My garden's tiny: How to choose outdoor furniture when space is tight
When you have a small home and a postage stamp-sized garden or outdoor area, you'll want to make the most of every inch of space. File picture
In the past year I have visited two of the world's biggest interior design trade shows, in Paris and Milan, and both times what struck me the most was the stunning garden furniture available outside of Ireland.
That’s not saying you can’t get nice garden furniture here — of course you can — but the range is limited compared to what’s available abroad. This is for obvious reasons — we simply do not have the weather to accommodate an outdoor lifestyle.
It’s wet and we need to think about materials that can either be quickly brought indoors and stored easily, or that can withstand a damp environment without getting mouldy.
There is also a likelihood that you’re reading this column because you, like me, have a small home and a postage stamp-sized garden to go with it. Nevertheless, summer is here and we deserve to make the best of the sunshine while we have it because truly there is nowhere more beautiful than Ireland on a sunny day.
Our options may be relatively limited, but that means we just have to be a little creative to find some fantastic garden furniture that will allow us to maximise our summer without cluttering up our storage for the other nine months of the year.
Always define first how you want to use your space before you go shopping for furniture. Don’t buy a patio dining set if you never dine outdoors! Be honest with yourself and create a list of what you need before you buy anything.
My list had three requirements — I wanted a large dining table because I love entertaining in the garden, I wanted a comfortable lounge chair to laze in on sunny days, and I wanted to be able to put everything away to create an open space that wouldn’t feel cluttered and where I could hose down my dog’s mucky paws or clean off my sandy paddleboard after a day at the beach.
That was an ambitious design challenge in my tiny two-metres-by-two-metres courtyard garden but with creativity and compromise, I got there. Your needs may be different — you may want a hot tub to soak in or a space to play games. It’s all possible with some clever design principles!
The only way I was able to fit a large table and chairs in my garden was to make one that folded away against the wall. Hanging items on walls is one of the best storage options ever! My table was made by my builder from leftover cedar cladding. It’s hinged on one end and folds away flat.
I bought folding chairs in Ikea for €7 and spray painted them the colour I wanted, then installed hooks beside the table on the wall to hang them up on. That allows me to clear everything away easily and have my open space.
You can do the same with lots of items — you could buy a light foldable outdoor dining table, folding sun loungers, and even a folding fire pit (check out the folding camping fire pit from Rawsaol).
I like the Tärnö dining set from Ikea which folds away flat, is easy to hang, and could be painted to create a feature in your garden. For a more upmarket splash, I adore the beautiful pastel shades in the Bistro collection from Fermob — this range is made from steel, which is ideal for surviving our climate unscathed year-round.
For beautiful folding sun loungers, check out the stunning striped sling chairs from Business & Pleasure.
I have such a soft place in my heart for inflatable furniture. I know it’s squeaky and naff and more reminiscent of student houses than beautifully styled homes, but it’s fun and I love it.
Not least for its ability to be deflated and packed away, taking up minimal storage! Inflatable sun loungers are handy but where inflatable outdoor furniture comes into its own is in hot tubs and pools.
I am an avid swimmer and would love a pool in my back garden, but with space rendering this entirely impossible I will settle for a beautiful inflatable paddling pool from Minnidip.
Its stunning designs have launched paddling pools out of the realm of children’s toys right into the chic adult world and I am so here for it; prices start at only €30. It also has inflatable water fountains and even stylish puppy baths.
Its inflatable cloud chair is the sun lounger you didn’t know you needed and packs away to almost nothing. I am fully obsessed.
If paddling pools sound too chilly for you, you might need an inflatable hot tub — check out the Lay-Z-Spa range in B&Q starting at €350. Do note that these hot tubs take hours to heat up and can put quite a dent in your electricity bill.
If inflatable sun loungers aren’t your thing, an equally space-saving option is a hammock. I love the soporific sway of a hammock and use one regularly in my own garden.
You’ll need somewhere to hang it — I have one hook on each of my courtyard garden walls, but you could use any sturdy enough structure or even a solid tree trunk.
Hammocks are a no-brainer — they’re easy to put up when needed, take up barely any storage space, and they’re pretty! Make sure to measure the space you have and purchase the right length.
Check out the range at hammocks.ie and keep an eye on the Dunnes Stores website — Carolyn Donnelly had a fabulous fringed hammock in her Eclectic range which sadly is no longer available, but I am keeping my fingers crossed for a restock.
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