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Interiors Addict at home: our new outdoor relaxing space

January 21, 2015 11 Comments

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This post is sponsored by IKEA 

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My new look deck, complete with lounging AND dining areas

We recently moved into our first house in Sydney. While the huge deck that runs the length of said house seemed fantastic at first, having come from an apartment with a small, square balcony, we didn’t have much to fill it. Our Weber Baby Q still looks very lost and sorry for itself! We rushed out and bought a cheap and large dining solution (who has money when they’ve just moved, right?) at IKEA which gave us a taste of the range and value on offer. We opted for two lots of the ASKHOLMEN table and four chairs ($149 each) and put them together, which gave us a long, solid timber dining set for eight for less than $300! I know!

But our massive deck (first world problems) still looked empty and we really wanted a nice, cosy, outdoor-room type, relaxing space for morning coffees and lazy Sundays with friends. I wanted to be able to walk outside the back door and slump into something comfy on a nice afternoon. So when IKEA offered to help me out with some furniture, I couldn’t refuse.

I started by looking online for inspiration and quickly settled on the ARHOLMA modular lounges which have a million options, from a neat two-seater which would fit a balcony (and comes in two pieces so could actually get up stairs!) to something, well, as big as you like. You basically buy units of it, and corners, and make an L-shape, U-shape, or just a regular lounge shape from two seats and up. We went for a two-seater and a slightly larger four-seater L-shape to sit opposite it for a nice social setting. We mixed things up a bit by using a much treasured vintage, marble-topped coffee table bought on eBay years ago (which doesn’t work in our new lounge room indoors) and I really love how it looks. It cost me $60 so I’m not too precious about how it fares outside and it kind of adds to its character!

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Now I love a spot of reading outside on a balmy evening!

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There is a matching coffee table available for ARHOLMA however. Well, it’s actually a unit which can be the L part of an L-shape lounge or you can buy the glass top and make it a table. Again, flexibility wins!

IKEA's ARHHOLMA chair and lounge
IKEA’s ARHHOLMA chair and lounge

I love neutrals outside. Let nature do the talking and make the colour, I say. How about you? If you’re the same as me, Into the Fold have some fab monochrome outdoor cushions.

When you think about it, it makes sense that IKEA, with their European heritage, design plenty of outdoor furniture for small spaces and balconies. Although we’re definitely a nation of outdoor entertainers in Australia, it can be hard to find solutions for tighter spaces and there are no shortage of apartment dwellers, alongside those lucky enough to have a spacious back yard. IKEA has both covered.

I really love this IKEA solution for small balconies
I really love this IKEA solution for small balconies

Amanda Grant, IKEA’s sales leader for outdoor furniture, says alongside its European background, one of the brand’s biggest advantages when it comes to outdoor furniture is its vast experience in indoor furniture. “We have an amazing range around different style preferences and price points, from basic modern to more traditional, to suit different lifestyles and wallets.” There are plenty of larger, more substantial dining and lounging solutions if that’s what you’re after.

IKEA has outdoor furniture for all tastes and budgets, from the smallest balcony to the largest yard!
IKEA has outdoor furniture for all tastes and budgets, from the smallest balcony to the largest yard!

There’s a core range of outdoor available at IKEA year-round and then extra things are introduced around summer time. But from this year, for the first time, there’ll be new ranges added in July/August as well as February, which makes sense considering Australians only really stay inside for about two or three months of the year!

Amanda says while their outdoor dining range is already well known, they hope customers will come to look at them as an option for great lounging options as well.

Personally, I think the ARHOLMA is great value ( a three-seater sofa is just $412 for example) and so flexible. It’s good to know we can change it around at a later date or add to it if we move house etc. I’ll be honest with you, it is not easy to put together and requires serious patience (lucky husband and brother-in-law got this job!) but it does all go together in the end, no missing parts, just fiddly! And that, in my opinion, is the price you pay for such good value. You can’t have it all! They do offer a paid for assembly service or I’d suggest trying Airtasker for someone to do the job for you as an alternative.

We also picked the cute timber ASKHOLMEN (tying in with our existing dining set) table ($39) and two chairs ($30 each) for a shady spot under a tree at the bottom of the garden beyond the deck.

And there are many other finishing touches available for your yard, deck or balcony too, from solar and LED lighting to hardy outdoor plants to sun shades (parasols and gazebos), planter boxes and lanterns.

Something you might want to check out is the great value instant flooring, perfect for disguising an ugly old concrete balcony floor in minutes!

We’re so happy with our new chillout area and feel we’ve gained a new outdoor room and some extra livable space. And while we still need a bigger barbecue, we’ll get there eventually!

Next stop: get tired-looking deck stained! The shame…

Until TOMORROW (22 January 2015) only, if you’re an IKEA Family member (it’s free to join) get a $50 voucher for every $250 you spend on outdoor lounging furniture. See website for terms and conditions.

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A steeply sloping block isn't a typical prerequisite when building a new home. But it was for Perth architect Sam Klopper and his family who desired an elevated balcony (hello roof terrace!) AND a back yard that was accessed from the living area. And wow, they sure made the best of it!

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Head on over to the blog this morning to meet serial flippers @renowayoflife Back in Australia after more than a decade renovating for profit and living debt and mortgage free in the UK and USA, they're onto their 15th house, a Queenslander, and this one they plan to actually keep and live in with their 3 kids!

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About Jen Bishop

Jen Bishop is our owner and publisher and an experienced journalist and editor. Interiors Addict has been her full-time job for more than 8 years. She is married to Damian and mum to Sebastian and Charlie.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarKate says

    January 21, 2015 at 3:17 pm

    The marble table looks great

    Reply
    • AvatarJen Bishop says

      January 21, 2015 at 3:31 pm

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • AvatarPhillip V says

        January 25, 2015 at 7:32 pm

        Your deck looks great! Keep it up 🙂

        P.S. Come over to see our new furniture one time!

        Reply
        • AvatarJen Bishop says

          January 26, 2015 at 10:14 am

          Thanks Phillip! See you some time soon!

          Reply
  2. AvatarIoanna Lennox says

    January 26, 2015 at 10:08 am

    Jen, your new outdoor living room looks fabulous and very inviting! I love IKEA too for their great solutions, flexibility and… well, you can’t beat price!

    Reply
  3. AvatarBlueemeeru says

    January 27, 2015 at 6:54 pm

    Jen, check out Greatoutdoorcushions.com.au for some lovely bright cushions from a small Aussie business.

    Reply
    • AvatarJen Bishop says

      January 27, 2015 at 7:30 pm

      Thanks but I don’t like bright outdoor cushions. Will check anyway 🙂

      Reply
  4. AvatarMamagreen says

    February 20, 2015 at 1:56 pm

    I was in Ikea just the other night and saw the Applaro modular outdoor panel with the bench and shelves. Such a great storage idea. It was so easy to place and alter the shelves as well with a simple hook system. Well I’m glad you got your balcony all decked out with new outdoor furniture. Great Work!

    Reply
    • AvatarJen Bishop says

      February 20, 2015 at 2:07 pm

      Got to love a flexible solution!

      Reply
  5. AvatarLaura says

    April 2, 2016 at 1:44 am

    What’s the trick in building the arholma furniture. I can’t figure it out.

    Reply
    • AvatarJen Bishop says

      April 3, 2016 at 7:09 pm

      I remember it taking a lot of patience! With IKEA I always find that the time and fristration it can take to put stuff together is the price you pay for the money you save! Good luck!

      Reply

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