STYLE TIP - Umbrellas
Keep It Cool In Summer
construction by Mahony Landscapes, Photography Natalie Hunfalvay
With a stylish umbrella there’s more ways than one to keep things cool outdoors this summer. We’ve started 2015 with some great sunny days which sometimes makes it easy to retreat to the comfort of our fans and air-con indoors. But with the trees at their most leafy green and our gardens bursting with colour there’s good reason to stay out and enjoy these sunny days.
No longer an occasional item, stylish umbrellas can take place as a permanent fixture in our gardens, patios and other outdoor spaces. Adding an umbrella to your outdoor space not only offers the practicality of shade but the style of a well put together space. We can’t always have the luxury of a well placed, fully grown, leafy tree or an outdoor patio roof. However, a good sized and well designed umbrella can take their place.
With great new products from Aussie brands like Basil Bangs, Eco Outdoor, Cosh Living and Parterre, dressing an outdoor space with an umbrella is a treat. There are a number of options to choose from, with a great selection of colour shape and size.
We have a few tips to help you choose the right umbrella. First you should consider the space you have and the area you’d like to cover. Do you want to cover a small reading chair in a corner? Are you partially covering a sitting area? Or are you wanting to cover a more larger outdoor setting? You should also consider mobility. Will the umbrella stay fixed in one position or move depending on the occasion? Consider this when picking your umbrella and choosing a base. The look and feel is probably the most important and our favourite tip. Make sure it looks good closed and open and consider how the colours and pattern will compliment your existing themes or colour palette and garden.
Adam Robinson Design has added some great umbrellas to several outdoor spaces around Sydney, check them out below:
Just look at the beautiful colours from that sunset over our Chippendale project. A fashionable black and white striped umbrella on a simple black stand compliments this white butterfly chair and our earthy brown and orange palette. They compliment each other to make a perfect corner pair for a great afternoon on the deck.
Secondly, this bright blue pool, light stone paving and traditional green hedging needed one thing, a big white umbrella. It’s wooden style and structure compliments the space and shapes the poolside seating area as a place of rest and relaxation.
What better way to compliment this large outdoor contemporary space than with this stripy beauty. The black and white fits in great with the chic grey palette and sits perfectly in size between the outdoor setting and side area to the left. The residents have the option of covering the outdoor table and seats or creating a social shaded space between areas.
Lastly, this lively garden benefits from an extendable umbrella which adjusts to shade various areas within the space or folds away to open up the space to the sun. A contemporary feel is maintained with the use of a white umbrella and modern steel structure.