How to get a sophisticated feel for your outdoor space

With the mercury now steadily rising (and about time too!) we’re all starting to spend a lot more time in our gardens. That means you might be starting to make some changes to yours – whether you’re thinking about making it look more spacious, more vibrant, or even more sophisticated.

We can definitely help with that last one here at North Valley Composites. As experts in composite fencing, we know a thing or two about making outdoor spaces look even more contemporary and sophisticated… so if you’re looking for some places to start, here are some of our top suggestions!

Bring the indoors outdoors

You might have heard of the indoors-outdoors trend. It’s almost exactly what it sounds like; bridging the gap between your interiors and your exterior. But it’s not just a matter of bringing some indoor furniture outside, and vice versa. That’s just swapping things – if it works for you then by all means forge ahead! But it’s not quite what the trend is about.

The aim is to break down those barriers completely, creating the impression of one continuous space. Lots of homeowners like to start with flooring for example, using a single shade of tile for both indoors and outdoors. (That is admittedly quite a cost-intensive option though!) Another good way to do it is to match your indoor furniture with your outdoor furniture, to create a seamless transition.

To use this technique to best effect, it’s a good idea to choose furniture made of natural materials such as wicker or reclaimed wood – or at the very least, choose natural colours like wood or concrete. You can also bring more greenery into your interiors in the form of larger plants, to get a more natural feel in the space, and further blur that boundary.

These are just a couple of ideas to get you started! It’s definitely a beautiful technique to use at this time of year in summer or spring, and it’s a particularly apt choice if you’ve got family or friends visiting.

Create different seating zones

This is another excellent approach that you can combine with the indoors-outdoors technique we’ve just outlined, or even use it just in isolation. Zoning your garden essentially involves dividing the space into different areas with different purposes. It can make it feel a lot more organised and surprisingly spacious when you’ve got different areas for dining, playing, and reading and relaxing.

Many people like to do this with structural additions, such as planters, walls, screens and hedges. While these are undeniably effective though, it’s worth noting that you don’t necessarily need physical barriers. You can do it simply through your choices of seating instead.

The trick is to make them feel distinct from one another. So for example, you can use wooden tables and chairs for dining, and smaller plastic benches for playtime. If you’ve got the space and the opportunity, you could even use a hanging seat or hammock for the part of the garden where you’d like to chill out, read… or even enjoy a cheeky nap in the sunshine.

Do it with mirrors

Adding a mirror to your outdoor space is extremely effective, easy to do, and a brilliant option if you’re on a budget. If you’ve got a relatively compact garden, then a row of mirrors along one wall can really help to open up the space, and make it feel more expansive and spacious.

Alternatively, you can go for another even more creative approach – pick an oversized antique mirror and hang it somewhere prominent, letting climbers and greenery grow up around it until it’s been fully claimed by your garden. That way, it can seamlessly integrate into the space, providing a unique point of interest while making the space as a whole feel bigger.

Consider composite fencing

OK, we know you’ll think we’re biased on this one, but that’s for good reason – honest! Composite fencing has a range of practical advantages to offer your garden; for starters, composite fencing panels very low-maintenance, so you won’t have to find yourself devoting any long weekends to keeping them looking at their very best.

Equally though – and this is most important for what we’re talking about here – they’re effortlessly stylish. They have a sleeker and smoother texture than many timber fencing panels, and their durability, coupled with their resistance to rot and insects, mean that they stay looking better for longer throughout the year. If you want an effective shortcut to helping your outdoor space look more sophisticated, composite fencing is exactly what you need.

Best of all, you’re in exactly the right place. Here at North Valley Composites we stock a wide range of composite fence boards, panels, and accessories, in a variety of styles and colours to suit any taste. If you’ve got any specific questions or need anything clarified, we’re here to help – don’t hesitate to give us a call on 01282 677300.