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Boozy Garden
#SpeakColour: A Boozy Courtyard Transformation

#SpeakColour: A Boozy Courtyard Transformation

At long last…. I finally get to sit down and write a blog article. #SighOfRelief! I have been extremely busy these last couple of weeks and I just haven’t had the opportunity to sit down and write. Of course yes, I have bucket loads of articles all lined up and anxiously waiting… But first things first, my #SpeakColour campaign article. Which by the way is looooong overdue!!

Please do forgive me for not going into extreme detail in how I did my project. I am not much of a “DIYer” so it is a new learning curve for me. If you want to have fresh produce straight from your garden to plate well you gotta step out of that comfort zone and get those hands dirty.

Spring is practically here and I am now fully motivated in getting my Boozy Garden or my Gartender on the go! My final goal is to be able to step out of my kitchen into a happy little space where I can relax, enjoy a sun downer and be able to pick fresh herbs, berries, or whatever else I might need for my cocktails or dishes. Best yet, to have all kind of herbs/spices that I can use in my everyday cooking. I really find it exhilarating to be able to pick fresh herbs and vegetables straight from garden to kitchen counter!

Do you see the sad state of this courtyard? It is pretty boring right? Absolutely nothing to get excited about. 🙁

the courtyard before
Right, so this is the before picture… I think you will agree with me that this space has a ton of potential?

Earlier this year I was very privileged and blessed to be part of the #SpeakColour Campaign run by Builders Warehouse. What a great head start in upping my Boozy Garden!!

#SpeakColour – Deciding on a Theme

I didn’t know which way to go… do I go plain and simple or do I go bold? Should I go with a Tropical, Mediterranean, or English theme? I mean the options are endless and to be honest I love them all. 🙂

After sitting for many hours on Pinterest sifting through ideas and inspiration I finally found what I was looking for.

different images of courtyard ideas all available on pinterest.

In the end, I opted for a desert like theme! After all, Worcester is the gateway to the Karoo! I have to be realistic as well… Would having tropical plants work when temperatures are soaring at 45C in summer and dropping below zero in winter? No, not really… hey! Also, I have to be water conscious and plant a selection of plants that are hardy and don’t require too much watering. My inspiration for my boozy courtyard is a mixture of both Mexican and Tuscan… so watch this space for further developments. This is only the first phase.

#SpeakColour: Choosing a colour

#speakcolour campaign product and colour guide books from well know painting manufactures

Ah man, I would have to say that choosing a colour of the #SpeakColour campaign was really hard. There are literally thousands of colours to choose from and where do you begin? If you are someone like me who loves all sorts of colours, how do you choose?

Do I go for something that is calming and romantic and choose greens or blues? Or do I go for some of my favourite colours like purple and teal? Do I choose something that is boring and go for neutral colours, as it allows more room for flexibility? Perhaps I should completely step out of the box and transform the space into something that is bright, cheerful and vibrant? How do you choose?

After going through the Dulux Product and Colour Guide, I immediately fell in love with the Passionate Argentina from the Dulux Colours of the World Range. It is a rich and gorgeous selection of oranges. Autumn is my ultimate favourite season after all, so why not!

tins of paint and paint guides all in different shades of orange.
So many colours to choose from to little things to paint! If hubby is not careful I might paint him as well!! LOL

The colour consultant at Builders Warehouse was fantastic. She was super friendly and extremely knowledgeable. When I told her my ideas and what I want to do she sorted me out immediately.

#SpeakColour: Get to Builders; Get it Done!

So apparently there are like a gazillion things that needs to be done before you can start painting, especially if it is outside.

There is talk of cleaning, repairing cracks and holes, sanding down to get rid of all flaking paint, putting a primer and possibly a damp sealer, and who knows all what…

I didn’t do half the stuff other than sand down a little and get rid of the old flaking paint. To be honest as mentioned earlier, I am not much of a DIY person and I really don’t want to bore you with all the 5 million details. Personally there a tons of websites all wanting to help you. I am here to show you:

1.) with a little colour your world can be transformed.

2.) You shouldn’t be afraid of adding colour a bold colour to a room.

3.) It is actually very easy to give a room a mini makeover.

I guess what I am trying to say is – if I can do it, then you most certainly will be able to. Just know you are not a lone – the team at Builders Warehouse are amazing and they are eager to assist you and direct you in anyway they can.

So coming back to the painting of the wall, as I have mentioned earlier I really wanted to brighten this space. Once again, after some consideration, I decided that I wanted to do something a little different. I mean this is called a #SpeakColour Campaign after all, and what better way is to play around. Here we go again, spending copious amount of time on Pinterest trying to find some ideas. My eyes caught something – and I was like YES!!!! Let’s try this!!

getting ready to paint

An Ombre Sun Set Wall!!!

It is very easy to paint an Ombre Wall! The University of YouTube has so many videos available all showing you how in how it can be done!

An example of how to paint an ombre wall.

Materials Used:

  • 1 x Selection of paint brushes;
  • 1L white paint (Acrylic based left from a previous paint job)
  • 1L Duram Endure All Weather Matt Exterior Paint (Daring Argentina);
  • 1L Duram Endure All Weather Matt Exterior Paint (Gentle Argentina);
  • 1L Dulax Rich Scandinavia (from the Colour of the World range – left from a previous paint job);
  • 3 x paint trays

We mixed a few extra colours to make a few different shades, adding more detail to the wall. I worked from very light on the top to very dark at the bottom.

a plain wall that needs a makeover
If painting outside make sure the weather conditions are perfect. You also don’t want to paint too late in the afternoon as you don’t want dew to fall on your wet paint. Luckily, if you use a water based paint, it normally dries quick.
the start of painting ombre
Started painting from top to bottom and from light to dark….
second layer of ombre
Before painting you must make sure you remove all flaky paint. We now moved onto a darker shade working towards the bottom of the wall. I am just loving the colours! Can you imagine some aqua accessories??

Do you see the transformation taking place. It always amazes me in how a touch of paint/colour can utterly transform a space.

So let the work begin! See our video below.

#SpeakColour Big Reveal…

…and 3 hours later this boring old wall in my courtyard has been transformed into a gorgeous feature wall.

..and what would a painting job be without someone supervising and then giving the final inspection to make sure everything is 100% purrrrfect.

Cat sits and watches the world
Supervised…
and the inspection!

and when the final nod of approval is given, we can move along to complete the project.

Final touches and…

TAADAA… my featured ombre wall is complete!! I love how it is rustic, and has a little character, after all it shouts ME!!

the final product a sunset ombre wall along with plants
Step 1 complete!!

So get to your nearest Builders now and give yourself a #speakcolour transformation.

Don’t you just love how the sunset compliments the wall? Me thinks it was a good option!

Coming soon #LetsGardenSA project, stay tuned to all my social media platforms to how it unfolds.

Lets chat… please feel free to comment on how do you like this wall, what colour would you have selected? What will you add to transform this space?

‘Till next time!!

**Disclosure: The paint is sponsored by Builders SA

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