Something has shifted in the way we treat our homes this summer, and I don’t think it will reverse when the temperature drops. 

As Britain bakes through its hottest June on record, we’re no longer just retreating indoors after the holiday. We’re treating the home as the holiday.

Our data at uFurnish.com, the UK’s leading furniture finder website, shows we are furnishing our gardens with the same care we bring to the living room, building outdoor rooms we expect to use morning to night, summer after summer.

Comparing the first 24 days of June with the same dates last year, demand across our outdoor categories rose 206%. Outdoor buys usually make up just 4% to 6% of searches on uFurnish.com – this June, that share nearly doubled.

The best news? You don’t need a big budget. 

Here are my ten favourite trending buys, all less than £100.

1. Festoon lights

The single biggest riser on the whole site, with searches up 277% on last June, and I love that it’s such an affordable one.

The warm-white string lights that turn a patio into an evening space led every other category, helped along by their starring role in the garden of ITV’s Love Island.

It just goes to show the impact a reality TV show can have on our homes.

The most-viewed design was a set of 20 firefly festoon string lights in warm white at just £25. 

Most viewed: Smart Garden 20 Firefly Festoon String Lights, warm white.

2. Outdoor rugs

Searches for outdoor rugs climbed 161%, and the reason is that we’re decorating our gardens with the same intent we bring to the living room.

Buyers favoured weatherproof, easy-clean designs in neutral jute tones and leafy greens.

The most-viewed was a jute-look indoor/outdoor rug in brown at £67.20.

It’s a small, affordable purchase, but what it really does is transform a patio in a ‘zone’, like it’s an extension of your home.

Most viewed: Berkfield Home Zizur Jute-Look Indoor/Outdoor Rug in brown.

3. Fire pits

One of the more surprising risers, up 83% year on year, and again I’d put it down to those Love Island contestants sitting outside every evening.

When it’s too humid to sleep, the garden becomes the coolest ‘room’ in the house, and a fire pit gives people a focal point and a reason to stay out late.

The most-viewed was a steel portable outdoor fire pit with cover at £50, and several of the trending designs cleverly double as low tables.

Most viewed: Steel Portable Outdoor Fire Pit with cover.

4. Sun loungers

Demand for sun loungers rose 133% from June last year, with folding, reclining textoline and rattan-effect designs leading the way.

The most-viewed was a folding textoline lounger that packs away neatly when you need the space back.

This is the buy that shows a real shift in how we use the garden.

Homeowners are now dedicating time to recline, read and doze in the sun – not simply dragging out a kitchen chair.

Instead, there’s a sense of permanence – that we now believe it’s worthwhile to invest in our gardens.

Most viewed: Tectake Alina Sun Lounger

5. Outdoor cushions

Searches for outdoor cushions rose 97%, climbing alongside the fire pits, and the two go hand in hand.

The cushions are what make sitting out past midnight comfortable.

The trending designs were striped and tropical-print weatherproof styles, and they’re the quickest, cheapest way to refresh a tired set of garden furniture.

Similar to your living room or bedroom, a handful of new cushions in this season’s warmer, more natural palette – albeit a small investment – will work hard to make your garden feel more luxurious. 

Most viewed: Bramble Row Striped Outdoor Cushion.

6. Hammocks

Up 126%, with hanging egg chairs and double hammocks leading demand.

The most-viewed was a double hanging egg chair with a stand in PE rattan.

A hammock or egg chair is pure summer indulgence – it’s what everyone in the garden competes for!

And the freestanding designs mean you don’t need two perfectly spaced trees to enjoy one.

It’s the piece that turns a functional garden into a really stylish haven.

Most viewed: Birchtree Double Hanging Egg Chair with Stand in PE rattan.

7. Summer duvets

This is the buy that tells you how hot it has been.

Searches for summer duvets rose 118%, with lightweight 2.5-tog and coverless designs for sticky nights leading the way.

The most-viewed was a 2.5-tog summer breeze duvet.

Swapping a heavy winter duvet for something breathable is the simplest, most affordable upgrade you can make to a sweltering bedroom.

Most viewed: Silentnight Summer Breeze 2.5-Tog Duvet.

8. Blackout blinds

Up 71%, and a reminder that a heatwave changes how we treat the inside of the house too. Roller and Roman styles for bedrooms and west-facing rooms led the demand.

The most-viewed was a teal blackout roller blind.

A good blackout blind does double duty in summer, keeping a bright bedroom dark for sleep and helping hold the heat out of a room that catches the afternoon sun.

For west-facing spaces especially, it’s a small, sensible buy that makes a real difference to comfort.

Most viewed: Unishade Blackout Escape Teal Roller Blind.

9. Lanterns

Searches for lanterns rose 78%, with wall and standing designs in metal and glass proving popular.

The most-viewed was an industrial fisherman-style lantern wall light in anthracite.

Alongside festoon lights, lanterns are part of the same shift towards the garden as an evening space.

They layer the lighting beautifully, giving you pools of warm light rather than one flat glow, and a wall-mounted design frees up precious surface space on a smaller patio.

Most viewed: Bacup Industrial Fisherman-Style Lantern Wall Light in anthracite.

10. Bird baths

A lovely riser to finish on, up 71%, with cast-iron and stone-effect designs for parched gardens leading demand.

The most-viewed was a faux ceramic birdbath.

In a summer this dry, a bird bath is a genuinely thoughtful addition, drawing wildlife into a garden that has otherwise been gasping for water, and it adds a focal point that feels considered rather than purely practical.

Most viewed: Artdeco Bird Bath

Deirdre Mc Gettrick is the CEO and founder of uFurnish.com, the UK’s leading furniture finder website.