5 Easy Steps To Having A Covered Outdoor Living Space Ready For Summer

5 Easy Steps To Have A Covered Outdoor Living Space Ready For Spring and Summer In Just 1 Day!

Sponsored Content: This post has been sponsored by SUNS Lifestyle. As usual, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Last year, we had a SUNS Lifestyle 3 x 3.6m Rota Metel Louvered Roofed Pergola installed in an unused area of our garden and it was one of the best decisions that we ever made. It is covered and watertight, giving us a large seating area that can be used at any time of the year. However, this space really comes into its own during the warmer months when the garden is in full bloom and we want to be outside as much as possible. Today on the blog, I want to demonstrate how our SUNS Lifestyle pergola and garden furniture can be rejuvenated after winter and ready to use in just a couple of hours!

This is how our pergola looked after the harsher winter months. It required a good clean up from dirt and debris, while fallen leaves needed to be removed from the louvred shutters to enable rainwater to flow into the guttering channels and drain through the legs to the ground.

No painting, wood-staining or rot treatment is required

Made from high-grade aluminium, a SUNS Lifestyle pergola is low-maintenance and requires little work to have it ready for spring and summer. Being faced with rotting wood and the need to do a lot of painting or staining can feel overwhelming when the warmer seasons start and it was something that I really did not want to have to manage annually with a child and a busy lifestyle. Rain, ice, mildew and algae can cause havoc with wood and I wanted a rust-resistant, easy-to-clean outdoor living space that was easy to maintain.

To clean, all I need to do is use a power hose on the Rota frame and clear the louvered roof shutters and gutters of debris so that rainwater removal continues to flow well. The toughened aluminium is powder-coated and therefore UV protected, so the white surface will not erode or fade.

While I keep my textilene side screens mostly pulled up during windy seasons, the PVC-coated woven polyester is mildew resistant and just needs a soft wipe down with a microfibre cloth to remove any dirt or grime. As the screens are double layered for durability, they can also take a good power hosing and the water will just bounce off - I just lock in the screens at the base and spray until there is a clear exterior view. As the screens fit perfectly in the tracks with no gaps, it’s hard for dirt to get embedded and so they remain easy to pull down and re-lift year after year.

Mould-resistant furniture fabrics just require a wipe-over

Under our Rota Louvered Pergola, we chose the Savona Lounge Collection: a relaxing corner sofa with accompanying teak side tables which I felt were super-stylish and embodied the current interior trend for slatted wood.

Like the pergola, the frame of the sofa is constructed from industrial-strength aluminium that won’t stain, fade or rot, so I just clean it with water and a microfibre cloth. The deep-seated, comfortable Savona cushions are upholstered in durable weatherproof materials (Quick Dry Foam® inserts and Sunproof® fabric for the covers), making them mould-resistant. These cushions can be left out all year and to clean them I just used some textile cleaner and a sponge. As they are made from quick dry foam, they are ready to sit on after just a short period of time.

Eco-friendly, recycled PET bottle fibre rugs are weatherproof and can be brightened with a rug clean

Leading the way in forward-thinking, sustainable technology; SUNS Lifestyle’s outdoor floor rugs are made from recycled plastic bottles converted into durable and sustainable polyester fibres. Even though the rugs are ultimately constructed from plastic they are incredibly soft underfoot, yet resistant to extreme temperatures, rain and wind. Due to their placement, these rugs can pick up garden mud and dirt, so they benefit from a simple rug clean at the start of spring. A wet vac or carpet cleaner will do the job, then just hang the rug in the sunshine to dry at an accelerated rate.

Pot up spring bulbs and add vases of cut flowers

While your garden or any planted areas take time to come to life, I love to pot up pretty wavy terracotta containers to place on my Savona teak side tables to celebrate the emergence of the warmer seasons. Hyacinths add a wave of scent throughout and around the pergola, while miniature narcissus are joyful and full of colour. Simply add your bulbs into a container with drainage holes and soil, then add a layer of moss on top.

Add bright, summer-themed accessories

Instigate spring and summer by styling your covered outdoor living area with joyful decorative accessories and textiles in tones of yellow and burnt orange. Here, I’ve added a 3-wick citrus-scented candle to fill the pergola with summer fragrance. I’ve also included yellow cushions and a throw while I wait for summer to really kick in.