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Friday, November 20, 2020

If you're in the midst of designing your outdoor spaces - or if you've just come across our ideas on what to do with your urban garden space, and now find yourself wondering how to go about furnishing your outdoor sanctuary, then this is the guide for you. To help you find the right furniture, we studied a selection of outdoor spaces around the country and arrived at the following list of pointers to keep in mind when looking for your garden furniture.

Function As with any other space, consider the intended purpose of a space before setting out on your search for furniture. Whether your aim is to create a solitary seating lounge or an additional area for communal dining, the function of your outdoor space will help you to determine the kind of furnishings required. Also look to whether your outdoor space is dedicated or shared: a dedicated seating lounge will be able to host furnishings of greater weight and size, while a shared space containing both dining and seating areas may require discrete furnishings that can be moved or stacked in storage as needed.

Size Is your outdoor space wide or compact? A narrow outdoor space would not typically benefit from the placement of furnishings with hefty frames, often making for cramped quarters that contradict the expanse of the outdoors. A more balanced composition could be achieved in narrow outdoor spaces using furniture of sleek designs, with robust furnishings being more suited to wide and uninterrupted spaces.

Image Credit: Les Asia

As we mentioned previously in our guide on selecting dining tables, there are rules-of-thumb that decorators use to achieve comfortable arrangements of furniture within a defined space. These guidelines suggest that the space typically required between dining furniture and walls would be around 900cm and 1.3 meters, while each seat should be afforded around 60cm to 70cm of space on both sides for adequate elbow room. This same guideline would be applicable for outdoor spaces surrounded by lush greenery, with greater distances afforded if the outdoor space comes with uninterrupted views.

Interior design by: Zids Design

Material The consideration of the kind of material that your outdoor furniture should be composed of: wood, stone, metal, or plastic, is largely dependant on the style you want to affect, but it would be vital to keep in mind that the material choice will have an effect on the visual weight and longevity of your furniture.

Interior design by: Sky Creation

Outdoor furnishings composed of stone or wood are ideal for arrangements paying homage to traditional styles, but they tend to be bulkier in design, requiring more space as a result so as not to appear overly imposing. As we found with kitchen countertops: stone and wood materials are naturally porous, requiring specialised treatment and dedicated maintenance with sealing waxes or oils to keep their lustre.

Interior design by: Latitude Design

A greater variety of styles may be achieved with outdoor furnishings constructed out of metal or plastic due to their relatively higher strength - even in designs with narrow profiles. With the clear exception of wrought iron furniture, the tendency apparent in metal or plastic furnishings is a lean toward modern and minimalist designs, making metal and plastic furniture ideal for smaller outdoor spaces or for complementing contemporary interiors.

Click here to see some delectable outdoor arrangements.

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Friday, November 20, 2020

The possibilities that come with large gardens are limitless: you could put in a pond for fish, a pool for yourself, a water feature to sit by, wooden decking for large gatherings, a farm so that you never have to go grocery shopping ever again, and a meandering rock path or flowing brook surrounded by lush foliage for a meditative sanctuary. But for most of us living in the city, our options are limited by the space between the substructures of our homes and the edges of our property lines, so we peeked into some yards to list the following ideas for decorating your small garden spaces.

1) Planters

If you're living in a high-rise structure, your outdoor garden options are probably limited to the balcony. But don't let that dishearten you, as these deceptively narrow spaces can be transformed into lush gardens with the addition of some pots, bowls, boxes, and improvised planters adorning the railings, floor, or walls. If your balcony does not receive much sunlight, consider planting some shade-loving varieties.

This balcony goes a step further towards an immersive garden space with the use of artificial grass carpeting on the floor. Designer: X-Two Concept 2) Hardscaping

Perhaps gardening is just not your forté and you would prefer to devote your garden to additional space for hosting gatherings instead - implementing wood decking or some other form of hardscape provides a functional platform while reducing some of the landscaping concerns. With a hardscape deck as the centrepiece of an outdoor space, plants become more of an optional adornment that can be replaced by furniture, lighting, or other forms of decoration.

The wooden deck of this home leaves a fringe of grass around the edges for a striking contrast between the green and the wood tones. Designer: IDS Interior 3) Rock Garden

While hardscaping makes for functional spaces, the act of replacing garden space with architectural finishes does not allow much room for creative expression. For those seeking to unleash their inner artist, we highly recommend the meditative exercise of creating a Zen space in a garden of any size, using your own curated selection of fine or coarse sand, gravel, pebbles, and larger stones. Restrict the shape and size of your rock garden with wood and moss-covered stones - or let it flow freely, then plant herbs or other small plants and maybe even some decorative sculptures among the stones to complete the arrangement.

Image credit: ScapeXpert 4) Water Feature

A significant component of a home with favourable “Feng Shui” - the water feature is almost always expected of both residential and commercial properties in Asia. It is generally a positive thing to have a water feature facing a window or doorway into the home, more so with some varieties of Asian carp (鲤鱼; pinyin: Li Yu) living in it and Chinese Evergreen (萬年青; pinyin: Wan Nian Qing) or other plants around it.

What would have been an insignificant side yard is turned into a meditative corner complete with the sounds of falling water. Designer: Homlux Interior Furnishing 5) Furniture

Any avid gardener will tell you that the best way to enjoy the result of your yard work is with a lawn chair and a cool drink in hand. Placing seating and table surfaces in and around your garden makes for a pleasant change from indoor seating rooms, that and it serves as an excuse to show off your garden. Select ready-made lounge furniture with frames made of natural materials such as wood and stone, or engineered materials such as carbon-coated steel, wrought iron, and UV-cured plastic to better endure the elements, or even construct your own out of reclaimed materials for a bespoke arrangement.

As this outdoor lounge has the benefit of a roof, the ratan weave furnishings will last significantly longer. Designer: Space Living Figure you have the space for a pool? Read our guide on pool design considerations here.

Friday, November 20, 2020

If you're in the midst of designing your outdoor spaces - or if you've just come across our ideas on what to do with your urban garden space, and now find yourself wondering how to go about furnishing your outdoor sanctuary, then this is the guide for you. To help you find the right furniture, we studied a selection of outdoor spaces around the country and arrived at the following list of pointers to keep in mind when looking for your garden furniture.

Function As with any other space, consider the intended purpose of a space before setting out on your search for furniture. Whether your aim is to create a solitary seating lounge or an additional area for communal dining, the function of your outdoor space will help you to determine the kind of furnishings required. Also look to whether your outdoor space is dedicated or shared: a dedicated seating lounge will be able to host furnishings of greater weight and size, while a shared space containing both dining and seating areas may require discrete furnishings that can be moved or stacked in storage as needed.

Size Is your outdoor space wide or compact? A narrow outdoor space would not typically benefit from the placement of furnishings with hefty frames, often making for cramped quarters that contradict the expanse of the outdoors. A more balanced composition could be achieved in narrow outdoor spaces using furniture of sleek designs, with robust furnishings being more suited to wide and uninterrupted spaces.

Image Credit: Les Asia

As we mentioned previously in our guide on selecting dining tables, there are rules-of-thumb that decorators use to achieve comfortable arrangements of furniture within a defined space. These guidelines suggest that the space typically required between dining furniture and walls would be around 900cm and 1.3 meters, while each seat should be afforded around 60cm to 70cm of space on both sides for adequate elbow room. This same guideline would be applicable for outdoor spaces surrounded by lush greenery, with greater distances afforded if the outdoor space comes with uninterrupted views.

Interior design by: Zids Design

Material The consideration of the kind of material that your outdoor furniture should be composed of: wood, stone, metal, or plastic, is largely dependant on the style you want to affect, but it would be vital to keep in mind that the material choice will have an effect on the visual weight and longevity of your furniture.

Interior design by: Sky Creation

Outdoor furnishings composed of stone or wood are ideal for arrangements paying homage to traditional styles, but they tend to be bulkier in design, requiring more space as a result so as not to appear overly imposing. As we found with kitchen countertops: stone and wood materials are naturally porous, requiring specialised treatment and dedicated maintenance with sealing waxes or oils to keep their lustre.

Interior design by: Latitude Design

A greater variety of styles may be achieved with outdoor furnishings constructed out of metal or plastic due to their relatively higher strength - even in designs with narrow profiles. With the clear exception of wrought iron furniture, the tendency apparent in metal or plastic furnishings is a lean toward modern and minimalist designs, making metal and plastic furniture ideal for smaller outdoor spaces or for complementing contemporary interiors.

Click here to see some delectable outdoor arrangements.

---

 

Friday, November 20, 2020

The possibilities that come with large gardens are limitless: you could put in a pond for fish, a pool for yourself, a water feature to sit by, wooden decking for large gatherings, a farm so that you never have to go grocery shopping ever again, and a meandering rock path or flowing brook surrounded by lush foliage for a meditative sanctuary. But for most of us living in the city, our options are limited by the space between the substructures of our homes and the edges of our property lines, so we peeked into some yards to list the following ideas for decorating your small garden spaces.

1) Planters

If you're living in a high-rise structure, your outdoor garden options are probably limited to the balcony. But don't let that dishearten you, as these deceptively narrow spaces can be transformed into lush gardens with the addition of some pots, bowls, boxes, and improvised planters adorning the railings, floor, or walls. If your balcony does not receive much sunlight, consider planting some shade-loving varieties.

This balcony goes a step further towards an immersive garden space with the use of artificial grass carpeting on the floor. Designer: X-Two Concept 2) Hardscaping

Perhaps gardening is just not your forté and you would prefer to devote your garden to additional space for hosting gatherings instead - implementing wood decking or some other form of hardscape provides a functional platform while reducing some of the landscaping concerns. With a hardscape deck as the centrepiece of an outdoor space, plants become more of an optional adornment that can be replaced by furniture, lighting, or other forms of decoration.

The wooden deck of this home leaves a fringe of grass around the edges for a striking contrast between the green and the wood tones. Designer: IDS Interior 3) Rock Garden

While hardscaping makes for functional spaces, the act of replacing garden space with architectural finishes does not allow much room for creative expression. For those seeking to unleash their inner artist, we highly recommend the meditative exercise of creating a Zen space in a garden of any size, using your own curated selection of fine or coarse sand, gravel, pebbles, and larger stones. Restrict the shape and size of your rock garden with wood and moss-covered stones - or let it flow freely, then plant herbs or other small plants and maybe even some decorative sculptures among the stones to complete the arrangement.

Image credit: ScapeXpert 4) Water Feature

A significant component of a home with favourable “Feng Shui” - the water feature is almost always expected of both residential and commercial properties in Asia. It is generally a positive thing to have a water feature facing a window or doorway into the home, more so with some varieties of Asian carp (鲤鱼; pinyin: Li Yu) living in it and Chinese Evergreen (萬年青; pinyin: Wan Nian Qing) or other plants around it.

What would have been an insignificant side yard is turned into a meditative corner complete with the sounds of falling water. Designer: Homlux Interior Furnishing 5) Furniture

Any avid gardener will tell you that the best way to enjoy the result of your yard work is with a lawn chair and a cool drink in hand. Placing seating and table surfaces in and around your garden makes for a pleasant change from indoor seating rooms, that and it serves as an excuse to show off your garden. Select ready-made lounge furniture with frames made of natural materials such as wood and stone, or engineered materials such as carbon-coated steel, wrought iron, and UV-cured plastic to better endure the elements, or even construct your own out of reclaimed materials for a bespoke arrangement.

As this outdoor lounge has the benefit of a roof, the ratan weave furnishings will last significantly longer. Designer: Space Living Figure you have the space for a pool? Read our guide on pool design considerations here.