With summer approaching (we hope!), now’s a good time to start thinking about how you could create a relaxing outdoor area.
We’ve teamed up with Harley & Lola – an environmentally friendly homeware and furniture company – to explore how their garden and conservatory furniture could be put to good use for creating the perfect outdoor space. We’ve put together some of our favourite pieces of contemporary furniture and accessories on a Pinterest board, which you can view here:
Follow FreshDesign Blog’s board Harley & Lola Outdoor Room on Pinterest.
When it comes to relaxing, comfort is obviously a number one consideration. In order to relax and unwind properly, you need to be able to be comfortable – whether you’re sitting, lounging or lying down. 
One of the ultimate pieces for contemporary garden relaxation has to be a day bed and we love the Port Royal Prestige day bed, with its retractable canopy and matching coffee table. It looks amazingly comfortable and can fit one or two people. The canopy is ideal to use when it gets too hot, or you don’t want the sun in your eyes. From a space-saving point of view, it’s good to know that you can store the coffee table inside the base of the daybed when it’s not in use. 
Of course a lounger is a great addition to a garden too, so there’s a matching lounger we’d pair with this, for those times when you just want to rest, doze off and lie down. In terms of garden furniture, we love pieces that can effectively be used in a conservatory when the weather is poor, then moved into the garden when the weather improves, like this Port Royal Prestige large sofa set. 
The design and style is perfect for a contemporary home and it gives more a of a luxury feel than standard garden furniture. Think boutique hotel.
Shade is important too – especially when it gets really hot, or you’re sitting out in the midday sun. We like the look of the Amalfi parasol, as it can be positioned at the side of a table or chairs, rather than simply in the middle, and it looks like it will angle well.
Of course, there are times when you want easily moveable garden chairs too – for example, if you want to nip outside in the sun for a quick cup of coffee, but haven’t got time to be out for long. In those cases, these tree and leaf chairs are ideal. They’d work well inside a conservatory too – the black tree chairs in particular would be excellent as dining chairs.
If you’re sitting outside in an evening, perhaps following dinner or a barbecue, it can often begin to feel a bit chilly. That’s where having a blanket on hand comes in useful! A snuggly fleece blanket would be super cosy and Harley & Lola have the perfect range available.
Finally, for the ultimate in outdoor room, we’d have to add in a few extra cushions for comfort (we love these recycled denim and chenille ones), a soft pouffe to use for extra seating or a foot rest, plus a lantern or two to create the perfect ambience.
So, that’s how we’d create our perfect outdoor room – what would be in yours?
(Disclosure: This is a collaborative post)
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I wish my garden was big enough for that gorgeous day bed! And of course, that we had enough sunshine and warmth in summer to justify it 😉 Ha! Lovely round up and has definitely got me dreaming of warmer days ahead xx
Me too, lots of dreaming going on.
I went for that Prestige day bed too Rachel. Great minds…..x
Great minds, indeed!
Love that day bed ! i’d never move if i had one of those in my garden x
I wonder if it comes with a butler, to serve you as you lounge?
Really really like those gorgeous leaf and tree chairs. Our garden isn’t huge but these would fit perfectly and look fab!x
Yes, they’re lovely, aren’t they?
I love the look of the Harley and Lola range oh and that day bed …wow
I think the day bed has to be the star piece.
I am in love with that day bed, although I think I would be asleep in it within minutes! I can imagine my kids claiming it within seconds of it being delivered!
I’m sure I’d be asleep on it too. But with something that comfy, it surely can’t be helped?!
I’m moving house to somewhere with a garden and I can’t wait to buy all the bits that go along with it and make it nice. Some great inspiration here x
I bet you’ll have fun shopping for it all in due course.
I have that large sofa set and it’s so nice when the sun actually deigns to shine. I wish it would happen a touch more often, though x
More sun would definitely be nice!
Oh god, that reminds me that we have a skip full of stuff in the garden waiting to be picked up (think old kitchen cabinets etc.) before I can even think of something this lovely. One day…one day… Great choice of pieces 🙂
Oh dear!
I love all of these pieces, wish I had my own garden so I could lounge on this furniture.
Thanks for the comment, Jo, glad to hear you like the look of it.