This blog post is sponsored by Out & Out Original who kindly provided me with the sofa set pictured
We started our kitchen renovation in 2012 shortly after the birth of our second child. At times it felt like he would be leaving for University before it was finished on account of the fact that our builder was also doing work for Chris Martin at the time and would frequently disappear at short notice with no explanation. I presume this was because Gwyneth was changing her mind about consciously uncoupling her kitchen fittings or deciding she didn’t have enough space in her ensuite for her vaginal steaming regime but who knows. By the time the project had finished we had run out of motivation and money to tackle the jungle that was the garden so for a couple of years it looked like this
Welcome to the North London rainforest
It was home to a trampoline roughly the same size as Jupiter as well as a host of plastic ride on toys all missing a crucial part which meant it looked like we were setting up some sort of Tiny Trike Scrapyard. It was about as relaxing as bedding down for the night in the rainforest surrounded by poisonous tree frogs and Sting singing A Capella in your ear. However last year we finally summoned up the courage and cash to tackle getting it landscaped. We bid farewell to the #TitanofTrampolines and said hello to a nice new lawn, some contemporary raised beds and a lovely sandstone patio area. Through trial, error and frequent trips to the garden centre (it is perennial plants not platform shoes on which I spunk all my cash these days) we even managed to create what I think Alan Titchmarsh would refer to as a successful planting scheme. All of this conspired to mean that the garden is now somewhere we actually want to spend time.
Post makeover looking a lot less like somewhere that might be home to a poisonous tree frog
We have used lots of ornamental grass in the planting because it looks contemporary and is most importantly really hard to kill
With England finally enjoying temperatures in common with Spain rather than Siberia, I was, therefore, on the lookout for some garden furniture to help me create a stylish seating area. It won’t suppose you to hear that I was on the lookout for something with Scandi good looks. Think white washed wood and pleasingly neutral coloured cushions rather than plastic your bum sticks to and patterns inspired by your nan’s curtains. When I spotted this gorgeous Miami sofa and table from Out & Out Original it was a case of love at first sight
My new Scandi seating area with the Miami loungeset from Out & Out Original
Out & Out Original are a UK-based online furniture store that supply beautiful, functional and importantly ethically sourced designs from across the world. The company was founded in 2013 by my fellow northerner Daniel Fairburn who comes with impeccable Scandi credentials having worked as a furniture designer for a Danish company for over 8 years as well as for homeware heavyweights such as Ikea and Habitat. He has curated a really beautiful collection of minimal, contemporary Nordic inspired pieces for the home and garden all of which are at the affordable end of the homeware spectrum.
Looking back at the house from the new seating area
I love that the sofa comes with this low coffee table in matching washed grey wood
The Miami set for example, is £800 which includes a detachable three seater and two seater sofa which you can link together as a corner sofa or use separately. The set also includes lovely low coffee table. Equivalent sets that I was looking at from other companies were easily three times more expensive. The quality of the fabric and materials is also great and it is super easy to construct (although admittedly I was spectator rather than master builder but it certainly didn’t cause any #constructioncussing from Mr Malmo). It also comes with waterproof covers just in case you don’t have a shed big enough to accommodate a sizeable sofa (ours struggles to home a #modestmower).
My new favourite spot to read a mag
Since it's arrival we have been doing lots more entertaining in the garden, having family and friends over for lunches and early evening drinks as well as just sitting out here to have coffee whilst being called upon to referee Italy vs France in the World Cup Final (as reimagined by an 8 and 5yr old in a suburban garden and sadly not featuring Thierry Henry).
The perfect spot for a casual lunch (obviously the five year old pictured was not eating this lunch on account of the amount of non beige food it featured. Warburtons finest sliced bread ham sandwich just out of shot).
Cauliflower Caesar Salad, my favourite Summer lunch
I have heard rumours that the sun is coming back and is going to hang around until October so if you would like give your garden a Scandi inspired makeover then enter the code Moss25 at the checkout for a huge 25% off ALL garden furniture (including my Miami sofa) from Out & Out Original from now until the 22nd of September
But "oh those Scandi Summer nights....."
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