Storage solutions for outdoor spaces can sometimes be quite unexpected
01. Show it or stow it
Beautiful concrete benchtops are striking and distinctive. Organic concrete is enduring and can suit virtually any style of home. Blend Concrete makes a dramatic statement with a concrete seat that can flow on to a benchtop and underneath there’s room to store drinks, barbecue utensils and other equipment you’ll need for outdoor entertaining spaces. On top you can also display decor items or a leafy potted plant to soften the space. Timeless and enduring, concrete benchtops and storage cupboards never go out of style. Blend Concrete Design
02. Child’s play
Kids love to play outdoors — there is so much to see, so much to do and discover, all within the safety of your own backyard. While they are playing in your undercover outdoor spaces, access to storage baskets and boxes helps to keep things clutter-free when playtime is over. A stylish kids’ tepee can be a snug inviting space on the deck for your child to play and have quiet time when they need it — it’s also a great place to store their toys out of sight. Sundays Daughter; Catty Wampus; Sweet Pea and Willow
03. YOUR HAPPY PLACE
Whether your little private outdoor zone is a place to gather your friends together for a Friday cocktail and to catch up on the latest gossip, a place to unwind and lose yourself in a good book, somewhere quiet to do your art, crafts or whatever it is you love to do to relax and unwind, having a space to call your own is important. And of course you’ll need shelving, tables, boxes and other places to stow your supplies. lights4fun; Jungalow
04. Hide and Seek
A contemporary ottoman customises an outdoor living space. Lift the lid and it can be home to throws, decor and spare cushions. A nest of tables stacks together when not needed and can be pulled out and used as extra storage space. A coffee table with a top that slides open is a clever way to store items when you don’t need them and have them in easy reach when you do. An outdoor bar cart is a stylish design statement in an outdoor space, providing a place to store glasses and drink mixes when you have guests. When you no longer need it, you can wheel it back indoors. Sweet Pea and WIllow; Wooden Dot
05. Kitchen Connection
The outdoor-indoor connection trend has never been more popular. Outdoor kitchens can look fabulous and boast many, if not all of the elements you’d find in an indoor one. From pull-out drawers, cupboards, and in some cases even “now you see it now you don’t” integrated cabinetry, a well-equipped outdoor kitchen provides plenty of room for storage. This Hawthorne home by Saunders Building Company has ample storage outdoors with clever continuity in colour and style for a seamless look. Saunders Building
06. ON THE SHELF
Shelving can be adjustable, fixed, floating, pull-out, or you can have corner shelving. Custom shelving can take a bare wall from drab to fab, infusing character and instantly adding value. Or you can buy stylish ready-made shelving that allows you to store whatever you need for the outdoors with ease. Shelving can be the ultimate in flexible storage. String Furniture, founded by architect and designer Nils Strinning, is a Swedish design company that specialises in home storage. Strinning designed the classic String System in 1949. Simple, lightweight and stable, the side panels are simple to mount and the shelves are easy to reconfigure. Shelves of different depths can be combined in the same unit as the frame functions as a bookend. Great Dane Furniture
