Back in May the LMH husband and I began our garden makeover with the view of creating a little outdoor living area by the end of the month, we managed to clear the old picnic bench out of the space and build the rustic wood pergola (you can see the full moodboard for our space here) then the bees arrived. Despite our best efforts to work around them they had decided to take up residence in a bird box on the fence, right in the middle of the space we’re working on. I rang a couple of local pest control companies but none we’re willing to move the nest, the only option they gave was to dispose of them (no way, I’d not created a bee friendly garden over the years to do something like that). We decided we’d just have to wait for them to move on; luckily our garden has a couple of other little seating areas we could enjoy when the Yorkshire weather gave us the chance.
They didn’t leave until the beginning of August…then we began working again. We took down the bird boxes ready to paint the fence. I wanted a deep black to flow with the grey used on the French doors and in the living room leading out. We decided on Cuprinol Ducksback in black as it gave the look I was wanting whilst offering long-term weather protection (as I don’t fancy repainting the fence on a regular basis, not my favourite job). The paint went on really easily and has a great depth to it even after only one coat. I love how the grasses in the upcycled tin planters look against the black.
To create privacy from the main road and to add to the tropical vibe of the space we added some huge pots of bamboo, they look great and sound lovely when the breeze catches them. As it was a little too late to start planting a lot of the bold (I really fancied the deep black/purple) bedding plants I stuck with greenery for this year and added a couple of pots of hardier flowers. The recycled tyre planters and galvanised buckets add to the modern rustic feel of the space, which is vital to blend our interior décor with this outdoor living space.
Next was the fun part…the styling! The LMH husband hung a pallet for the centre of the pergola to add privacy and create the feeling of a roof without blocking the sunlight too much, the plan is to eventually hang a big vintage chandelier in the centre but I haven’t yet found the perfect one. We then strung these gorgeous carnival festoon lights from Lights4fun across the ‘ceiling’ of our outdoor living room. They give a lovely subtle light and can be set to flicker or twinkle (handy for Christmas!).
For extra atmosphere I stuck these Bamboo Solar Tiki Lanterns in some of the flowerpots (also from Lights4fun), I absolutely love these lanterns, they give off a warm white glow when switched on and add to the boho feel of the space thanks to the bamboo, you can read more on my love of bamboo here.
I decided on reusing the yellow and white recycled plastic rug we already had to tie in with the vintage yellow lion planter on the wall. The trunk coffee table is also something we recycled from elsewhere in LMH, it looks perfect in the space with our new swinging egg chair and upcycled black rocking chair, don’t you think?
To finish off the look I added a green Amish barn star as they’re suitable to be left outdoors and some candles, the pineapple candleholder looks great in the new space but will most definitely be brought indoors when the weather turns. Sheepskins and blankets are at the ready for when the temperature drops and I’m still eyeing up that Kadai firebowl so I can sit out all year around.
So what do you think of our new space? Late in the year for a garden makeover I know but the bees have to be protected don’t they? We did manage one fun night in the completed space over the bank holiday weekend thanks to some good weather and we will be looking forward to lots more next year!
A huge thanks you to Cuprinol for providing the paint and to Lights4fun for the gorgeous lights!
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