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Cabot's presents designer tips for creating the perfect outdoor space

Australia’s leading woodcare brand, Cabot's has partnered with design experts to provide homeowners useful tips on transforming their outdoor space into a place for entertainment, relaxation and family fun.

Stylish decking, trendy outdoor furniture, lighting, plants and cushions are just some of the many options available to create the perfect outdoor space. Cabot’s brand manager Amelia Lutz believes creating an alfresco space with the wow factor needn’t be difficult or expensive as it all comes down to good planning and a dash of creativity.

She explains that the planning begins with thinking through how the outdoor space will be used. For instance, would it be a place for the whole family to get together, play games and enjoy alfresco meals? Or is it a space that’ll be used only when guests are over?

Amelia advises that it’s not always necessary to create a huge outdoor room when the perfect alfresco space could be achieved by simply sprucing up the deck and adding the right personal touches.

Regardless of how you plan to use your outdoors this summer, there are a number of simple ways to achieve your perfect outdoor space without busting the budget.

Top tips to create a stylish outdoor space

Daniel Tyrrell, Landscape Designer

Founder of Daniel Tyrrell Landscapes, an award-winning studio in St Kilda, Victoria, Daniel focuses on creating gardens and outdoor rooms that arouse the senses, delight the eye and work for today’s lifestyle.

Daniel’s Top Tips

1. Create a destination. To create a space that invites people outdoors, Daniel recommends using seating with outdoor cushions that introduce colour; arranging a collection of pots with a mix of favourite plants such as herbs, succulents and bulbs; and linking the pots to other features in the garden space.

2. Lighten up. Daniel believes garden lighting can make a huge difference to the way a garden appears after the sun goes down and will directly affect how the outdoor space is used. He recommends good quality well-planned garden lighting to extend the life of the garden and provide another room for entertaining.

3. Know when to be brave. Daniel advises restraint in all things colour, features and furniture, telling homeowners to be brave with their colour palette and committing to a few over many. He recommends Cabot's Timbercolour, an exterior paint available in a range of solid colours and specifically formulated to nourish and protect timber surfaces and decking.

Karenza Jewell, Interior Designer

Karenza is a Sydney-based interior designer and co-founder of Cotter and Jewell Interiors.

Karenza’s Top Tips

1. Zone your space. Karenza suggests having areas for larger entertaining, quieter winter sun spots for reading, and shady areas for hot summer days, using different materials to zone each area. Decking can be used to zone spaces, especially with the introduction of stain colour and even floor direction and elevation. She advises Cabot’s Deck & Exterior Stain, available in a range of colours to rejuvenate and transform timber.

2. Play with textures and colours. According to Karenza, outdoor spaces are meant for texture from real stone to rendered paint effects and any area can be focussed on with simple use of colour or texture. Outdoor fabrics in strong colours and patterns as well as natural soft textures can be used on seating, for instance. When working on a budget, she recommends bright sun umbrellas, outdoor rugs and lanterns. Additionally, timber surfaces on the deck, pergolas and screens can be coloured using stone finishes and timber colours that complement or contrast the architectural colours of the home or natural colours in the landscape. She suggests Cabot’s Timbercolour, an exterior paint available in a range of solid colours and specially formulated to nourish and protect exterior timber surfaces and decking.

3. Go sculptural with furniture. Karenza says outdoor furniture is now available in far more exciting designs than interior furniture, ranging from daybeds shaped like islands to sculpted wire chairs and pebble knitted loungers. Adding a superb sculptural piece of furniture can turn the garden into a gallery. She also advises using Cabot’s Garden Furniture Oil to keep timber garden furniture looking its best.

Michelle Johnston, Blogger and Renovator

Michelle Johnston is a dedicated renovator and blogger at Jarrah Jungle, an Australian home and lifestyle blog about renovating and DIY adventures in Perth, Western Australia.

Michelle’s Top Tips

1. Embrace the power of paint. Emphasising the power of paint, Michelle says homeowners can use paint to revamp their home’s exterior brickwork or render, or paint the front door with a statement colour. Renters can get creative by painting old furniture or pots for plants to inject some colour in the garden. She recommends Cabot's Timbercolour, an exterior paint specifically formulated to nourish and protect timber surfaces and decking.

2. Add greenery. According to Michelle, plants in feature pots or a vertical garden will add life to the space. Succulents are one of the easiest plants to propagate; they thrive in pots and come in many varieties, colours and sizes.

3. Create layer upon layer. Michelle believes that bringing the indoors out is about making the outdoor space feel inviting and comfortable. This can be achieved by adding texture in layers using soft furnishings such as outdoor rugs and cushions to make the space comfortable.

Cabot’s Fact Sheet

Cabot’s Garden Furniture Oil is recommended to keep outdoor furniture looking fresh this summer.

Highly durable

Cabot’s Garden Furniture Oil provides exceptional durability to exterior timber surfaces and lasts twice as long as traditional furniture oils.

Nourishing natural finish

Cabot’s Garden Furniture Oil's advanced dual technology allows natural oils to penetrate and nourish timber, and creates a durable acrylic barrier for a beautiful natural finish.

Low odour

The water-based Garden Furniture Oil doesn’t emit the fumes of traditional oils, is more pleasant to apply and can also be cleaned up with water.

Fast application and recoat

The oil’s speedy application and drying time means large outdoor projects can be completed in one day.

Water resistant

Cabot’s Garden Furniture Oil has a unique water resistant formula that keeps timber furniture better protected from the elements.

Range of finishes

Cabot’s Garden Furniture Oil is available in four beautiful finishes to match popular Australian furniture settings including Merbau, Jarrah, Rustic Oak and New Natural (recent addition).

Cabot’s Garden Furniture Oil now comes in a larger 2-litre size, along with the 1-litre can, allowing you to easily coat larger outdoor furniture settings.