RANGE REVIEW: OUTDOOR LIVING
room in the house very much played out in gardens and on trade stands at the show.
Contemporary rattan and wicker armchairs popped up on a number of gardens, including Alan Rudden’s ‘Living La Vida 120’ garden and Matthew Child’s B&Q creation. Matthew said of the seating area he
Key garden furniture trends include high dining and a continued love of rattan and wick- er, including new darker shades, like Garden Furniture Centre’s Midnight Montana
used in a number of gardens and in sculptures on trade stands, including a laser-cut patterned water feature on Charlie Bloom’s garden, and decorative corten steel screens in the RNIB community garden.
Raise a glass
Entertaining in the garden is a key focus for many consumers now and there wasn’t a shortage of inspiration for how to use your outside space to that effect. There was a big focus on outdoor cooking, with stylish grills, outdoor ovens and even fully- equipped kitchens on some gardens and trade stands. Something that really stood out was the number of gardens that featured bars, proving there is clearly a growing trend for people taking ‘a tipple in the garden’ to the next level. Matthew Childs customised two B&Q metal sheds to create a stylish bar and even a quirky bedroom. Of the resourceful use of the outdoor buildings, he says: “Gardens are for people; I firmly believe that and they want spaces to entertain and relax… You can do whatever you want – the only limit is your creativity.” Meanwhile, the aptly-named Entertaining Garden was designed as an “space for parties” and offered a contemporary outdoor bar made of copper, with a rusted corten steel backdrop. Designed to celebrate gin and its botanicals, the garden featured rusted shelving laden with bottles of the nation’s most-fashionable spirit, and the planting was focused around Juniper communis – a key botanical in the process of making gin. The Landform Bar Garden, as you can probably guess from the
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name, was another show garden to have a drinks area take centre stage. The design, submitted by Landform landscape architect and project manager Rhiannon Williams was created “with a couple in mind” and sets out to offer “a refreshing take on outdoor entertaining and dining.” A stunning wooden bar with stone top takes pride of place, complete with co-ordinating bar stools. Whilst a separate seating area with sofas and a fire pit set the tone that it is a space for entertaining and relaxing. And, not a huge space I might add – but that was part of the plan, says designer Rhiannon. “Lots of people I know say they want an area to entertain outside but have no space for a big dining table. This isn’t a massive garden but we have used the space efficiently and this bar can double up as a high dining table or even an outdoor workspace, if you want. It’s really versatile.” The Garden Furniture Centre has also seen a big demand for high dining, with tall, sleek tables and bar stools proving very popular with customers. Managing director John Haimes says: “Bar sets are really popular. We sell more now than ever before. People are leaning towards high dining and you can use these bar tables to eat from as well. High dining ranges are going really well.”
Wonderful wicker and unique personal touches There was a wealth of stylish garden furniture, with designs heavily influenced by interior styles and a perfect example of the trend for bringing the indoors out. The idea of the garden being styled as the fifth
20 JULY 2018 DIY WEEK 29
created using B&Q’s Cuba bistro set priced at just £113: “Garden shows have become very aspirational but B&Q is about offering a range of affordable products, so we wanted to create a space that people could realistically achieve.” The garden featured a number of B&Q products and all the plants were varieties that could be bought from the chain. “Whilst I didn’t want it to be like looking at a B&Q catalogue,” says Matthew, “I wanted to showcase what was on offer and what people can do in their own spaces.” Wicker and rattan are an
increasingly popular choice amongst consumers at the moment and the look is very en vogue – not to mention the low-maintenance element of the material. The Garden Furniture Centre launched a new darker shade of weave this year, Midnight Montana, which was styled on stand with bright salmon pink cushions, and MD John Haimes was sure the new black colourway would do well with visitors. Landform’s designer Rhiannon was more keen on creating unique spaces. Her garden was built as a tribute to her late partner, Matthew Bradley, who also worked at Landform and had helped develop the original design concept. Around
the space are features created in his memory, including his signature cut into the stone top of one of the garden stools, and his name and quotes from his favourite poem carved into the floor slabs. “I wanted to showcase the skills of the incredible craftspeople that helped put the garden together but I also wanted to show that you don’t have to have a generic garden. You can have little personal touches that you will notice when you are sat outside enjoying the space,” says Rhiannon. “I designed the furniture myself. So much garden furniture is just bought off the shelf and people just end up with the same look but everybody’s garden can be different if they want.” It was obviously a winner with visitors because on the first day of the show someone enquired about buying up all of the pieces of furniture. Of course, the one bearing Matthew’s signature was going home with Rhiannon.
Low-maintenance living As our lives get busier, many consumers don’t have time to care for their gardens and outdoor living ranges as much as they would like but, of course, they still want everything to look good. Wooden furniture supplier Riverco Trading is bound to face that battle when encouraging people to buy products; although having spoken to the company at both Hampton Court and Chelsea and seen how swamped the stand always is, owner Peter Wooton has obviously got his offer pitched just right.
“People like flexible seating,”
Bars were a popular fixture on show gardens, including Landform’s creation, which showcased stunning unique furniture
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