The garden. Our favourite room in the house

PROMOTION

This season, we’ve been talking a lot about reverse living: taking the indoors out, and bringing the outdoors in. There’s a common thread in that thinking; it all centres on our love for the great outdoors. Our minds feel more alive when we’re connected with nature and our souls feel soothed when we’ve had a good daily dose of fresh air. So make the absolute most of the summer months and start thinking about your outdoor space as another room, turning it into the very best one in the entire house.

Our garden essentials 1. The garden sofa For us, the sofa has usurped the dining table as being the number one necessity to have in the garden. Eating alfresco is engrained in our minds. We come pre-wired so that when the sun shines, we yearn to eat on our patios. But lounging outdoors isn’t quite the same. It has to be almost balmy for us to walk away from our living rooms. A garden sofa stops this. A garden sofa beckons you outdoors with a good book, a cup of tea, or simply just to sit and be.

Our pick: The Murano modular sofa can be designed to be as small or as large as you wish to make sure the entire family or your garden party guests can relax side by side with room to spare.

2. The coffee table A bit like the sofa, an outdoor coffee table teaches us to treat our gardens as an extra living space. It’s also another excuse to have a second sofa area if you have the room, one on the grass and one tucked away slightly on the terrace with a comfortable combination of sofas and armchairs.

Our pick: the Tuscany coffee table. Crafted from solid teak it has a beautiful tone and wholesome texture. Try pairing it with the Harrington armchairs.

3. The soft touches Outdoor cushions are an absolute must, and we’re not just talking seat pads. Weatherproof scatter cushions make a garden feel loved. It’s little things like that which help to push a garden from being a space to becoming a room. Blankets do the same. And by rolling them up and nestling them into nearby baskets not only do they look sweet, but they’re easy to scoop up and take to a shed or conservatory when summer showers arrive.

Our pick: the Sheringham cushions. As for baskets, our new Somerton picnic basket is lovely for blankets and can safely store a bottle so a drink is never too many steps away.

4. Resilience The best gardens are the ones that are low maintenance. So seek out furniture that’s robust in every sense of the word. The great British summer is a temperamental thing and designs that can stand up to wind, rain and shine are designs to be celebrated.

Our pick: the Monaco tables are granite-topped with galvanised steel below and are the most resilient of all our outdoor pieces

View the entire garden collection at www.neptune.com and enjoy a £50 voucher for every £500 spent on garden furniture and accessories until 31st July.