A summer house can be your very own outdoor retreat. The perfect spot for enjoying hot sunny days and long summer evenings, with the right styling it’s easy to turn your summer house into your very own garden haven. In order to offer some inspiration, the following guide on how to decorate a summer house inside & out should give you all the ideas you need to create your dream outdoor living space.
Set the tone with the right exterior paint choice
When it comes to deciding how to decorate a summer house inside & out, you’re likely to spend a large amount of time concentrating on the house’s interior. Whilst this is of course essential, it’s important not to forget about decorating the outside of the house. First things first, choose a paint colour that you find inviting and uplifting. Pastel shades such as duck egg blue and mint green are great for adding a subtle hint of colour without distracting from the rest of the garden. Cream is always another fantastic choice for creating warmth and giving you more freedom to experiment with colourful summer house furnishings on the interior. Really, exterior paint choice comes down to personal preference. What’s important is creating a space that looks welcoming from the outside and makes you want to go and spend time in it.
Create a footpath
Creating a pretty walkway that leads to the entrance of the house will make it that bit more inviting and add to the feeling that you’re retreating to your summer house in order to escape the stresses of everyday life. People tend to position garden buildings at the bottom of the garden and so creating a path that leads to this will add to the enjoyable experience of escaping to this wonderful outdoor space. You could create a magical looking walkway by laying single slabs of concrete on the lawn as stepping stones, or by creating a fully paved pathway. Either way, this is an important step in how to decorate a summer house inside & out for creating a truly inviting space.
Place lanterns and plants by the doorway
When thinking about how to decorate a summer house inside & out, it’s important to balance aesthetics with practicality. You’ll want to use this pretty outdoor space in the evenings as well as during the day and so it’s important to think about lighting. Placing some lanterns or outdoor lamps just outside the doorway will make the place look super cosy, but also make it easy for you to make your way into the house when it’s dark without tripping or falling. To add to the welcoming look of the exterior, it’s a lovely idea to place some colourful pot plants at the entrance. This creates a homely feel and perfectly complements the visual appeal of your chosen exterior paint colour.
Choose a complementary interior colour scheme
Whatever colour you’ve chosen for the outside of your summer house, make sure that the interior follows the same trail of thought. Stick to pastels or cream, or leave the wood unpainted and exposed for a more rustic design. As much as we love bold colour, when it comes to how to decorate a summer house inside & out, it’s best to stick to more subtle colour schemes. Big colours can overwhelm the space making it feel cramped and smaller than it is. This is not the vibe you want from a peaceful outdoor retreat!
Fill it with comfortable furniture
If you’re planning to spend a lot of time in your outdoor haven (which we can only assume you are!) then it’s important to choose furniture that is both comfortable and practical for the space. Rattan garden furniture perfectly complements the rustic feel of a summer house and suits a versatile range of decor schemes. As it is designed for use in outdoor environments, it will also be more resistant to general wear than indoor furniture making it a practical choice. Aside from providing basic seating arrangements, a few additional furniture items such as a small coffee table, really add to the homeliness of the place, transforming it into your very own outdoor living room.
Provide plenty of soft furnishings
No summer house decor is complete without soft furnishings. They instantly transform a house into a home and provide all the comfort you need from your very own garden escape. Cushions and throws are a must for creating cosy seating areas, but can also be used to add a subtle pop of colour or pattern into the overall decor scheme. It’s a great idea to store your blankets in a stylish basket or blanket box rather than leaving them on the sofa/ seats. On really hot days the last thing you want is a hot blanket taking up all the room, and so having them packed away slightly means you can access them in the evening or indeed use them to keep cosy during a rainy day or during the winter. You may also want to consider including a rug alongside your other summer house furnishings. Again, this looks stylish but also draws the room together making it feel more welcoming.
Add character by accessorising
Our final (but no less important) piece of advice on how to decorate a summer house inside & out is to spend time adding those all-important finishing touches. Accessories are the way to add personality to the space and to really make it your own. Faux plants and flowers are great for adding a touch of bright greenery and with no maintenance required of course. It’s also a lovely idea to place photo frames with some of your favourite snapshots around the interior as this makes it feel more personal and ultimately more homely.
Hopefully, this advice will have you well on your way to achieving your dream summer house goals. If you’ve used any Inside Out Living products to decorate your outdoor retreat then don’t forget to tag us on Instagram. We’d love to see what you’ve done with the place!
