Beautify your courtyard!

Beautify your courtyard!

1. Lay down a vinyl rug

When you’re working to makeover an indoor space, the first thing any interior designer will tell you to do is to zone your space with a rug.  The same thought process should be applied to an outdoor courtyard.

There are some beautiful synthetic outdoor rugs on the market, but the cheapest way to transform a courtyard is to lay down a vinyl rug.  Use a light shade, which instantly brightens up the space and makes it feel more inviting.

Vinyl is a great option because it’s cost effective, easy to find at any hardware store, and remarkably durable. Just hose it down after guests come ‘round.

2. Add greenery with large pots

Courtyards don’t always come with a soil bed for plants, and if this is the case for you, then the single best way to bring new life into your space is by popping in a few large potted plants.

Large pots can come at a cost, so perhaps try Facebook marketplace or Gumtree to find some second hand beauties!

Or, you can have a go at making your own!  Use two silicone washing baskets (one slightly smaller than the other) as the mould for the pots, and fill in the larger basket with cheap builders’ cement mixed with water. Once set you could get creative and decorate the pots with spray paint.

The best way to cover up unsightly walls and fences is with large-scale outdoor screens.  Try decorative breeze brick-look screens which instantly create a Palm Springs vibe.

If you have a larger space to work with, you could also anchor the screens at the base with besser blocks and use them to separate the outdoor area and create different zones for reading, dining and more.

And at around $3 a piece, they’re a super cheap building block.

Try creating two stacks of besser blocks as the bench base before slotting in a few merbau planks of wood for the bench seat.

Whether it’s a water tank stand or heating unit, almost every courtyard will include an unsightly structural element you simply won’t be able to move. The solution here is to find a nifty way to cover the eyesore right up.

When renting, the number one rule is if you can’t change it, cover it up.  You can create a concrete bench from leftover cement to place on top of the stand. Now, next to the barbecue, the slab acts as an awesome bench for food prep and drinks storage.”

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