2nd November 2010: Spring Living

10 The Boulevard, Balwyn North

Spring and summer living is all about taking life outdoors. During the warmer months, when days stretch into twilight and then on into dusk, there is nothing nicer than shifting the focus from the inside to the out; creating living rooms out of verandahs and decks and even cocktail balconies and turning a table and a few chairs into an al fresco feast.

The best way to make the most of your outdoor space is to treat it as you would an interior one; don't be afraid to introduce comfort and style, simply because you're outside. Verandahs make wonderful outdoor 'rooms' because they're usually protected, and so you can leave things out day after day without fear of the climate. Arrange a cane chaise lounge, a few ottomans and a couple of cane or bamboo chairs around a low-slung coffee table filled with fresh fruit, have some books or magazines piled nearby, and even accessories with family photos, albums, or lamps/candles. Then all you need to do is bring out the drinks tray each night!

Further out from the house, courtyards and grassy areas also make for great places to linger on a summer evening. But here, watch the kind of furniture you use: some pieces can't be left out in the sun. Bamboo chairs are particularly good because they hark back to colonial days while still offering modern style and durability. Whichever outdoor area you decide to transform, remember that all you need to do is think of it as an indoor space; accessorise, accessorise, accessorise and you can't go wrong!