Designed by | GoModern
Your outdoor space may be a garden in front of your home or at the balcony (if you live in a high-rise building). Taking the context of your house to consideration, it may open up to the views of the ocean or forests. If you have a pool, the poolside area is also a wonderful outdoor space for entertaining or chilling out. Here are some designer ideas to spruce up different exterior spaces to turn it into a space where you can enjoy fresh air, sunlight and lush landscapes.
Garden Glam
Designed by | GoModern
Most houses – even those with a small patch of land next to their car porch, allow you to create a garden or an outdoor space in front or at the back. Take advantage of any outdoor space there is. First of all, make sure your entryway is done up well. Install a well-made gate and pave the ground with sturdy materials. If you have a large garden, plant your favourite trees or flowers. Many Malaysian homeowners like planting herbs and vegetables including pandan leaves, chilli padi and aloe vera as they grow easily and require little care.
Invest in weather-resistant outdoor furniture and if possible, install a parasol or large umbrella so you can kick back and relax outdoors no matter if it’s a sunny or rainy day. “The style of any tables and chairs you choose has a big impact on the look of your outdoor spaces, of course. But they should also feel cohesive with the other decorative objects and materials you use,” says home and interior author, Susan Heeger.
To blend in with the style of your home, materials and ornaments for exterior spaces can help carry the same outlook, grounding your home into its setting. For example, to keep to a rustic look you can have a stone-clad entry with terracotta pavers.
Balcony Beauty
Designed by | Design 3000
For people who live in apartments but still want to have something green within their home spaces, balcony gardens are the perfect choice. If it’s very small, you can still go with vertical gardens. With a little creativity, you can still create a wonderful space for small scale gardening and semi-outdoor decorating.
“For small balconies, the goal is to bring the outdoors in. For those with larger balconies, it might mean a place to sit to enjoy some time in the sun with a cup of coffee and a book,” says Christine Chang Hanway, UK editor of Remodelista. She also advises owners to start small and don’t use more than three colours to avoid overwhelming the space. Using green as a given colour, you can also try out different tones or shades of one colour or using complementary and contrasting colours.
Poolside Perfection
Designed by | Sister Guild
Those with pools outdoors are fortunate as the pool itself is a wonderful outdoor feature that offers you the sound and sight and water consistently. To make it even better, do up the poolside and the surrounding areas. Furnish it with multipurpose furniture. For instance, use ottomans or waterproof poufs that double as extra seating for your next poolside party or a simple bench that can accompany the alfresco dining table or used alone.
Also, install lighting to create a relaxing mood by the pool. “All lighting should be dimmable so you can change the mood and setting,” says Igor Krnajski, SVP of design and construction at Denihan Hospitality Group. “If you’re having an intimate dinner by the pool, you want soft lighting to create a more sultry setting, but for a party you want bright, colorful lighting to transcend the space.”
