A solo trip to Palm Springs 5 years ago truly inspired me for the first time to view my outdoor spaces as a real extension of my living area. I was completely captivated by the Californian philosophy of "Outside Living". This trend has since spread to Europe. This wonderful, rain-free spring and social distancing give this trend additional relevance.
As my partner is stuck in India, social distancing has personally led to many lonely hours for me in our new apartment. Thanks to the beautiful weather, I can fortunately spend a large part of it outdoors. And so, I have already made the terrace really cozy with everything available.
Since garden centers are reopening next week, I would like to share some tips and inspirations for my new outdoor living room with you.
Make it cozy
It gets cozy and snug outdoors thanks to many cushions and blankets. Puristic single-colored cushions are a safe bet, but if you opt for a bit more patterns and textures, the whole thing looks even more homely. I personally use not only garden cushions for this, but also decorative cushions and cotton blankets. I also don't put my cushions away every day. If no rain is forecast, I like to leave them outside for a few days and accept that they might fade a little and I have to occasionally remove pollen from them. If I had to "set up" everything anew every time, I would use my outdoor living room far too little.
Rugs also make the outdoor area look much cozier. Even if many inspirations show normal rugs finding their way outside, that goes a bit too far for me. I recommend uncomplicated raffia rugs that are really only used outdoors.
This summer we will unfortunately have to do without our dream vacation. However, with oriental cushions and decorative items, you can also conjure up a holiday atmosphere on your own terrace.
Lighting is Key
You can create an incredibly great atmosphere in the evening with the right lighting, such as LED retro lights, which are also very easy to install. Candles, lanterns, and fairy lights add even more atmosphere. Places that are difficult to reach with electricity can be well lit with solar lamps or oil lamps. All inexpensive investments that are definitely worth it.
Use It
To make the outdoor area a constant part of everyday life, you should sometimes think a little outside the box. The outdoor area doesn't just have to be used for relaxing and reading. Given current circumstances, it also serves as a home office. My big project for the summer is an outdoor screen. On mild weekends, the garden turns into a home cinema. A dinner for two outside easily transforms into a romantic date, and with an audiobook in your ear, you can escape to distant worlds on the cozy lounger.
Katja Hahnloser-Nageshwaran
Katja Hahnloser-Nageshwaran is, together with her brother, the owner and managing director of Maison Gassmann. In addition to curating the assortment, she is the creative mind behind our visual and content presence, both digital and analog. Besides fashion and design, she is a passionate amateur photographer, travels a lot, is an employee of her dog Noé, and regularly commutes between India and Switzerland with her partner.
