Summer is not over yet! We still have a few more weeks to make the most of the ‘glorious’ weather. However as the long nights are beginning to fade and the evenings are becoming slightly more chilly – it is time to begin to think about inside out living. We have put together a hand guide on how to turn indoor furniture into outdoor furniture.
Conservatory furniture
A conservatory is a great asset to any home, allowing you to enjoy the outdoor elements without truly feeling them. However, because it is a room like no other in your home, the humidity will be higher, as will the levels of natural light, and it may experience periods of intense heat and rapidly changing temperature, which is why you should select furniture to suit this. Conservatory furniture tends to be lightweight and suitable for sudden changes in heat and humidity – which is why they are great to transform into garden furniture. If the frames of conservatory furniture are not exposed to the weather too much, then are excellent garden furniture pieces. However if you are looking to multi-use your conservatory furniture throughout the seasons, we would suggest investing in waterproof cushions to use on your conservatory furniture whilst you are using the set outdoors. This will ensure that your indoor cushions will not be mouldy by the time winter comes around again.
This process can also be applied to patio furniture if you are looking to turn outdoor furniture into indoor furniture. Patio furniture can easily be made to feel cosier by adding cushions and throws to the furniture set to give it a cosier feeling in the colder months. You can also take your favourite ornaments to dress the patio furniture and use them to tie the furniture in with the other pieces in your home.
Changing cushions is also a great inexpensive way of freshening up your furniture and making it feel like new once again!
Wooden furniture
At Inside Out Living we believe that wooden furniture is by far the most dynamic furniture in a home, with the ability to style, reuse and upcycle it in whichever way you like. These benefits don’t just stay within the four walls of a home, wood can also be turned from indoor furniture to garden furniture! However there is a special knack to properly preparing wooden furniture, especially if you would like to transform your wooden indoor furniture into garden furniture. The key steps of properly preparing wooden furniture are:
- Prepping – ensure all hardware is removed and the furniture is nice and clean.
- Sanding – Sand your wooden furniture until the gloss is completely gone.
- Priming – When you are on the hunt for a paint primer, keep an eye out for oil-based primers, they work great for wooden furniture.
- Sand again – Using fine-grit sandpaper, lightly sand your piece between each coat of paint, to give a professional-looking finish.
- Start painting – Choose a paint that’s made for exterior use and suitable for furniture, Your goal here is to coat every surface that would be exposed to the elements. Once you have completed this – we strongly recommend leaving your new masterpiece to cure properly before you start to use it.
- Maintenance – Like any other furniture, your newly upcycled furniture will need to be maintained and looked after in order to stand the test of time. We also recommend using a well fitted protective cover to protect your furniture throughout the winter months.
Turn your indoor furniture into outdoor furniture and be sure to share your results with the Inside Out Living team. You can use the hashtag #insideoutliving and tag us in your post!
