Tips & tricks
2 min reading time
8 tips for your favourite outdoor spot
This is where life happens. It's where you enjoy your first cup of coffee in the morning. Where a spontaneous BBQ turns into an evening that lasts much longer than anyone expected. Where conversations begin that you'll still be talking about weeks later. And yet, so many people still treat their garden, terrace or balcony as a space that simply has to look neat and tidy. The lawn is mowed, the plants are watered and everything is perfectly in place. What a waste. Because your outdoor space isn't a backdrop – it's your playground. It's where there's room to laugh, celebrate and relax. Where the BBQ is sizzling, the wine is chilled, and the fire pit glows late into the night. With just a few thoughtful touches, you can turn any outdoor space into a natural extension of your home and a place you'll never want to leave.
1. Think in moments, not furniture
Before you start decorating your outdoor space, think about how you want to use it. A place for breakfast? Long dinners? Reading in the sun? Design your space around those moments. If you have enough room, create different corners so every moment has its own perfect spot.
Morning coffee
Create a cosy coffee corner in the first spot where the morning sun appears. A bistro set or a small garden bench quickly becomes your favourite place to ease into the day with a fresh cup of coffee and a quiet moment outdoors.
Outdoor dining
Love long lunches and relaxed dinners? The best conversations always happen around the table. Create a space where everyone feels welcome. Choose a large wooden dining table with comfortable chairs and a few extra stools, so there's always room for one more. Or go for a large round picnic table, guaranteed to bring people together.
Relax in the sun
Outdoor living starts with a comfortable place to sink into and enjoy the sunshine. A cosy lounge sofa instantly creates an inviting corner where you can soak up the sun, read a good book, or enjoy drinks with friends. Add a few soft cushions, a side table and some greenery, and you've created a place you'll never want to leave.
Reading
Or create a peaceful reading corner in your garden, on your terrace or balcony with a comfortable chair made for relaxing. Sometimes all you need is a cosy lounge chair, a great book and a sunny spot to disappear into another world while enjoying the outdoors.
2. Create an outdoor living room
Your outdoor space isn't a backdrop – it's your playground. So why settle for less outside than you do inside? Open the doors and turn your garden, terrace or balcony into the cosiest room in your home — only without a ceiling and with a much better view.
It all starts with furniture you'll truly love to relax in. A comfortable lounge sofa with soft, fluffy cushions. A large dining table with plenty of chairs, so there's always room for one more.
Complete the space with outdoor lighting or a fire pit to keep the atmosphere going after sunset. Add an outdoor rug and plenty of plants to create that cosy living room feeling. Before you know it, everyone will gather outside — and no one will want to head back indoors.
Because the best evenings don't end on the sofa in front of the TV. They end outside, with great conversations and the last bottle of wine.
3. Layer your lighting
Great lighting is the difference between an outdoor space that's empty by eight and one no one wants to leave. Because when the sun goes down, that's when the real atmosphere begins.
Hang string lights above your lounge area or picnic table and you'll instantly create that holiday feeling, whether it's July or September. Or light a fire pit or outdoor fireplace. Fire has always brought people together, and it still does. Gather around, pour your favourite drink, and let the conversation unfold.
The secret is layering your lighting. String lights for ambience, lanterns on the table, and a candle or two nearby. Skip the bright spotlights and choose warm, soft lighting that invites everyone to stay a little longer.
Because the best evenings often begin when everyone says they're heading home… and then decides to stay for just one more drink.
4. Dare to add colour
A grey garden is a garden without personality. And that's not for people who want to live outdoors. Colour is what brings an outdoor space to life. It adds character, creates energy, and makes every moment outside feel more vibrant. So be bold.
Start with one statement piece that instantly catches the eye. It could be a striking plant, a piece of outdoor art or — our favourite — a colourful garden set that sets the tone for the entire space. Pair it with pots in different colours and sizes for a playful, effortless look. Don't overthink it. Don't play it safe. Choose boldness.
That's exactly what MaximaVida stands for. We don't make plain furniture sets. We create outdoor furniture for people who choose colour, boldness and originality. From a buzzing terrace to a balcony full of personality, the right colours bring your outdoor space to life.
5. Add some green
An outdoor space without plants is like a party without music. Something's missing. Greenery instantly makes your garden, terrace or balcony feel more alive, more inviting and, let's be honest, simply more beautiful. And you don't need a large garden to make it happen.
Mix different heights
Combine tall, medium and low plants to add depth and create a natural look. A few statement planters instantly give your terrace or balcony more character, especially when you choose colours that complement your outdoor furniture. Even with just a handful of pots, you can create a colourful little oasis that makes every morning feel brighter.
Grow your own herbs
Keep fresh herbs within easy reach. Mint for your favourite summer drink, basil for pasta fresh from the BBQ, or thyme whenever the mood strikes. Beautiful, practical and wonderfully fragrant when the sun warms the leaves.
Welcome birds and butterflies
Invite nature into your outdoor space with colourful flowers, an insect hotel or a bird bath. A garden that's buzzing with bees, fluttering butterflies and birdsong feels completely different from one that's simply neat and tidy. That's the difference between an outdoor space you look at and one you truly live in.
6. Make it peronal
The best outdoor spaces aren't styled straight from a catalogue. They tell your story. An old wooden crate you found at a flea market. The lantern you brought home from Morocco. The large planter your grandmother always kept by the window. It's those personal touches that make an outdoor space feel truly yours.
So don't throw everything away just because it isn't brand new or perfect. Give it a new purpose. An old crate becomes a side table or a planter for your favourite herbs. A souvenir from a memorable trip becomes the start of a great conversation. A family heirloom that no longer fits indoors can find a second life outside. These are the details that make your outdoor space feel like home.
Add accessories that reflect who you are. Not because you have to, but because they make your outdoor space uniquely yours. After all, the places that feel most like you are the ones you'll never want to leave — and where your guests will happily stay a little longer.
7. Embrace every season
Your outdoor space isn't just for summer. With a few thoughtful touches, you can enjoy your garden, terrace or balcony all year round. Because every season has its own charm — and every one is worth celebrating.
Spring brings fresh colours and the first flowers in bloom. Summer is made for long evenings, full tables and the BBQ sizzling before everyone has even arrived. In autumn, drape a cosy blanket over your lounge sofa, add a few pumpkins and gather around the fire pit more often. And in winter? A few lanterns, warm lighting and a soft blanket turn your outdoor space into the perfect place to slow down and reflect on the year that's passed.
Let your plants and accessories change with the seasons too. Bright summer flowers can make way for rich autumn colours, while colourful planters transform into a calmer winter display with evergreen plants and the warm glow of candlelight. Small changes can make a big difference.
8. Create a space people love to gather
A beautiful garden, a cosy terrace or a welcoming balcony isn't really about the furniture, the plants or the accessories. It's about what happens the moment people gather there.
The best outdoor spaces aren't necessarily the biggest. They're the places where people naturally come together. Where someone pulls up a chair without an invitation. Where glasses are topped up one more time. Where no one is watching the clock. That's not about square metres — it's about atmosphere.
Always leave room for unexpected guests. A bench against the wall. A few stackable chairs you can bring out when the neighbours drop by. A picnic table where there's always space for one more.
At MaximaVida, we believe your outdoor space isn't a backdrop — it's your playground. It's where life happens. So pull up a chair. Pour your favourite drink. Invite your favourite people. And bring your outdoor space to life.
MaximaVida. Outsiders for life.