Gorgeous Garden Goals

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With so many improvements going on in and around the house, sorting our garden is usually something that tends to slide way down the to-do list but with summer finally, in swing and the sun making the odd appearance, it’s inevitable that our thoughts turn to improving our outdoor space.

One of the main things we’d like to do (in addition to finally adding a garden fence and a new driveway and gate) is remove the old paving slabs and create a smaller – and of course much nicer – paved area in front of the garage.

This corner of the garden has sunshine almost all day, so it’s the ideal spot to create a cosy and relaxing space where we can lounge around when we’re not tackling DIY projects.

When decorating rooms in our house we usually create a mood board, so it really only made sense that we make one for our garden, too. Making a mood board really helps to envisage what a space will look like. The only problem is that we sometimes like the board so much, that we want it all done now!

1. Our must have idem for creating a relaxing and inviting outdoor space has to be this rattan 4 seater patio set (we’re only showing 2 chairs on the moodboard, but it comes with an additional armchair). It looks so inviting and I can see myself relaxing in the sun for hours instead of doing some DIY. I love that the table has a glass top which gives the set a really light and modern feel.

2. We teamed up the neutral cushions of the patio set with some colourful accent cushions. They add a splash of colour and a bit of extra comfort to the rattan seating. The cotton cushions we chose are from the ColourMatch range at Homebase and are in the colours lagoon, poppy red and funky fuchsia.

3. I’m always really careful about being in the sun too much so, whilst the weather here rarely warrants it, a parasol is definitely a must for me. I love the flexibility of this overhanging parasol. It looks really stylish and has the added bonus of not having the pole in the way all of the time.

4. We always like to add fun elements and splashes of colour to brighten up our rooms and spaces. These miner’s lantern are perfect. Not only are the colours lovely, they’d be great in the evening to create a really cosy candlelit setting. Wouldn’t they be great dotted around the whole patio are?

5. These multi-coloured solar lights would also be a fun addition to our entertaining area. I can just see them wrapped around the parasol giving off a colourful glow in the evenings.

6. Sticking with lighting, we’d love to replace the ugly existing outdoor garage light with something more stylish and in keeping with the building. This black outdoor lantern would be perfect. Whilst it’s great to have moody lighting in form of lanterns and string lights, it is more practical to just be able to flick a switch and have instant light.

7. As it’s not always warm enough to spend the evenings outside, I’d love to have a firepit like this Icarus Steel Firebowl. There’s something about a real fire that instantly makes a space cosy and inviting. Wouldn’t it be so lovely to curl up in front of the fire after a long day at work?

8. My possibly favourite item of all is the polished sandstone paving in autumn buff. It’s absolutely gorgeous and it’s smooth and polished finish just give it a really elegant and modern feel. It’s just the perfect base for any pretty garden furniture. The Homebase website actually has loads of information on how to lay a patio and it looks totally doable, so this paving has literally just jumped to the top of our house wish and to-do list.

With the weather frequently cold, wet and miserable we often think that there’s not much point spending a huge amount of time and money sorting our garden, but we’ve realised that that actually means that it’s more important to have a garden that you can enjoy on those few beautiful days that we do get. I love this moodboard and am desperate to get at least some of it implemented as soon as possible. I can just see us spending summer evenings cuddled up around the firepit with a nice glass of wine.

Do you have a space in your garden where you can relax and entertain? Have you ever laid a patio? Is it really as easy as it looks? Do you love the sandstone paving as much as we do? What’s your must-have item in your garden?