Want to give your outdoor space a little warm-weather flair? The summer garden – whatever its size – is the primetime place for enjoying warm days and evenings. It’s not only about the plants and the pots, it’s also about ticking the boxes for the life you love to lead. Think hotel-style lounging, happy-go-lucky cooking, and shady sanctuaries for eating and drinking; all layered with bold and beautiful outdoor fabric that sum up your personal style.

‘These lifestyle extras will make your garden pop with charisma,’ says Lee Clarke, owner of Warner House. ‘Many of our clients want to extend the high-end look of their home outdoors; taking their tradition-with-a-twist design ethos into the fresh air.’

As with the approach you take indoors, consider how soft furnishings can be curated to elevate your space. Comfort should be the cornerstone of your thinking. Look to bench pads and outdoor cushion covers, table cloths and canopies for injecting colour and heritage pattern, softening hard seating and creating characterful shade.

‘The Warner House outdoor fabric range is second to none when it comes to practicality,’ says Lee Clarke. ‘Made from 90% acrylic and 10% linen, the textiles are created with high light fastness with good UV resistance, are water repellent and Teflon stain resistant. They can also be washed at up to 30 degrees C.’ This makes them the perfect choice for summer living and also hardwearing options for conservatories and garden rooms, transitional spaces, kitchens and playrooms.

Here we recommend five foundation ways to use outdoor fabrics for a summer of verve and flair. All in the swish colours of the season – spicy red, golden yellow and lush green…

Bland garden furniture begone! Rattan and wooden sofas and chairs tend to come with humdrum grey, white or beige cushions. When they’ve had their day or are in need of a refresh, look to the Riviera Chic trend for reupholstery inspiration. One of summer’s go-to styles, an on-point stripe in a killer red will bring a clean and sharp look to a seating area.

Look carefully at the finer details: stripes that flow harmoniously in a single line from back cushion to seat cushion and coordinated piped seams. Dapper cylinder bolsters and jaunty box cushions for stools will also go the extra mile for a sophisticated statement.

@studiokp.interiordesign used Holkham Stripe Outdoor Fabric in Spice (shown above) for a garden sofa refresh ‘bringing a touch of the French Riviera to South East London’ or try readymades like Holkham Apple Outdoor Cushion mixed with Herons Pink Outdoor Cushion for rural romantic charm as created by @amicastudioltd (see below).

Layering cushions on garden loungers and daybeds is the ultimate in laid back comfort. Take your inspiration from the Oscar winning movie, Saltburn, which reset the look for the Country Manor aesthetic. Mixing ‘old money’ style with the party culture of the 2000s, this interior design thinking is unashamedly bold on pattern.

Choose three designs – a large-scale floral, an animal print and a wide modern stripe – as your starting point. Take your colour cue from the large-scale pattern and repeat it in your other designs for cohesion. Warm yellow tones were chosen to echo the planting and the warm wooden tones of the furniture for this garden arrangement in the grounds of Iscoyd Park.

Cascade sizes and shapes from large square to small square to rectangular for a pleasing-to-the-eye arrangement. Shown from back to front are: a floral trail called Chinese Garden Teal Outdoor Fabric; the panther print Panthera Espresso Outdoor Fabric; and Holkham Amber Outdoor Fabric.

A shaded spot is a must-have in a garden designer’s rulebook. Choose a canopy with a freestanding base for maneuverability, allowing you to locate shade to the places you need it most. It’s also a highly-decorative and dynamic design device, allowing you to play with, and anchor, focal points. When open, they can enclose an eating area on a patio, but are also useful for creating cool secondary areas for, say, a bench or basket chair further away from the formality of the house.

The Elizabeth Ruby Octagonal Parasol (shown) from the Warner House x East London Parasol Co collaboration is screen printed with the Balmoral Design in a rich and regal ruby and depicts a woodland scene of deer, birds and foliage. The Arabian inspired valance with taupe tassels lends it an air of theatricality while the frame is crafted in FSC-certified ash wood with brass fittings and a double pulley system.

There’s nothing like a snazzy tablecloth or runner to energise a setting for lunch and dinner. Weathered tables or long pro tem trestles can be given instant flair with outdoor fabric ordered to the required metre.

Exuberant stripes are the in-vogue way to go gorgeous in Summer 2024 as seen here in @sallydoessassy’s covered dining area. She set the stage for the summer months with the vibrant Holkham Amber Outdoor Fabric and went big with kitchen garden ceramics.

Table skirts are making a return to both indoor and outdoor tables so if you have a bistro table in need of a little love, a bespoke skirt to ground level and topped with a circular piece of glass makes for a pretty cocktail table on a patio or in the corner of a garden underneath a tree.

Use handsome archive revival outdoor fabrics to style up period property gardens. Indienne, chinoiserie, toile and Ikat designs will speak to the date of your original architecture and feel effortlessly in keeping. Opt for matured colourways, such as honeyed tones, muted greens and aged reds, that feel like they have matured with time.

The interior designers at Heartwood Inns, the award-winning collection of cosy local pubs, chose Fleurs Orientales Gold Outdoor Fabric (shown) for the transformation of the outdoor terrace at The Rising Sun.

A delightful outdoor fabric, featuring a charming interpretation of an 18th century Chinese design, it was used on the seat pads and cushions of circular seating to complement the classy elegance of the oldest pub in Reading.

Consider introducing extra ready made outdoor pillows in one-colour plains, such as Blakeney Willow Outdoor Cushion, for added effect amongst the pattern.

We hope this showcase of outdoor fabric ideas has inspired you to transform your exterior this summer. Uniquely made to be happy in the elements, Warner House’s prestige outdoor fabrics and off-the-peg outdoor cushions let you take timeless design into the garden to create the adventurous and refined schemes we know you adore. Head over to the website and filter by Outdoor Fabric under Fabric and Cushions to see our extensive range of patterns and plains in a myriad of colours just right for the summer ahead.