The Complete Outdoor Entertaining Guide: Natural Materials for Every Season

Outdoor entertaining is seasonal in theory and impractical in practice for about six months of the year in most of northern Europe. The gap between the outdoor space you have and the outdoor space you can actually use comes down to two things: heating and materials. Good heating extends the thermal range. Good materials extend it further and make the setting feel worth being in even when the temperature is not ideal.

Spring: function over styling

Spring outdoor entertaining is unpredictable. A warm afternoon can turn cold by early evening, and the temperature gap between sitting in sun and sitting in shade can be significant. This is where sheepskin earns its keep most visibly — guests who are prepared for the drop stay longer; those who are not go inside.

For spring, keep skins available on seating rather than positioned for display. The point is function — something to reach for when the temperature falls. Natural undyed skins in cream or off-white read naturally in a spring garden without looking like a seasonal decoration.

Summer: the transition from afternoon to evening

The afternoon in summer is rarely cold enough to need sheepskin, but the transition from direct sun to dusk is often sharper than guests expect. Having skins on outdoor chairs from the start means they are available when needed without requiring a break in the event to fetch them.

In direct summer sun, natural wool does not overheat. The hollow fibre structure prevents the heat build-up that synthetic cushions produce — a sheepskin on an outdoor chair in afternoon sun is more comfortable to sit on than a foam-covered seat, not less.

Dyed New Zealand skins in a colour that suits the garden — slate, sage, warm brown — can work well for a more considered summer look, provided the pieces are in shaded positions. For seating in direct sun, natural undyed skins are the safer choice.

Autumn: the best season

Autumn is the natural home of the outdoor fire pit and the extended evening outside. Cold enough to make warmth feel genuinely welcome, with light and atmosphere that are difficult to achieve in summer.

Specify generously for autumn. Long-wool Icelandic skins around a fire pit, seat pads on every dining chair, a rug underfoot in a covered seating area. The additional warmth of a deeper pile earns its place when the temperature is genuinely low.

Natural undyed skins in warm tones — the creams, tawny browns, and greys of Icelandic and English sheepskin — sit well in an autumn palette. If there is one season to invest in a larger or higher-quality specification, this is it.

Winter: extending further still

With adequate shelter and heating, outdoor entertaining in winter is possible and, for the right occasion, memorable. A covered terrace with a heater, a fire pit, and sheepskin on every chair creates a setting that is genuinely warm and atmospheric even when it is cold outside.

For winter, practicality takes precedence. Short-wool New Zealand handles repeated outdoor handling across a winter season better than long-wool options. Every piece needs to come inside at the end of every use without exception — moisture combined with cold is harder on leather than either alone.

Maintenance across the year

The outdoor care routine is straightforward: shake after each use, bring inside overnight, spot clean marks promptly, air before storing at the end of the season. The most common cause of premature deterioration is leaving pieces outside in damp conditions. Not the use itself.

At the end of the season, assess what needs replacing before the following year. Sheepskin that has been well maintained will last several seasons. A piece left outside repeatedly or stored damp will not — and is better replaced than taken into a new season looking tired.

Get in touch

We supply sheepskin for outdoor entertaining, garden events, and seasonal use directly. If you want advice on which types suit your outdoor space and how to maintain them across the year, get in touch.

Email: hello@naturescollection.eu
Phone: +45 75 80 10 50

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