Outdoor styling simplified

By | February 28, 2021

If your yard’s looking a little lacklustre, there are simple styling tricks you can employ to bring it back to life this autumn.

Check out this advice from Anthony Spon-Smith, Coco Republic’s creative director and co-owner, to zhush up your outside areas.

To make the outdoors feel more connected to your indoor spaces, don’t double up on utility of settings. For example, if you have a dining table next to your bi-fold interior doors, don’t put another dining setting on the exterior side of the bi-folds, as this is practically odd – would you have a group of people dining next to another group of people dining?

The intent, whether used or not, is an odd styling language. It’s better to alternate furniture and settings based on use, as this creates a more collaborative moment between inside and out.

Consider adding a more casual lounge setting just outside, such as the Cuba sofa and occasional chair (pictured above).

Include different scales of potted plants around the outdoor furniture, even if there are landscaped gardens beyond the furnished areas. This will help to break the eyeline and soften hard surfaces, minimising the divide between the gardens and your entertaining areas.

Outdoor lighting is the quiet achiever aesthetically. It helps to show off feature plants and beautifully landscaped gardens, while adding a further layer to the design and providing a soft ambience for evening entertaining.

For those who have a smaller home and not too much outdoor space, simply pick one or two items you love and invest.

Try to build the space for two people. Outdoor spaces should be shared with friends and family, but if you don’t have someone to enjoy it with at that point in time, just use the second chair to put your feet up!

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CHEEP CHEEP: Northcote Pottery's terracotta bird feeder.

CHEEP CHEEP: Northcote Pottery’s terracotta bird feeder.

Create a wildlife oasis at home

Horticulturalist and Northcote Pottery ambassador Melissa King shares her tips for creating a wildlife-friendly oasis at home.

  • Grow nectar-rich plants that flower in different seasons, so your garden is a feast for the birds year-round.
  • Hang a bird feeder in your garden to entice your feathered friends.
  • Plants with thorns or prickly foliage provide a good hiding place for smaller birds. They can find refuge in the spiny canopy, keeping them safe from cats and other predators.
  • Birds like kookaburras, owls and rosellas like to nest in tree hollows. Not many gardens have natural hollows, so consider buying or constructing a nesting box that can be mounted or tied to a tree in the backyard. Place it high, away from predators.
  • Water is important for drinking and bathing, so be sure to include a bird bath in your garden.

The Star – The Star Life