H&G It Yourself: How to Decorate Your Alfresco Space for All-summer-long entertaining

A guide to creating inviting outdoor spaces that your guests won’t stop complimenting

Add colour and modernist design with colour outdoor furniture like the Kettal ‘Cala’ stackable dining armchairs. Photography by Kris Tamburello.

Curate a Dedicated Outdoor Dining Area

Outdoor decorating can have as much panache as the indoors, as seen in this alfresco dining area in a Miami home by architect Chad Oppenheim, which features Kettal ‘Cala’ stackable dining armchairs.

Channelling a more informal, Bohemian attitude, the range from H&M Home features pieces in natural textiles, sandy shades, and turquoise and deep-sea blues.

Create Paradise at Home

Creating paradise at home has been the north star for Evelina Kravaev Söderberg, Head of Design and Creative at H&M Home, and the team behind this season’s collection. Channelling a more informal, Bohemian attitude, the range features pieces in natural textiles, sandy shades, and turquoise and deep-sea blues, while exotic flora and fauna in warm, spicy colours mixed with rattan and jute convey laidback glamour. Several pieces are made from sustainable materials, such as recycled polyester, organic cotton, recycled cotton and recycled glass.

interiors

H&G It Yourself: 4 Easy Kitchen Updates

Create textural dynamism on the table, and incorporate touches of greenery, such as flowers or a spring of aromatic plant, from your garden to add a playful, natural touch. Image courtesy of Zara Home.

Mix and Match a Menagerie of Materials

Mix pieces with different materials – timber, fabric, glass, rope – to create textural dynamism on the table, and incorporate touches of greenery, such as flowers or a spring of aromatic plant, from your garden to add a playful, natural touch. Remember, it is all about creating comfort, so experiment with height variation in your setting by grouping large and small decorative objects (but avoid things at eye level, or guests will not be able to see each other). And embrace imperfection – an uneven number of candles or an asymmetrical setting goes a long way to breaking the formality.

Haldane Martin’s iconic ‘Songololo’ sofa remains ever as relevant and eye-catching. Image courtesy of Haldane.

Use Furniture as Outdoor Centre Pieces

Launched over a decade ago, designer Haldane Martin’s iconic ‘Songololo’ sofa remains ever as relevant and eye-catching. Flexible and sophisticated, the piece’s enduring appeal lies in Haldane’s reinvention of the classic ’70s sectional sofa typology (with a special nod to Ueli Berger) with more than a little added inspiration from its creepy-crawly namesake. Re-engineered in performance fabrics by Sunbrella and UV-stable powder coated aluminium, the changeable ‘Songololo’ arcs into sensual, contoured forms, taking shape as an iconic centre-piece in any space, indoors or out.

Unwind in Santorini style with the ‘Woodland’ lounge set, crafted using Acacia wood, which is both durable and sustainable by Patio W. Photography by Justin Patrrick.

Unwind With Upholstered Seating

Unwind in Santorini style with the ‘Woodland’ lounge set, crafted using Acacia wood, which is both durable and sustainable. The set, upholstered in a durable blue and white polyester, comes complete with a two-seater sofa, two lounge chairs, a coffee table, and a smaller side table finished with a Terrazzo top.

A modernist chair with a graceful profile, the ‘Desert’ lounge chair by Ferm Living, available through Crema Design. Image courtesy of Crema Design.

Tap Modernist Design

A modernist chair with a graceful profile, the ‘Desert’ lounge chair by Ferm Living is crafted from a tubular powder-coated steel frame, holding an interchangeable woven textile seat made entirely from recycled plastic bottles.

Add more subtlety are nuances of aqua, fresh mint and a hint of tropical forest, pistachio, sage and lichen green, which add softness. Image courtesy of Woolworths.

Go for Light and Bright Colours

The summer colour forecast at Woolworths is light, bright and ready for the season: tones are natural and earthy, with indigo, ocean hues and cobalt as the stars of the show. Adding more subtlety are nuances of aqua, fresh mint and a hint of tropical forest, pistachio, sage and lichen green, which add softness. Applied to its collection of outdoor crockery and tinted glassware, you are guaranteed Instagram-ready table settings at all your alfresco gatherings.

The ‘Honolulu’ range from Mr Price Home – comprising tables, chairs, bar stools and stools. Image courtesy of Mr Price Home.

Bring Home the Holiday Vibes

The ‘Honolulu’ range from Mr Price Home – comprising tables, chairs, bar stools and stools – introduces monochrome patterning coupled with natural materials for a comfortable all-purpose dining solution to your outdoor spaces. Each piece is made from a Duco-sprayed rattan frame, making it a weather-proof, easy-to-move addition with serious rustic-luxe cred. mrphome.com

Rustic Appeal

The ‘Chester’ range of outdoor seating is the perfect union of rustic appeal and modern functionality. Easy to clean and resistant to the elements, the range is the ideal choice for a hassle-free outdoor setup.

The ‘Loop’ outdoor lounge set – comprising a coffee table, armchair and two-seater sofa – is a stylish, light-weight, one-stop patio furniture solution. Image courtesy of Mobelli.

Look for light white and durable furniture

The ‘Loop’ outdoor lounge set – comprising a coffee table, armchair and two-seater sofa – is a stylish, light-weight, one-stop patio furniture solution. Each piece is made from a high quality, powder-coated aluminium frame (making it rust resistant) while the high-density foam cushions are upholstered in an acrylic material.