Get your home ready for those summer days!

We regularly invite design and interiors experts to write for our blog. Read the latest guest blog here, on prepping your home for summer

With summer fast approaching, there are many of us who will be turning our attention to our gardens. Glazed extensions such as garden rooms and conservatories are often used throughout the year, but become a prime spot in the summer season for enjoying any outside space.

So, being early spring, what better time to start searching for ways to spruce up your garden and garden room? Painting window frames and walls can be a fast and effective way to freshen up the space, however one thing to bear in mind when painting walls, is how much sun shines into the room. White or light colours are a safe way to keep the summer feeling flowing in the room, particularly if the room gets a little shaded throughout the day. Alternatively if you have a bright sunny room, then don’t necessarily shy away from darker shades. Often darker colours can create a deep luxurious finish to your interiors.

A key point to consider is not only the look inside your garden room, but also the surrounding garden which is visible from inside. Looking after borders will instantly make a garden look loved. If you enjoy a little gardening, then springtime is the perfect time to get those seeds and bulbs into the ground ready for summer flowering. Or if you’re not a very green fingered gardener, try adding some already made plant pots to the garden.

Similarly, bring the outside into your garden room. Whatever you do to the outside, try mirroring this on the inside – and visa versa. Introduce some flowering plants to the room, and create flow with furniture. If you have spent money on luxury comfortable furniture for your sunroom, make sure that any garden furniture you have is of similar quality and style to ensure there’s a connection between the spaces.

Comfort is a priority when it comes to garden furniture, and finding a comfortable dining set is a great way to allow for hours of fun this summer. A gorgeous dining table with comfy seats will create a wonderful centre for BBQs and parties which last all day. There are even tables with removable centres for chilled drinks for your guests. You could even repurpose it and fill it with a brightly coloured floral display.

A real hot trend this season is combining luxury garden furniture with recycled and sustainable credentials. For example, large polywood corner sofa’s which are made up of a timber-styled material, made entirely from recycled plastic, can be the perfect sustainable luxurious seating for you garden. For outdoor dining, then try Reclaimed Teak. This has the benefit of being a hardwood reclaimed timber and gives exemplary build quality for outdoor furniture.

Whether you like to use your orangery or garden room for glamorous entertaining or as a haven where you can relax and curl up on a beautiful soft sofa while watching the outside world, summer is the time when this room comes into its own. Make sure you get the most from your space by bringing the outside in, and throwing open doors to create a seamless transition from inside to outside.

This post was contributed by Hellen Barlow, Founder of Modish Living, which is one of UK’s most prominent reclaimed and sustainable online boutiques. Hellen heads one of the most successful and versatile reclaimed wood furniture companies in the UK. She works directly with designers and craftsmen around the UK, driving their designs to the market through her interiors expertise. Having appeared in several interior magazines and national broadsheets, Hellen actively takes pleasure in sharing her approach and design tips, focusing on blending trends in a sustainable manner.