Welcome welcome one and all to my small part in this summer’s #UKHomeBlogHop organised by the super sexy Kimberly Duran of Swoon Worthy. There are 27 of the UK’s best interiors and home design bloggers taking part in this “hop” and we’re all sharing with you our summer style for 2017. Big thanks to Kate from Fabric of my Life for sending everyone my way.
For those of you that are new to Making Spaces (and if you’re a nosey bugger), you can have a snoop around our house here. In the meantime, let me catch you up. We completed our loft conversion at the beginning of the year which gave us a great new second floor to our 3-bed semi. You can read all about the 17 week process over here.
Oh my god, i’m so ashamed. Don’t judge me.
What it didn’t leave us with, however, was a very nice outdoor space. The scaffold and building work had taken its toll on our patio, driveway and lawns. It was a complete disaster zone. So much so, it’s on the cards for a complete re-landscape next year including new aluminium sliding door and windows. Ya know, when we’re rich.
In the meantime, I wanted to spruce up our outdoor space, something to get us through another year before we dig the entire lot up. Luckily, Primrose were happy to work with me on our garden makeover which was ace as they stock everything you could ever need for your outdoor space.
My Primrose Wish-list
After waiting some time for nice weather, we finally managed a weekend of hard graft outdoors and rescued our small garden spaces. Here’s a quick reminder of the complete dump that was our garden/building site…
And here’s what it looks like now:
The 1.8 x 2.5m outdoor Samti rug has worked a treat to disguise our old patio flags. The rugs are made from recycled Polypropylene and are UV and frost resistant, so they’re easy to plonk outside without worrying about the weather.
The large rectangular garden mirror reflects light and greenery back onto the patio area. It’s a real heavyweight, metal and glass number so needs a masonry drill to fix into your external wall. It also looks quite at home indoors too, you may remember I used this mirror in the Upper Brook St Project for the ensuite shower room.
My new solar light bulbs from Primrose are simply clipped to the washing line, providing a lovely twinkle around the patio when the sun goes down.
Almost nice enough to sit out isn’t it?
You can see our outdoor clock here too. I actually bought that from Primrose about three years ago and it’s still going strong.
My glam Oscar Raised Planter from Sweetpea and Willow isn’t technically an outdoor piece. I just got carried away with my faffing. It’s now in our bedroom, looking rather stush adding more greenery to the space.
Ok, now onto the really tricky bit of the garden. The concrete jungle.
Gross
Like I said, EVERYTHING is getting dug up next year and re-done. We purposefully left the outside of the house until last. We’ve toyed with so many different extension ideas since we moved here 4.5 years ago, it seemed daft to do anything with it until we got the interior sorted. But I think we’re just about there now. She says.
Unsurprisingly, the reed screening was used to disguise the horrendous concrete boundary wall. It belongs to our neighbours who hate it as much as we do. All of us (not so) secretly hoping it might just fall down one day. I’m sure that can be arranged…
Once my hubby had fixed the screening to the block wall, it was time for me to start my bit. Bring on the faffing!
So much better
The reed screening (as a temporary fix) has worked wonders to improve this small 2m x2m space.
Along with another Tabriz outdoor rug from Primrose. This spot is where the sun shines for most of the day, but currently it’s the entrance to the timber garage, the garage that blocks out most of the sunlight to the rest of the garden. It’s all going next year. All of it. You’ve really got to plan and design your outdoor space around the sun.
I kindly received some goodies from Wayfair too to help finish off the garden.
The fab Festoon Lights were strung across the top of the garage and along the screening for some ambient lighting on this side of the garden. And the Vito Side Table which came in exactly the same colour as the our timber garage, a lovely muted stone colour is the perfect size for some drinks and nibbles.
I really do love it. It’s made me super excited to get the outside done properly next year. I’ve got me some grand plans.
It seemed a bit unfair to neglect the front garden so the, vintage zinc planter, made its way around to the other side of the house.
Adding a bit more “urban jungle” and colour underneath our living room window.
And that’s our mini update for this year, everyone. I hope you like it and it’s given you some ideas of how to spruce up your outdoors spaces, quickly and easily. It’s by no means perfect, but it’s a damn sight better than it was a month ago. Amazing what a bit of faffing can do isn’t it?
I’ll just end with a lil before and after of my fave bit.
Before
After
Fancy more summer style inspiration? Why don’t you pop onto read Amanda’s post from Ana Mum Diary who’s next on the hop. I’m sure she’ll have a very warm welcome for you.
And if you’d like to see who’s taking part in the whole #UKHomeBlogHop, here’s the list of all the awesome bloggers taking part this week. Everyone’s post will be going live at 11am each day.
I highly advise you to start at the beginning of the hop to check out everyone taking part this summer. Everyone’s posts have been fricking amazing so far this week. Such a talented bunch. Huge thanks to Kimberly again for organising such a fun week. She’s a good egg!
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Well I Guess This is Growing Up
Sponsored post. Big thanks to Primrose, Wayfair and Sweetpea and Willow for working with me on this post and gifting some wonderful items for our makeover. All photos and opinions are my own, as always. I only ever work with brands I like, and think you guys will like too. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Making Spaces.
Oh my goodness Karen, what an incredible transformation!!! It looks amazing! It’s really jaw-dropping what some well-chosen accessories can do to a space and I love how you’ve zoned out different areas to create seating zones! And I do love a reed screen myself – ours covers are ugly dilapidated fence nearest the house as well – ha! (shhh!). Thanks so much for joining in the hop my dear! xxx
PS. I literally laughed out loud when I read “organised by the super sexy Kimberly Duran” HAHAHA! Oh well if you say it then it must be true! *swishes hair and tries to forget she’s still wearing pyjamas at 11am*
Oh its looking lovely Karen! The shed looks a little like a seaside hut, and with that reed screening and all your beautiful pieces from Primrose it’ll definitely be a lovely space for you to enjoy all this summer (fingers crossed for sun!) xx
OMG I can’t believe the difference you have made….especially with the rush on the wall. It looks amazing Karen.
The reed screening is a triumph, and so easy to do, I’ve used it before with an ugly dividing wall and it’s so easy. I also love the idea of the lights on the washing line! The whole effect looks lovely and relaxing.
What a great job you’ve done on it. It’s amazing what a difference it’s made by just screening off that concrete wall.
Isn’t that reed screening great? And amazingly affordable too. You’ve done a great job with the styling – I expect the garden will get a lot of use this year. Weather permitting of course xx
It’s amazing how something can go from
Drab to fab if a bit of effort goes into it. Makes such a difference in this weather to enjoy the outside space. I’m looking forward to next years garden plan too!
A beautiful example of faffing done right! I wound’t call this a mini upade at all. You’ve created a space where there was nothing before. And I’m going to steal you’re tin planter collection look.
What a transformation! It looks lovely and the reed screening is fab! x
You’ve done a fab job it looks brilliant!
That screening was perfect, and make a MASSIVE difference! It all looks great, and now it is a really lovely space to sit outside in and enjoy the sunshine. Well done, it looks incredible!
What a transformation!!! The ‘before’ and ‘after’ is amazing to see and I love that reed screen/fencing! Have a fab weekend in your (hopefully) sunny garden xo
Karen this is a wonderful transformation, everthing takes time when you are waiting for renovations so dont worry!
(been there, done that)
Bestest wishes
Ashley
Sorry to be crass but y’know that phrase “you can’t polish a turd” , well I honestly think if anyone could do it, it’d be you hahaha
This is some serious transformation lovely. Absolutely smashed it!
I love that you have used a mirror outside – how fab! Going to copy that idea for sure. Great post – really beautiful styling.
Blimey, Karen, what a difference!! I keep seeing outdoor rugs. I dismissed them at first but they make a dramatic difference, don’t they. I now have a list of about ten possibilities for our new patio.