The RHS Chelsea Flower Show offers an excellent opportunity to identify emerging trends in outdoor decor, showcased on stands surrounding the gardens and displays. If you are planning a refresh this Bank Holiday weekend, here are the key takeaways from this year's Chelsea furniture and homeware ranges.
Multi-Purpose Shed
The 'shoffice' (a shed used as an office) has become as outdated as working from home. Now these structures serve as spaces for entertaining, quiet time, and dining on a table that can double as a workspace. David Hughes of Malvern Garden Buildings, which manufactures such upmarket sheds, stated: 'It's not a shoffice, it's an extra room.' Malvern's prices start at £16,145. A desk is permissible but only if surrounded by shelving filled with second-hand books, a Roberts radio, and a record player in the style of a 1930s gentleman's study. If your dream is a round gazebo with a rustic roof that serves as a childhood den for grown-ups, Malvern also offers the Breeze House (from £12,859). This design is inspired by the British horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll. A copy of one of her works, such as Colour Schemes for the Flower Garden, would be perfect on the shelves.
Greenhouses
British Victorian-style glasshouses have become highly desirable, even among the Hamptons and Wall Street set in America. Beyond nurturing plants, a greenhouse allows you to showcase your design flair with hanging pottery and small statues. The presentation of the Hampshire-made Alitex greenhouses at Chelsea epitomised this very British mix of botanical and quirky elements. Figures and globes adorned the surfaces alongside rare vegetables, organised by August Beth, head tutor of the Raymond Blanc gardening school. Alitex greenhouses start at £19,500.
Cotswolds Chic
At Chelsea, the Cotswolds aesthetic dominated the furnishing look, with cushions in soft ambers, beiges, greys, and greens that blend well with the honey-coloured stone of this area. M&S offers a set of grey striped outdoor cushions for £22, while Dunelm's range in elegant earthy tones starts from £8. Much of the furniture on display at the stands of Neptune, Nth Degree, and other companies was sturdy, with rounded edges and an air of permanence. The prime example was the oak tables and chairs from Gaze Burvill. This brand's work features in the Guy Ritchie Netflix hit The Gentlemen, set on the estate of a stately home. Gaze Burvill produces a collection of furniture and planters for the National Trust, with prices ranging from £48 to £2,100.
Al Fresco Dining
This year, fashions in culinary outdoor spaces are less industrial and more soft-edged. Neptune's new outdoor kitchen is Shaker-style, evoking the 18th-century religious movement, although the materials are extremely durable thanks to modern wood and surface technologies. The kitchen's country look is emphasised by its name Broadway, after the village known as the 'jewel of the Cotswolds.' A blast of colour can come from the Charlie Oven, a charcoal oven handmade in Nottingham, costing from £4,750 and available in various shades including orange and blue, though more subtle greys are also available. This piece, used by some professional chefs in their indoor kitchens, delivers bread, BBQs, cakes, roasts, and pizzas.
Going Potty
If you like pots, go large. This was the message from Harrod Horticultural, which reported the keenest interest in the most substantial of its Southwold Round Planters, made of steel and artfully aged to appear antique (prices start at £395). The attraction of large planters was illustrated by the Transient Garden, sponsored by estate agency Hamptons. This oasis on a balcony demonstrated what you can create if you live in a flat or are renting and need to move all your belongings frequently and easily. Wherever you position your planters, fill them with smoky purple blooms to be in vogue. Bearded irises, ragged robins, and other mauve and magenta flowers adorned the Lady Garden Foundation 'Silent No More' garden.
Zest for Life
If you want to make just one change this weekend, know that the lemon is the outdoor decor fruit of the moment. Add some zest to your bistro set with a bowl of fake lemons from Cox & Cox (£22).
