How to Blend Your Kitchen and Garden Into a Relaxing Living Space

This is a collaborative post.

During the warmer months of the year, there’s no reason why your garden can’t function as an outdoor living area. If we break down the barriers between interior and exterior, we effectively create a single, cohesive space. If your kitchen happens to be located at the rear of the property, this can be even more effective: dining can take place outdoors, thus freeing up space in the kitchen for food preparation.

So, how can spruce up our kitchens for the spring/summer season? Let’s take a look at some of the tools at our disposal.

A garden table topped with a bottle of wine and two glasses of wine.

Patio doors

If we’re going to join (or at least, blend) the interior of our homes and our gardens, it’s essential for us to be able to see from the kitchen into the garden (and vice versa), as well as being able to move easily between the two.

A set of patio doors will allow you to do precisely this. Big, bi-folding doors are a popular addition to many patios. They come in both timber and aluminium varieties, the latter of which – being stronger – can be made thinner, with more glass and more natural light.

Comfort

If your garden is going to function effectively as an extension of your indoor living space, you’ll need to maintain a consistent standard of comfort between the two zones.

Start with investing in high-quality furniture. Outdoor furniture needs to be able to withstand the elements, so expect to pay a premium for good quality furniture. However, if you really want to make your outdoor space enjoyable to be spend time in, the investment is usually worthwhile.

To ensure your garden and patio area are as comfortable as possible throughout the year, it’s worth investing in outdoor heating. A gas-powered patio heater will provide reliable, fast heat without the smoky smell of a real fire pit.

Window dressing

To ensure privacy in your kitchen, you’ll need the right window dressing. Eyelet curtains from Swift Direct Blinds are in-vogue and offer a minimalistic, stylish look. In the kitchen, lightweight fabrics work well, as they won’t absorb airborne grease to quite the same extent as heavier ones.

As an alternative, you might consider wooden blinds, which, as well as looking the part, will last for ages without attracting the smell of all of your cooking.

Kitchen islands

A kitchen island is a lovely modern alternative to a service hatch. One side can serve as a breakfast bar, the other as a cooking area – allowing family members and guests to stop by and collect some food with ease en route to the garden, as well as depositing any empty plates and glasses on their way back.