Paula Sutton of Hill House Vintage is a lifestyle blogger living in the picturesque countryside of Norfolk, England. Her Georgian home sits on the center of its land and features the best of outdoor living spaces. Her Instagram is filled with inspiring scenes around her cozy home and dreamy yard. This week, Sutton walks us through her top tips for turning any yard into a stylish, livable space.
Photography provided by @hillhousevintage
Treat your outdoor space like any other room in your home.
What makes a room comfortable? Good seating with multiple cushions, throws and tables — including side tables — to rest drinks and books. You can even incorporate an outdoor rug to add an extra layer of comfort to your outdoor space.
Remember that good lighting is just as important outdoors as it is inside.
There’s nothing more magical and inviting than dining by candlelight or lamplight in the open air. Invest in lanterns that can be used with real or faux candles. Hang vintage chandeliers adapted to fit candles from tree branches or from iron shepherd hooks. After all, candles are what chandeliers were originally lit with. Festoon lights — outdoor bulbs strung along a waterproof cable — create a wonderful party atmosphere and are extremely effective when zigzagged above a seating area or table.
Don’t be afraid to mix and match seats for a stylish vintage look.
Garden furniture can be expensive to get as one large set, so don’t be afraid to mix and match styles. I often use painted dining chairs outside with a combination of cushions in varying colors and patterns. It creates a wonderfully vintage atmosphere that is at once luxe buy steroids online yet casual.
Include as many potted flowers as you can to add color as well as beauty.
I’m a big fan of potted plants, especially because you can move them around and change your planting to suit the season. Daffodils, geraniums, hydrangeas, tulips, box balls and oxeye daisies in pots throughout the year will ensure that there is always something flowering or of interest to decorate your outdoor entertaining areas.
Add salvaged materials and decorative objects to incorporate personality into your outdoor space.
I’m a huge fan of using beautiful decorative items to adorn my rooms as well as my garden, often purely for their beauty rather than their practical use. I have vintage ladders, galvanized buckets, watering cans and vintage mirrors in various spots in my garden. They create pretty vignettes in otherwise empty spaces and create structure and interest even during the winter months when flowers and leaves are scarce and there isn’t much to look at.
