This week in thoughts: Making do with what you have...
Patio Edition
last week in the UK we finally had some good weather. Actually, scrap that it was EXCELLENT weather and it lasted most of the week; heating up just in time for the bank holiday and then gracing us with it’s golden rays until Sunday (when we had rain and thunder. Of COURSE we did.)
I’m not sure whether it’s a country specific thing, but as soon as us Brits get even a sniff of sunshine we are either at our local B&Q or a garden centre, or both (actual heaven) quicker than you can say torrential downpour. It is like we are compelled to do something to celebrate the change in season.
One of the many things we love about the cottage is the garden. It is large and well established, is shady but has lots of sun traps and is full of wildlife. It’s perfect really, and definitely the largest outdoor space either of us has ever had the privilege of owning. We feel really lucky to have this slice of paradise, and wanted to make sure it worked well for our family and aligned with our vision.
As you can see from the image above, the patio originally had a trellis, and greenhouse at front, which I felt blocked the flow from that area and onto the garden. Sitting under the pergola, which we love to do had limited views into the beautiful garden so we set about removing it. We also relocated the mini greenhouse and gave it a spruce up (which I will reveal soon.)
Without lambasting how anyone chooses to decorate their own spaces, I personally prefer a more streamlined look and when you have such a gorgeous view, you kinda want to see it!
Then it was time to get the pressure (jet) washer out. When I shared the patio reel over the weekend I was asked a few times about power washer/ pressure washers and where to source/ what to look for. I confess I am not an expert but my husband nought ours from Amazon and went for a mid range variety which has held us brilliantly. I think the main difference is that a power wash uses hot water but I could be wrong. You also have to handle correctly and be mindful of spray as can hurt (do not use around children and pets.)
We pressure washed our patio slabs which were initially very greyed and I was blown away by the diffeence a good clean gave them. They feel so fresh, and are a chalky/ off white now. Amazing what a good scrub can do. You can also use a mix of bleach and washing up liquid, which you leave on for a couple of hours and this apparently gives the same effect. The pressure wash additionally helped to remove the debris and weeds from between the cracks, which in our case, had built up over time. Once dry we filled these gaps back in with sand; simply by using a stiff brush and sweeping the sand into place.
Once we’d completed the patio, it was time to tackle the pergola- a job I wrongly assumed would take a couple of hours and actually took two days. The previous owners had painted it a beige-y colour (over a dark wood apparently) which I didn’t feel worked that well against the brick of the house; in my opinion, it felt a little lost and unintentional. I knew it needed to be a darker shade to feel grounded and to ensure that it really stood out. I chose a multi-surface, exterior 10 year paint with a satin finish and set about painting. I’ll be honest painting it wasn’t the most fun I’ve ever had, it was hard work especially in the sun, but it was so worth it. We gave it two coats and took our time to ensure it was fully covered and finger’s crossed it will hold up for many years. It was also vital that we painted it before the grape vine starts to really blossom!
I also used the same paint to give the guttering and pipes a refresh, and it’s really made a difference. I love the look of freshly painted things and it’s an instant and low cost way to update more or less anything. They look lovely and clean now too.
Whilst Terry tended to the lawn and edged the borders, I set about giving our outdoor dining set a refresh. It was very tatty, and faded from the sun so I gave both the table and benches a light sand and a good clean and then re-stained them with one of my favourite stains in a dark walnut. I don’t love this furniture to be honest and feel it’s a little too modern in this setting, but as we are trying to be less wasteful, and repurpose where possible, we’re making do and saving the money for other, more essential projects. I think some outdoor cushions will help to give the set a new lease of life too.
Once we’d moved the table and benches into place, it was time to get styling. We added our pre-owned festoon lights (of which many bulbs need replacing!) to the pergola for a cosy, romantic look in the evenings, and we moved the existing pots around to soften the edges of the house and add some circular shapes for contrast. We are very fortunate that the previous owners left the majority of their plants, and so all we did was re pot a few, and shift some around. This corner is now one of my favourite views!
The total project cost us £52; of which we bought paint and stain for the table.
As well as being a cost effective makeover, I love that we have tackled the garden now, and can enjoy our summer as a family. By putting in a few days of hard graft, we can really get the most of it as (hopefully) the weather continues to get better. I also feel a real sense of accomplishment; as i always do when i complete projects.
Gardening isn’t my strong point but I have enjoyed getting ours in shape and taking pride in our outside space. The garden is really a reflection of the home and vice versa and essentially an extension of your interior style so it makes sense to care for it. Terry and I also enjoyed working together on it and we keep going outside to admire our handy work!
The next steps for our garden are to get back to the cabin. I shared a reel of our progress on instagram; where we emptied out all of the clutter (another super boring job) and have since been preppig both the inside and exterior for redecorating. Ill write a separate post for this particular project though as it deserves its own moment!
Once budget allows, we would also really like to repaint the fences; a task I loathe with all of my being and one that just never seems to end. To be honest if they weren’t the greenish/sage-y shade they are currently I probably wouldn’t bother but the tone just bothers me so much; As a detail oriented person and one that is ‘funny’ about colour; I can’t help but feel that the green clashes. It’s too light'; and moreover, it doesn’t compliment the exterior of the cottage. I would ideally prefer a dark walnut stain but as they are already painted we will have to use paint on top. I might invest in a sprayer for this though as using a brush is time consuming and very tiring.
And then finally, we would like to tackle the extension brick. It is jarring when looking face on to the house, because it clearly a more modern brick (I would estimate early 90s) and when you look at it against the old brick it just feels ‘off’. I think we will paint it, and in my mind I envision a dark, stony shade or maybe even a khaki; something that compliments the old brick, patio and path!
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram to catch up on our garden projects!
Nina x
I love the black on the pergola…I think it just gives a different dynamic to the space. Looking forward to seeing the cabin when it’s finished x