Kelly Hoppen reveals her clever and affordable tip for covering unsightly outdoor paving – it's easier than you think

Kelly Hoppen has always been a huge force in the interiors world to us, so it's no surprise that she brings her expertise to outdoor spaces, too. Speaking to Ideal Home in an exclusive interview, she revealed her top tips for updating gardens that have seen better days – and it's a lot easier than you think.

There's no better time than now to ensure your outdoor spaces are in tip-top condition for outdoor entertaining and soon-to-happen al fresco dining. Recently, we've been seeing many people favouring natural materials when selecting the best garden furniture, and even more attention is being called to embracing more of it when considering patio ideas and layouts.

If you've got dated paving and decking that are in dire need of an upgrade, listen closely to the advice the interior designer has to say on the matter.

Kelly Hoppen's top tips for instantly updating an outdoor space

We asked Kelly for some affordable ways to integrate a more organic look into our outdoor living areas, to which she came with not one but two suggestions.

Although the look of a lush lawn is the dream, it's not always the reality for many because of its high maintenance and other responsibilities you may have. While we always advocate for keeping on top of following lawn care tips where possible, Kelly makes a point that opting for artificial grass for some decorative purposes is worth considering.

'There's amazing fake grass you can get now that you can put out. It's really inexpensive and you can do wonderful strips of it,' she suggests. Place them between paving slabs and have fun with it.

'You could even use lovely white gravel to cover bad flooring outdoors and create a a sort of geometric space,' she adds. Depending on your desired outdoor colour scheme, she even suggests opting for black gravel as well to create contrast and add to your garden borders.

So, if you've got a gravel garden idea in need of some TLC, why not consider adding different coloured stones as Kelly has suggested?

To add to the list of low-maintenance and easy garden ideas, she even suggests going down the route of outdoor rugs which is the easiest option of them all, if you ask us. 'On QVC, I've got some amazing outdoor rugs (that are likely coming back this summer!), which again, is another way of covering the space – and they're washable,' adds Kelly.

Shop the edit of Kelly Hoppen's top tips

'There are so many great things out there that you can use, but the fake grass and white gravel (or black) to create borders is really nice,' she concludes.

Pair these tried and true methods with Kelly Hoppen's outdoor living room tips, and you've got yourself nothing less than a beautiful garden for spring and summer hosting and relaxing.