What is your idea of the ultimate outdoor space and what would you do in that space? I thought I would share a few of my favourite outdoor décor and lighting ideas, with you!

I love the idea of dining alfresco under the African sun or the thought of dining under the stars on a balmy summers evening.  Living in such a beautiful part of the world, lends its self wonderfully to this concept.  Naturally during the winter months this becomes a bit trickier to do; all you need to do is experience a “Sunny-Cape Winters Day”, as we did yesterday, and you quickly realise that outdoor dining can still be a possibility, even in winter. As we approach the spring time, my yearning for outdoor dining becomes even more pronounced – I think I am willing winter to an end! Then we can enjoy the long warm summer days and those equally warm nights.

Although there is such a vast array of décor styles, my favourite is a slightly more casual look; it has a Cape Cod beach aesthetic to it. I particularly like wooden furniture with muted soft furnishings, allowing décor and nature to blend seamlessly into one.

The great thing about decorating outdoors is that it can have a slightly more eclectic quality to it and it does not have to follow the same concepts and ideas as your interiors. The only necessity in the design concept is comfort; you need to be comfortable while sipping on that cold glass of ‘bubbly’!

I also love the more whimsical approach that is used a great deal outdoors – using old reclaimed items and re-purposing them in your outdoor space, thus turning what could be considered ‘old junk’ into something beautiful, giving it a new lease on life.

Outdoor lighting, can also have a rather fun character to it, using an old chandelier or glass jars and candles to create a magical ambience. Paper or Chinese lanterns have also made a big come back on the décor scene.

This is definitely an area of home décor and design that you can have an immense amount of fun with, letting your creativity run wild. It could also be a great idea to get the kids involved, with re-purposing items, decorating them and using them in your outdoor space. I found this great DIY project using tin cans, to create fun lanterns!

So as those temperatures start to become more bearable, get out there and have a blast! I would love to hear about or see pictures of your outdoor space.

Image Source: Pinterest