A popular trend in home interiors is to connect living space with the garden area. This can be achieved by breaking through a wall of a kitchen or living area and extending the patio into the outside space, even if your garden is relatively small.
It could also help to add value to your home, so if you are going to make changes, it's worth doing well. Speak to one of our consultants about home improvement loans, and they will be happy to help.
The easiest way to extend your living area is to buy comfortable outdoor furniture. The trick is to find something that is relatively low maintenance whilst still remaining comfortable and inviting. It's not necessary to spend a fortune on top quality. Anything hardy that's easy to keep clean and to stack away at the end of the day will do.
Think about practical soft furnishings that you can use to dress up the area and make it more cosy and welcoming for guests - oversized cushions, warm throws and wraps that can be used if it becomes chilly. It's a good idea to put a lockable cupboard on the patio for storage.
Keep your lawn in tiptop condition and think about dressing your garden fence or wall to soften the hard lines. Place a wall hanging as you would a piece of art inside your home, or train ivy to grow in lines and patterns.
Small gardens are easier to manage with well placed pots of colourful plants helping to add interest. Think in terms of perspective, don't allow bushes and plants to grow wildly, prune them regularly and keep them neat. A small water feature can be added if you want, they're not expensive or difficult to maintain and the sound of running water helps to build a wonderful ambience and sense of retreat.
Even a small garden will benefit from well placed lights. Get some garden lights from your local hardware store and hide them under bushes and at the bottom of trees. Place them so that they illuminate strategic points in your garden, and they will help to create a warm and inviting ambience at night, just like an extra room. In fact, it helps if your garden is compact in this regard, the effect will be cosier.
Another idea is to use small flame torches that can be stuck into your garden soil or pots, but be careful not to place them too close to anything flammable.
If your budget allows for it, open up a wall of your home that looks onto your garden and replace it with a wall of glass doors. Extend the floor of your living area out onto the patio using similar floor materials for both interior and exterior spaces, and it will create a seamless look.
A good idea is to enclose the patio with glass so that you can still enjoy the garden even in the cold weather. This also means that you don't have to bring in the furniture every evening, so it's easier to manage. Tesco Finance offers a convenient home improvement loan that could help your plans become a reality.
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