Skip to content
As Summer draws near we find ourselves looking for a shady spot to enjoy a cool drink and a good book. This is the time that you walk outside to start dusting off or hosing down your outdoor settings only to find that they are a little flat and need an injection of life. Presenting the easiest way to lift your outdoor space by spending the least amount of money… styling with outdoor cushions! We are often asked to assist with styling tips and techniques when decorating with outdoor cushions but it’s actually quiet simple if you stick to the following guidelines.
Choosing a colour palette for your space
Ok, the easiest thing you could do would be to rush out and buy the prettiest outdoor cushion patterns you see displayed in store or online, bring them home and boom! Finito! Well you could but how many times have you done this before with other products and or clothes and it just doesn’t look right? So instead of repeating these old habits, let’s take a look at our existing outdoor area to identify what our foundation colours are. Outdoor furniture is usually manufactured using a neutral colour tone incorporating light browns or shades of grey and white. If this is the case then feel free to draw inspiration from your surroundings. Features such as natural greenery, flooring colours and materials, wall art, outdoor kitchen bench tops and cabinetry can all inspire the colour palette for your outdoor cushion purchase. It’s important to keep in mind any indoor styling and colours if the spaces are connected to ensure flow between inside and out.
To theme or not to theme
Themes are a great way to maintain a vision during the decorating process. Trending themes include Palm Springs, Amalfi, Scandi and the all time favourite Hamptons. Whichever you go for it’s important not to over do it. Keep it simple and stylish by adopting solid base colours and complementing these with feature or statement cushions to give your outdoor area the pop it truly deserves! If you just can’t put something together then never fear, our in house exterior stylist has done the hard work for you. Check out our collection of hand picked stylist packs to marry up to your existing foundation colours keeping in mind that you can add or subtract quantities to accommodate the size and flow of your area.
How many is too many?
The simple answer is that you can NEVER have too many cushions! A rule of thumb when applying cushions to a setting is to decorate using odd numbers only for each seating space. Another stylist secret is to apply the same amount of cushions per seating. For example, if you have a 3 seater lounge then you should display three cushions. If you have an armchair then keep it simple and only apply one. This is provided as a guide only and does not take into account the size of your outdoor furniture. If you have an oversize outdoor lounge that you love to sink into then there is no reason why you can’t add more to satisfy the look you are trying to achieve.
Quality over quantity
There are thousands of different outdoor cushion designs, fabrics and styles on the market. Choosing which one is best for you and your outdoor area can be difficult. Try investing in quality over quantity. Ask the retailer providing the products what warranties and fabric types they use and why. If a print has been applied ensure that the ink used during the manufacturing process is UV and ask how many hours it has been certified to last in full exposure to the elements. Australian UV exposure is one of the highest in the world and we must ensure that the products we invest in can survive in this environment.
