A mum from Tasmania, Australia, has delivered some pretty impressive DIY inspiration.
Rochelle Dare, 31, turned her driveway into a stunning outdoor area, in the space of two weeks and for around £1,000.
Rochelle and her husband Walter wanted to spruce up their outdoor space, taking the job on themselves to save money in the runup to Christmas.
They hoped to turn their plain driveway into a dining area for the festive period.
And they pulled it off.
Rochelle told LatestDeals.co.uk: ‘My husband and I came up with the idea to close the space in by using recycled weather boards from our recent house renovation.
‘We then wanted to keep it open and airy and not put a roof on so we decided to use sheets of lattice for the roof and one wall to make it feel closed in but still have air flow.
‘Eventually we want to grow olive vines through the lattice.
‘Believe it or not, it took us only two weeks to complete as we were on a deadline to host Christmas dinner. All that was there originally was the brick pavers.’
The parents say they spent around $2,000 (£1,054) transforming their outdoor area, which they reckon would have cost them double if they had hired someone to do it for them.
Using repurposed materials also helped to keep costs down.
‘The materials used were a mix of recycled timber and windows from our renovation and new materials, said Rochelle. ‘The lattice took a full day to paint and all up we went through about 25 litres of white paint!
‘We used left over Tas Oak timber floorboards to make the tabletop and a lot of the styling pieces, like the ladder and day bed, are hand me downs from family.
‘Once we had the design planned, the first step was to dig the holes for the posts to hold the pergola up. Once the poles and rafters were in place it was just a matter of attaching the lattice and the timber to make the arches and bringing it all together with the weather board surround.
‘Once it was all painted it was a matter of putting up the ladder, weaving fairy and festoon lights though the rungs and putting the plants and furniture in place.
‘Once the heavy work was done it all came together pretty quickly in terms of styling. The fireplace was picked up second hand on Gumtree!
‘The total cost would have been just over $2,000 [£1,054].
‘We saved a lot of money on trades by doing the labour and painting ourselves.
‘We felt very proud once it was completed as we did it all ourselves and we have spent so much time in the space already because we love it so much!’
If you fancy recreating this particular DIY project, Rochelle has some tips:
- Pre-paint the lattice before putting it up. We used a spray gun from our local hardware store which made it much easier
- Make sure your posts that hold the structure are solid and square, that way everything else should fall into place nicely
- Don’t be afraid to use recycled timber, especially if you are painting it!
- Olive and lemon trees are affordable and look great in any outdoor space
- Add some sort of straw mulch on top of the soil on all your potted plants to tie them all in and give a country cottage feel.
- Don’t be scared of a few days’ hard tiring work! It will all pay off in the end!
Have you completed a DIY project you fancy showing off? Get in touch to share it by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
MORE: Mum creates amazing fire station bedroom for four-year-old son with a budget of under £100
MORE: Mum creates amazing DIY playroom for son with sensory processing issues for £80
