ☝️

#housetour #banthebeige #bbbinteriors #colourlover #colourfulhome #maximalistinteriors #eclecticdecor #onlinedesign #designschool
It’s podcast day on The Great Indoors and we hav It’s podcast day on The Great Indoors and we have a very special guest! @banjo.beale is a BAFTA award winning TV star, winner of series 3 @interiordesignmasters_tv , interior designer and recently adding author to his rosta of talents. While reality TV launched Banjo’s stellar interiors career we managed to bag him for a chat while he took a short beak from sourcing vintage for his second series of Design The Hebrides. 

This is an opportunity to listen to this whirlwind of a design mind, with insights into what it takes to win a TV completion, how living on a remote island in the Scottish Hebrides has made him ultimately resourceful and his unique design process. 

Listen to The Great Indoors, whoever you get your podcast. Hit that subscribe button and come back here to let us know what you thought! 

#thegreatindoors #banjobeale #designingthehebrides #interiordesignmasters
This is the perfect time of year to up level your This is the perfect time of year to up level your bedding. With the autumn chill on its way I’d rather hike up the tog count than whack up the central heating. 

Beautiful bedding and linen is the ultimate luxury and at this time in my life 👵🏻 my bed is up there as my absolute favourite place to be and my sleep is honestly my favourite pastime! So making it the most comforting, soothing, replenishing experience possible is my priority. 😴

I recently up-levelled my duvet and pillows  to @naturalmatuk goose down products and here is my unbiased review. The pillows are the like sleeping on an actual cloud! Along with the 9 tog duvet I’ll stay cosy all winter, and leave the thermostat turned down.  @naturalmatuk only use natural, sustainable materials, organic cotton and responsibly sourced feathers, which all support a good nights sleep. With a hectic lifestyle, my bed is my ultimate sanctuary 🥱

What’s your self care routine and secret to the perfect pampered night sleep? 

#ad PR product 
#naturalmat #bedroom #bedlinen #bedroombliss #bedlinen #pillows #bedding #bedroomdecor #bedroom #pamperyourself #pampernight
What a dress! When @benjaminfoxdressmaker spotted What a dress! When @benjaminfoxdressmaker spotted my new collection with @harlequinfw they wanted to make a dress in it! Now I actually match my decor! 

This dress shape is so perfect. I love the big sleeves, that goes so well with a fine knit underneath and the long gathered skirt looks perfect with boots, both of which I bought recently at @cosstores . Team with my signature big earrings ( these are old ones from @anthropologieeu ) and I feel a million dollars! Happy Monday folks! We can do this 👊

#ad - pr product. 
#dresslikeyourhome
I hosted an event this week to show off all the ha I hosted an event this week to show off all the hard work we’ve done in the house and showcase the new collection with @harlequinfw . It was a wonderful opportunity to fill the house with laughter, great conversation and celebrate our mutual love of colour! Since the pandemic I work more and more from home and it felt good to open the door and let people in. 

The guest list was a mix of writers, artists, gardeners, cooks, designers and fashion stylists but one thing we have in common is embracing the joy of colour and celebrating how our homes are the foundation for a happy and fulfilling life. 

However getting the house ready for such a group of discerning eyes was rather exhausting! I had to hide under the duvet yesterday! But I’m so grateful to everyone who came, their positivity and inspiration. Most of whom I met here on instagram. This is a special place to make like minded connections, yet it was great to actually have an excuse to get together in real life! 

And this weekend Tom and are are celebrating not doing any house DIY for the first time in ages! 

Special Thanks to @mad_about_the_house @erica_davies @hillhousevintage @andrea_childs_journo @theottohouse @clairevallis @michelleogundehin @mollymahonblockprinting @sophieabbottartist @gemswholesomekitchen @edwardrobinsonid @dahliabeach for making it such a wonderful day 

 Thanks to @gemswholesomekitchen fir feeding us! 

thanks to @benjaminfoxdressmaker fir the custom made dress!

#harlequinxsophierobinson #athome #colourlover #banthebeige
#AD Admit it! I can’t be the only one beginning #AD Admit it! I can’t be the only one beginning to plan for Christmas. Conversations about the menu for the big day has started with gusto in my family. But my focus is always around creating a magical table setting. This year I’ll be incorporating these classic Christmas tree plates from @by_spode  that set the festive scene without the need to add loads of other fiddly decorations. I’m all about maximum impact, minimum effort this time of year, and I love how this traditional design (85 years old this year) is the perfect touch of nostalgia to accompany my bright Paper straw stripe tablecloth and colourful gloss candle sticks. I then just add simple flowers by snipping some hydrangea heads and popping them in tumblers dotted along the table. Finally bring it all to life with plenty of candlelight. And voila, it’s the perfect table setting for a fantastical festive celebration. Oh, how I wish the Christmas lunch was this easy to prepare! 

#byspode #spode #christmasdecor #christmastable #christmastablesetting #layingthetable #tablescape #christmastablescape #christmastree #christmasdecor #christmasinspiration #banthebeige #colourfulchristmas
I’m so excited to present my new ready made cush I’m so excited to present my new ready made cushion collection, in collaboration with @harlequinfw sold exclusively at @johnlewis 
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Cushions have long been an obsession of mine and I’m so thrilled with this capsule collection for @johnlewis because it combines all the pattern and colour so you can get an instant hit of maximalist spirit by creating any combination that works for you. There is the iconic Sherbert stripe, sitting amongst luxurious embroidered designs and heavily patterned velvets. My personal favourite is the deeply colourful jewel bug design🪲 Which ones yours?!

#cushion #cushioncover #maximalist #maximalistinteriors #bbbinteriors #colourmyhome #colourfulinteriors #colourfuldecor #sofaupholstery #sofaupgrade #livingroomdecor #interiorstyling #interiordesign #harlequinxsophierobinson
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