Summer Nights & Silver Screens

Transform your garden into a magical outdoor cinema. Why not express your own creative escapism and make a welcoming, movie theatre in your backyard?

Spielberg, Kubrick, Darren Aronofsky, Sergio Leone, masters of their craft, specifically visual storytelling. Creating seamless escapism with every shot, every angle and every scene.

Imagine, the sun setting on a warm summer evening, the landscape-soaked in a warm golden glow. The tassels on your luxurious garden parasol, dancing in the gentle wind. The temperature has dropped just enough to wrap yourself in a cosy blanket that has been set aside since the cooler months. A warm brew or cold tipple in hand and above you, your hand-crafted garden umbrella fans out like a giant bloom, catching the last glimmers of daylight.

Etta Round Bamboo Parasol

An outdoor cinema is the perfect way to extend your summer soiree well into the evening, and extend your living and entertaining space into your garden. When the shadow of neighbouring trees starts to creep across the garden it doesn't have to signify the end of the occasion. But instead, the beginning of the next chapter of the day. It's the perfect time to repurpose your garden accessories into their nighttime counterparts. You’re no longer chasing the sun, but instead chasing the stars.

Creating an outdoor cinema is possible in any garden. Whether you have an urban rooftop, large rolling lawns, a private patio or a wild wood there is no space that cannot be transformed with a few simple touches. It's time to surrender to the night. Lights, camera, action. Here are our top 10 tips for how to make an outdoor cinema in your garden.

1. The first step, check the weather forecast.

If it’s wind, rain, or snow please reschedule!

2. Consider your outdoor screen.

Who said you need a Hollywood budget? Take a look at your garden, do you happen to have a wall or window? Although there are an abundance of boujee options on the market, never underestimate the many uses of the humble bed sheet. Pulled taut and pinned between two trees, or hung in front of an outbuilding, doorway or window, it’s a classic DIY hack to re-create the big screen at home. We suggest investing in some cable ties and paracord to help string your sheet up.

Hint: the smaller the screen, the brighter the image will look from the projector. 

3. Next up, your projector

The world of projectors is vast and can seem somewhat befuddling! So, let's keep it simple. Projectors project in ASNI lumens which is simply the unit of measurements of visible light emitted. So, the darker the ambient light, the lower lumens you need and the brighter the ambient light, the higher lumens you need. It’s worth mentioning that outdoor cinemas are best for evening- at the peak of the day the sun outputs about 127000 lumens for every square meter it shines on the Earth, so any projector is going to struggle. A good middle point for any outdoor projector is around 2-3000 lumens. This should give you a clear and sharp projection - because if Kubrick taught us anything, it’s that details matter, so you don’t want to miss a thing! If you’re worried about portability then there are tiny projectors on the market that you can even take camping. The Nebula Capsule is the size of a beercan and it projects beautifully in dim light, and has enough battery to project an average length movie. 

4. Movie snacks

The great thing about an outdoor movie experience is that you don’t have to hoover up any popcorn, it’s food for the birds the next morning. We love the far out flavours from The Popcorn Shed, fancy a pink gin popcorn, or perhaps making your own seasoning appeals more?  

5. Audio

If you have speakers at home then don’t rely on the projector speakers, use your speakers to create a surround-sound experience in your outdoor garden cinema If stress-free and seamless tech is your goal then please check if the projector and speakers can connect using bluetooth or need an audio cable before you embark upon this mission, instead of leaving it to the last minute (we speak from experience) 

6. Now, for any creative’s favourite part - let's talk about setting the scene

Outdoor rugs and soft picnic blankets strewn across your outdoor space can form your seating areas just like the tents in Lawrence of Arabia. We love this warm red outdoor rug from Green Decore.

Bring the indoor outdoors and enjoy creating cosy nooks, full of colourful, mismatching cushions – enjoy the indulgent feeling of using your lovely cushions and sheepskin rugs to create a comfy place in your garden to unwind and get lost in the story. We love these long floor cushions from Dibor, you could lie flat or roll them up into a backrest. A gamechanger for garden movie watching or picnics in the park. 

7. A beautiful parasol

 Not only adds a sense of occasion to the evening ahead but offers shelter from the soft evening breeze and creates a warm and welcoming space beneath. We absolutely love our round bamboo parasols in this setting. Designed with theatricality in mind, the utterly impressive Cosima and Colette will be sure to bring the main character energy with their gorgeous gold ink lotus patterning.

8. Forget the spotlight, ambient lighting can transform your alfresco movie theatre.

String up festoon lighting, weave warm twinkling fairy lights along hedgerows and fence lines, delicate illuminations for the eyes to drift to between scenes. You could consider solar lights to line the garden pathway. Perfect to safely guide you and your guests to the interval refreshments. We love the lights from Sparkling Lights - a UK small business.

Dot citronella candles between pitches, to keep the air wonderfully sweet and the mosquitoes at bay.

9. Go for a truly immersive experience.

Use evocative scents to add an extra olfactory element to outdoor garden movie viewing- we love the scents from The Candle Brand which are vegan, pet friendly AND refillable, although if you choose to recycle your candle pot the label will flower into a plant! Fragrances such as Dark Honey with Pepper or Jasmine and Frankincese could transport you to another place entirely. 

10. Your guest list.

Whether it’s an intimate movie for two or a puddle of pals, we live in a world where screens are often dividing us rather than bringing us together. This is the beauty of the big screen, it's a shared experience that brings a sense of togetherness. So, roll out the red carpet, get the kernels popping and the drinks flowing for a night to remember!