5 Tips for Decorating the Summerhouse
Is there anyone more enviable than the person who can gather up a book, a cup of tea, a pair of sunglasses and a snack for the road (or garden path), and retreat into their summerhouse for a long and deservedly lazy afternoon? We don’t think so.
The summer house has always been popular, but the past few years have seen a tremendous shift in its favour. The ability to escape into a new environment during the work from home, or to see life from a fresh perspective on a long Sunday afternoon, or simply to watch the seasons change from a space on the boundary between indoor and outdoor – the definition of heaven.
That is, once the vision is fully realised. Preparing a garden for the onslaught of a small-scale building project – electricians and, if you’re really going for it, a plumber, too, is not the idyllic picture of relaxation you have in mind. And, once the shell is up, it’s about getting it furnished and decorated to perfection – a worthy home (slightly) away from home.
With that in mind, we’ve pooled together some of our favourite tips for decorating the newly formed summerhouse. Combining Pinterest-worthiness with practicality is key, so here goes…
1. Don’t underestimate the power of a rug…
We’re starting from the ground up today – a very sensible place to start. The well-appointed summer house will have a good, sturdy wood floor (not the uneven, splintery floor of Wendy houses and sheds from days gone by) so you won’t need to worry too much about covering it. But, at the same time, rugs have that unique power to tie an entire room together – particularly when the space you’re decorating feels more ‘outside’ than ‘inside’.
If you’ve got as far as bringing a sofa and armchair and a few pieces of décor into the space but feel like the vision of an outdoors-indoors living room is unrealised, then a rug may just be the ticket.
Something with a slightly more bohemian feel to it will work well with the summer house’s atmosphere. You can browse our collection of rugs for more inspiration.
2. …Or curtains
Curtains aren’t exactly a necessary feature for the summerhouse, since, if you’re not using it for sleeping, you don’t need the extra privacy. Gardens tend to enjoy a better sense of seclusion than, say, windows on the front of the house, and if it’s primarily used during the day, it’s probably not a priority.
But, like rugs, curtains have a tremendous power to tie things together and make them feel more established, rather than a few chairs gathered together for occasional picnics in the garden,
3. Keep a stack of plates, bowls, and other tableware to hand
A summerhouse is great for most occasions, and a spontaneous jaunt from the house to the end of the garden with a cake or thrown-together picnic is definitely one of them. As a result, keeping a small dresser or freestanding cupboard in the summerhouse to hold a few plates and essentials will always come to hand.
If you can get your hands on an artfully distressed dresser small enough to fit in your summer house (or, of course, distress it yourself with some chalky paint and a chain), then using it to display an eclectic assortment of hand-painted ceramics and tableware will really make the space feel welcoming.
4. If it’s going to spill into the garden, consider performance fabrics
Part of the beauty of the summerhouse is that it can spill out, if necessary, into the garden itself. Long afternoons with the extended family, drifting between the cool shade of the summerhouse for drinks and snacks, then back out onto the patio or grass for some much-needed sun, are part of the joy of having this extra bit of space in the first place.
Explore our range of performance fabrics and cushions for harder-wearing, stain resistant fabrics that are perfect for use outdoors, without lacking in vibrant colour and pattern.
5. If you have electricity down there, use it
Some objects have incredible transformative power. If you’ve got energy running into your summerhouse, then you can take advantage of the instant transformation even a single lamp can bring about.
Whereas, in days gone by, we had to rely on the glow from the main house’s windows or the garden lights as the sun began to go down, it’s so much better to give the summerhouse its own, cosy lighting. Doing so will make a big difference, and mean that you can take advantage of the summerhouse late into the night.
You can click here to browse our full range of decorative lighting for more ideas.
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