INTERIOR DESIGN FOR OUTDOORS

Design evolves by surprising us with paradoxes. Objects become multifunctional and materials once associated with one type of function only are being used for all sorts of other purposes, while the boundaries between styles and disciplines are, increasingly, blurring. This report will prove that a parasol can provide light, too, that a rug can be moved from a living room to a patio, that an outdoor lamp for a restaurant wouldn’t look out of place in the chicest restaurant. Spain’s most avant-garde design companies amply demonstrate that another traditional dividing line is dissolving, namely that between indoors and outdoors.

We’re increasingly seeing collections which have a warm, comfortable feel typical of traditional indoor furniture yet are made of strong, washable materials resistant to buffeting from winds and the elements. Outdoor furniture is being redesigned to achieve the same degree of comfort as its indoor counterparts.

As well as being very robust, this furniture needs to be versatile and adaptable to indoors and out. With this in mind, we’re seeing a proliferation of modular designs which allow for a multitude of configurations: two or three-seater sofas, rectangular or L-shaped ones, designs in different colours and shapes, moveable elements such as cushions to play with, so the pieces’ character can easily be changed.

Light plays as important a role outdoors as it does in our homes. Why can’t we have a light which we can move from one spot to another, say? Floor lamps, freestanding plinths and screens which are easy to hang make this task all the easier and creates greater visibility wherever you are.

Chairs, armchairs and stools are pieces you can be sure to have most fun with, and introduce colour into our kitchens and gardens. These come in myriad forms: stackable, solid, in bright or sombre colours, individual pieces or part of a set – the hard thing is which ones to choose!

Finally, some pieces, rather than separating indoors and out, help create a unifying thread between our streets and our homes.