October 15th 2015

It’s no secret that I love a cushion! They’re a great way of adding colour, style and texture to a space, and giving it your own personal stamp, but when you’re plumping up an outdoor pad – like a rooftop terrace for example – it’s so important for cushions to be functional as well as beautiful.

Here are the three things I think are essential to consider when selecting outdoor cushions.

UV resistance: An excellent UV resistance rating is vital if you don’t want your cushions to fade under the Australian sun’s intense rays. Look for cushions that meet or exceed commercial heavy-duty upholstery ratings and have excellent UV resistance to keep your cushions looking summer bright for seasons to come.

Ease of cleaning: In high-traffic outdoor environments, and when your furniture is in full sun or exposed to seasonal elements, choose cushions made from fabric that is bleach cleanable, anti-microbial and anti fungal (inhibits the growth of micro-bacterial and fungal nasties). An investment in quality now will pay off with minimal maintenance and longevity in the long term.

Flexibility: Good cushions don’t come cheap so why not invest in pieces that work indoors as well as out? I’ll say it again, choose a few quality cushions wisely and they’ll work harder for you than two-dozen regular cushions ever could. These cushions also have different fabrics on the back so you can mix up the look as often as you like.

I chose these fabrics from Mokum’s outdoor range and had them custom made for my roof terrace at Borough of Hawthorn because I love the colorfulness of the environmentally-inspired designs, and they tick all the boxes on the durability, versatility and performance front. Check out the Mokum range here.

Over the summer these custom cushions will be available on  my online shop so if you are interested please leave a message in the comments below and we will let you know when they are live on the new shop!

For more tips on furnishing and styling your outdoor areas read this article, and there are some more tips for updating your outdoor areas here.

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