In a time when we can’t really travel beyond our own borders, one idea is to decorate your outdoor living space in a way that reflects the energy of a favourite holiday destination.
With real estate and floor space at a premium, those who are lucky enough to have a patio or deck on their property are smart to look for ways to maximise it. In many ways, an outdoor living space is like having an extra room in your home. Whether you use it to dine, entertain or relax and soak in the sunshine, there are lots of things you can do to make it both a more enjoyable and more visually appealing spot for you and your family and guests to spend time in.
In a time when we can’t really travel beyond our own borders, one idea is to decorate your outdoor living space in a way that reflects the energy of a favourite holiday destination. Channelling everything that you love about that vacation location through your décor may have added psychological benefits, helping you to mentally ‘switch off’ when you return home at the end of a long day. For some, that might be soaking up the sun amongst relics of ancient history in a Mediterranean hot spot like Greece.
For millennia, Grecian art and architecture have influenced design all around the world. From monumental columns to shapely pottery, the popularity of Greek-inspired décor waxes and wanes just as other design styles do – but they’re always simple to spot, since their forms are so iconic. Because Grecian details are so strongly associated with classical and neo-classical design styles, it’s extremely easy to seamlessly incorporate them into a traditional setting. But how do you make elements of these old-world charms work within a contemporary context?
Firstly, take a minimalist approach with simple Greek-inspired shapes like amphora vases that have been pared down to their essential forms. Focus on quality, long-lasting materials and classic colours that will stand the test of time – the way the Parthenon has – such as marble, plaster and terracotta and divine neutrals like Resene Sea Fog, Resene Quarter Tea and Resene Cloud brought to life with heavenly blue greens like Resene Nebula and Resene Yucca. Green plants with strong, structured shapes like fan palms, magnolia, zamioculcas and dracaenas become sculptural art and pop against your soothing and subdued Resene colour palette while timber decking stained in Resene Woodsman Uluru, which allows the natural grain of the wood to show through, will ground your space and provide visual warmth and texture.
But just as you would in Greece, you’ll need shelter from the elements. Constructing a timber pergola, like we have, and encouraging climbing plants to envelop it is a beautiful and atmospheric way to bring some relief from sun, wind and rain. We painted our pergola in Resene Lumbersider tinted to Resene Sea Fog to coordinate with our colour scheme and ensure its structure and substrate would also be protected against the elements. If you decide to paint your outdoor pergola, plant pots or other surfaces in a strong, vibrant hue, such as a bright red, orange, yellow or purple, and are concerned about the hue fading, you can apply Resene Clearcoat UVS, a clear gloss waterborne finish formulated with U.V. absorbers to filter out harmful U.V. light, protecting the paint system beneath. While Resene Clearcoat UVS is not designed for use on working joinery, such as windows and doors, its outstanding flexibility over timber makes it suitable for use on weatherboards. It has excellent adhesion to Resene topcoats and can be easily overcoated at a later date with other Resene waterborne paints if you want to freshen up your look or change your colour palette as your styles/tastes evolve.
Styling by Laura Lynn Johnston. Photography by Melanie Jenkins. 2022
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