● OUTDOOR LIGHTING TIPS
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GARDEN GADGETS
Embrace the slightly-outdoor lifestyle: these fun lamps and refreshment
providers will put the finishing hi-tech touches to your palatial patio
f ever you were going
to ‘love lamp’, the
Anglepoise Original
1227 stands as good a
chance as any of earning
your affections. A design icon
conceived in 1935, the classic
Anglepoise uses pivoting arms
with a revolutionary spring,
crank and lever mechanism
invented by vehicle suspension
engineer George Carwardine,
so it can be positioned with a
light touch but remain in place
once released – hence ‘angle’
and ‘poise’.The BFG
The 1227 has undergone many
special-edition treatments,
but if there’s one guaranteed
to get Brick Tamland foaming
at the mouth it’s the ludicrously
oversized Original 1227 Giant.
Originally commissioned
by the Roald Dahl Museum
as a tribute to the author’s
favourite writing lamp, it’s
triple the standard size and
comes in floorstanding orwall-mounted configuration.
Great for living rooms, not
so good for gardens... so now
Anglepoise has created a
Giant Outdoor version with
marine-grade stainless steel
fittings and sealed housings
to illuminate balconies and
terraces without electrocuting
you or your cat.James and the giant in peach?
Along with all that stainless
steel you’ll find an aluminium
shade, forks and arms, with
a gloss or satin powder-coat
finish available in a series of
standard colours. And you can
specify a custom colour for an
additional charge.
We’re not sure which way
you’re intending your garden
gathering to go, but it’s worth
noting that BBC guidelines
once forbade employees from
illuminating spaces solely with
an Anglepoise lamp, believing
it would encourage degenerate
behaviour. If that’s true, we’d
like an invite.FATBOY
THIERRY
LE SWINGER
Fatboy is famous
for brilliant ideas
with ludicrous
names. This is a
wireless LED lamp
that can be hung
from a parasol or
branch, or stuck
in the ground with
its beech stand. It
lasts for up to 42hrs
between charges.
£199 / fatboy.comSMEG BLF01
BLENDER
Smeg’s 800-Watt
machine can whip
up frozen cocktails
or even aerate wine
before quaffing,
if you really want
to show off. The
removable Bottle
To Go is also a great
add-on if you’d
rather get wavy on
a socially distanced
park bench.
£179 / smeguk.comPHILIPS HUE
OUTDOOR
Turning Philips’
ace smart lighting
inside-out, the Hue
range now includes
wall-lights and
spotlights with
integrated LEDs
covering millions of
colours. Controlled
via the Hue app
and bridge, this is
outdoor Ambilight.
from £80 /
meethue.comPINTER
Fresh beer from the
tap without going
to the pub because,
well, you know...
Pinter can churn
out 10 glasses of
the brewery-fresh
cold stuff per pack,
with sustainable
fermentation that
retains its CO 2 to
aid the conditioning
process. Clever.
£75 / thegreater
good.co.ukCUISINART
ICED DESSERT
MAKER
This ice-cream
maker is every bit
as cool as its end
product, with a
1.4-litre capacity
for creating frozen
loveliness in 25
minutes. And as
essential as licking
the lid is, it’s still
dishwasher-safe.
£120 /
cuisinart.co.ukNERF SUPER
SOAKER XP100
If the beer doesn’t
cool you off, Nerf’s
Super Soaker
reimagined for
2021 will. You’ll
find the original
air-pressure
system in today’s
XP100 model,
armed and loaded
for horseplay and
mild flirting.
£18 /
nerf.hasbro.comREAD
THE ROOM
Think of your
garden as an
extra room
and consider
mains-powered
lighting. It’s not all
about the summer
either – a well-lit
winter garden seen
from the window
can be just as
dramatic.CATCH
THE SUN
Most wireless
lights are charged
via USB, but to go
self-sufficient try
solar-powered
solutions like
Lumify fairy lights
(from £40, thesolar
centre.co.uk) or
LuminAid inflatable
lanterns (£18,
luminaid.com).HEDGE
YOUR BETS
Try installing lights
in or around trees
and shrubs for an
interplay of light
and shade on
stems. Lighting
a hedge from
underneath can
look cool too,
giving off the
effect of cathedral
columns.ANGLEPOISE ORIGINAL
1227 GIANT OUTDOOR
TERRACE CULTURE
WE’RE ALSO WILD ABOUT...
£3300 / anglepoise.comI