A Garden Party With Shades SA

November 12, 2017
|
Inspiration, Review
|
0 Comments

I’ve wanted to host a garden party for a while now, so when Shades SA approached me recently to collaborate I thought this would be the ideal opportunity. Johannesburg’s weather is just peachy at this time of year and whilst we may not have Cape Town nor Durban’s beaches, we’ve got magical summer rains and picnic-perfect gardens. I wanted to create a pretty, whimsical space using my white Shades SA bedouin as the foundation, and then decorate using flowers, greenery and soft-furnishings from around the home. I had an old door lying around which I hoisted up with two crates to create a low table, and then set the scene using carpets, blankets, pillows, pouffes etc. I love the idea of a lush lawn-party that feels like a room from within the home has been transported outdoors, think lighting, furniture and fanciness.

I ordered the Patisserie’s famous coconut custard cake, as well as a couple of lemon and ginger loafs, fresh fruit and sweet treats. To drink I served grapefruit mules with mint and blueberries, and tea of course. We had such a wonderful afternoon on the lawn and ended up in the pool, the perfect Sunday really. I can’t wait to do this again at night with the shade illuminated by fairy lights, dinner al fresco.

A little About the Shades SA Shade

These babies are available to pre-order now and will be available online in South Africa in a week or two. They’re super light-weight and setup takes a couple of minutes. They weigh 2-3kgs and pack small which is handy. The stretchy UPF50 fabric blocks 98% of UV rays, a must-have if you’re spending summer in the sun and outdoors. They come in a range of colours and sizes (ranging from R1195 to R1650), mine is a large shade for a size reference. I used an extra (tall) pole to hoist the back of the tent up a little higher where I hung the sheet to create a ‘room’ with the shade.

Your Shades SA sun chiller set comes with the following:

Carry-bag
Stretch bedouin shade
Built-in sandbags (just fill these with beach sand or something heavy to stabilise the 4 corners)
2 Aluminium poles (these create the height at the front, allowing the shade to slope backward and downward)

Extras that can be purchased:

Additional aluminium poles (R175 – R190 each)
Pegs for lawn (R135 for 4)

I definitely think it’s worth buying an extra couple of aluminium poles to give you added flexibility if you’d like to lift the shade higher or adjust the shape to accommodate more people beneath it.