The Great British Staycation Summer

I’m such a summer person I love nothing more than to be outside in the garden with friends and family in the sunshine. I love to bring the inside out by bringing interior accessories into the garden to create a welcoming space to relax and entertain.  Comfortable seating is essential, softened with outdoor seat pads and scatter cushions.

neptune furniture

Thankfully the range of outdoor furniture has grown significantly over the last few years from traditionally rather uncomfortable teak plantation chairs to sumptuous weather resistant lounging sofas and elaborate day beds. Neptune Home offer an extensive range of both contemporary and classic furniture whilst the more traditional Lloyd Loom wicker chairs are available from Bramblecrest, Birdie Fortescue and Cox & Cox. This elegant pair of wicker chairs from Lloyd Loom are painted in F&B Cromarty, with contrasting geometric seat pads made in Rapture and Wright’s Moorish Maze, styled with a light merino wool herringbone throw in Silver Birch, from our Lucy Marsh Collection, to offer guests during these early summer evenings. 

Ladle Hill House garden, summer house

I quite often use my indoor cushions and bring them outside to create a more sophisticated ambience, as I love a really comfortable place to relax in the sunshine without compromising on style and beauty. Colours can be bolder outside in the garden, and I often choose strong blues, greens and pinks to pick up tones from the garden’s planting scheme.  Weather resistant outdoor fabrics have also come a long way, and are now practical and really pretty. My favourite brands are Christopher Farr (Kit Kemp) and Thibaut (sunbrella). I adopt the same principle, that cushions look better if they are contrast piped in a different fabric, to give them definition.

outdoor fabrics

For my table setting I like to use bright colours and layer pattern on pattern starting with a selection of block printed pink leaf table cloths from Sarah K Designs and I just love this blue printed table cloth from The Summer House Collection.  

The White Company does chic white melamine picnic plates, however, if you would rather use china, I love this white bobble effect dinner service from The Hambledon.  The mirrored tray from The Corner Shop Woolhampton, beautifully reflects the sun light picking up the colours of the pink twisted glasses by Nina Campbell and vase from Birdie Fortescue with peonies from the garden.  The coloured candles and white metal candle holder, are all from Hay at The Hambledon.



blue block table cloth
table setting

Each year I like to invest in a new piece to add to my outdoor collection.  I love this Woven Tray by The Colombia Collective. It is simple, striking and undeniably stylish, this really is a stand-out piece for the home as well as for outdoor living. Handwoven, this piece is made by the women of Usiacuri in the north of Colombia.



handwoven tray
mario giusta acrylic tumbler

Coloured glass is so pretty for summer living,  Nina Campbell has a range of goblets which come in a rainbow of colours and I love the bobble glass jug, perfect for serving long cool drinks, by Klimchi.  If you’d prefer acrylic, see the stylish and practical Mario Luca Giusti tableware from The Summer House Collection. 

Klimchi jug
candlelit garden
kadai fire bowl

In these long summer evenings, however stoical we British might be, a Kadai fire bowl is essential, for keeping warm and providing the evocative sound of an open fire burning.   I love to set the scene with an abundance of candle light, with storm lanterns and tea lights scattered around my outdoor seating area. You can also use outdoor fairy lights or festoon lighting amongst the trees to create a magical party scene. 

We are all rediscovering our outside space and reconnecting with nature.  Fingers crossed, the weather will be kind to us this year and we can enjoy long hazy summer days in our gardens with family and friends.  

I hope you enjoy your British Summer Staycation.

love Lucy X