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outdoor space like an indoor space, with just as much intention,” she says. “Sometimes outdoor furniture can feel a bit rigid, and people associate it with hard surfaces like metal and wood, but I wanted to make this feel softer and more upholstered, with lots of fabrics,” she says, mentioning Perennials, Savel (available from Alexander Lamont + Miles) and Link Outdoor (available from Colony by Casa Luiza) as places where she sourced the fabrics for the project. This type of space is not just the preserve of tropical
climes, as the myriad of sophisticated performance products available at the Design Centre attests. Jennifer Manners Designs’ rugs made from recycled water bottles can be used indoors or out, and US designer Timothy Corrigan says that, for his latest fabric collection for Perennials, he had interiors, rather than exteriors, in mind. “Performance fabrics are useful for anyone who really ‘lives’ in their house – they comprise 80-90% of the fabrics we use in high-traffic or areas where food is
served, such as family rooms and dining rooms, and are essential if you have kids, pets, or love to entertain,” he says. They are also great for sun-trap internal rooms, he adds: “I love designing conservatories or winter gardens to look like an extension of the house, and because sun fading is of particular concern for these kinds of
“YOU CAN TREAT AN OUTDOOR SPACE LIKE AN INDOOR SPACE, WITH JUST AS MUCH INTENTION”
spaces, using Perennials fabrics is the perfect choice.” However, he advises that “not all outdoor fabrics are created equal. It’s important to check the guaranteed hours of colourfastness in full sun as the range between products can be quite surprising.” It’s worth noting that
UK fire regulations don’t always allow outdoor fabrics to be used indoors, especially for fixed upholstery such as a banquette, as opposed to a scatter cushion, so check what suppliers say: Perennials’ can treat fabrics so that it meets standard, however. A certain visual lightness, along with natural
materials, seems to work best when designing more transitional rooms such as orangeries or conservatories. “It’s about not blocking that light, because that is really the joy of this kind of room,” says interior designer Nicky Dobree, who, for a recent conservatory dining area, incorporated a Crucial Trading rug and a Vaughan light. “Everything is very natural and organic, from the woven chairs to the timber table. It all helps to bring in the outdoors through the huge windows all around.” In Dobree’s dining room, loose furniture – nothing built in – also allows for the possibility that the room can change its use if need be. Why be prescriptive, when you can be flexible and futureproof?
OPPOSITE: Full of colour and pattern, Moissonnier’s lacquered beech furniture (available from August+Co) makes an exciting alternative to neutral pieces for the garden, and looks equally good inside. ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT: In this newly built conservatory, Nicky Dobree has kept a light palette, alongside visually light furniture that does not obstruct the garden view, and natural materials including a Crucial Trading rug; Italian brand Exteta (available from Tollgard) makes furniture that doesn’t distinguish between inside and out – all of its pieces are designed to work for both
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©Philip Vile
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