HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING SPACE ON A BUDGET

Living on the top floor of an apartment block means the one thing I desperately miss is having some sort of outdoor space to entertain in. When the sun's shining and there's enough Pimms to share around, there's nothing better than heading out to your garden, grass under feet and getting some much-needed vitamin D to the skin. 

However, not everyone has the budget nor space for a patio area, with built in BBQ and swimming pool to the side. Today I wanted to show you how you can create your own little outdoor sanctuary in whatever space you may have, whether it's a yard or a balcony.

Places like Asda and Wilkos sell reasonably priced garden furniture and pieces like this browny-grey rattan design can look really stylish. I love the use of cushions and throws to bring the indoor out but if outdoor furniture isn't something you're looking to spend your money on just yet, the image at the top of this page just goes to show how stacking wooden crates and adding cushions can create a really welcoming seating area for very little outlay. Hell, you don't even need grass when there are so many great outdoor flooring solutions nowadays. And the great this is leisure grass and decorative paving can be used domestically as well as commercially or in public spaces.

My house is styled to an inch of its life, so why shouldn't my (future) garden be? For me, the reason why these two images above work so well are because of the colour palettes. The muted greys and whites are uplifted by hints of green, whilst the painted blue fence welcomes splashes of yellow from both nature in the shape of daffodils and this canary yellow garden chair. If you have a small area to work with, building a corner bench like above can save space and allow you to pop in a little table for your morning coffee and some potted plants. You don't need grass to have greenery around you. 

How amazing is this little outdoor working area? From the comfy seating area, polka dot tray to carry everything outside on, woven basket used as a table and waterproof rug, I love how it seems so tranquil. Again, there's not a piece of grass insight but with the use of potted flowers, it really makes this space come alive. 

If you're lucky enough to have trees in your garden then make the most of them. You could create a hammock to swing in while the sun goes down, or you could hang fairy lights for a really cool Brooklyn-inspired backyard style atmosphere.