A WOMAN has revealed how she transformed her crumbling garden into a paradise, saving £5,000 in the process.
Laura Higham who runs the Instagram account The Indigo House has recently revealed her new garden transformation showcasing a dreamy social space with a laid back, rustic feel.
And while Laura’s garden may look like a professional job, she revealed she had ditched pricey landscapers, who can come in at £5k, and did the project herself.
Laura turned her overgrown patio into the ultimate relaxed social setting making way for family lunches on the patio to cosy autumn evenings on the garden furniture.
Here she reveals exactly how she did it, and how you can achieve the same…
As the average cost for a garden overhaul can start from as high as £5,000 it’s wise to sit down and decide what elements of the work you can take on yourself, saving money to splurge on statement items for your social space.
Laura says: “We very much planned the space ourselves and I found my inspiration through Pinterest, Instagram and even visiting National Trust gardens! This helped us build a solid framework of our concept.
“When it came to the work, we did a lot of it ourselves. From cutting down small trees to taking up the old patio and digging out the beds surrounding it.
“This allowed us to keep costs down and invest our money in items that we knew were essential for our social space.”
Like planning interiors, it’s important you go into your garden design with a plan in mind, knowing exactly what you want from your space and how to achieve such, otherwise you may encounter additional costs for last minute changes or additions.
“I wanted the garden to reflect the same style as we have in the home, so that everything flowed well and felt connected.
“I love bringing the outside indoors with natural, rustic elements and textures, lots of wood, neutral colour palettes and textiles. Therefore, I wanted to take that back out into the garden.
“We’ve added lots of garden planters and flowers to soften the space, and then pattern and texture within the seating space.”
Deciding what your focal point is and where it will be sets the tone for your social garden space.
Laura says: “It’s really important to think of what you want to achieve in the space, how you want it to work for you and what you’re going to use it for.
When opting for a social space as the focus it’s important to think about the overall space as well as elements such as how the sun hits your garden.
For instance, would you want your area to be in the sun for evening dining or prefer a shaded option? It’s crucial you consider these points before you begin the work so you don’t encounter any costly changes.”
Instead of purchasing brand new garden accessories such as planters, baskets and accessories why not opt for second hand options? Not only will it be cost effective, it will ensure your garden contains one-off gems.
Laura says: “As we wanted our space to feel relaxed and laid back we opted for vintage additions in the form of planters and pots to create a rustic and informal feel.
“Try antique stores, eBay or vintage furniture sellers on Instagram such as @shop_wallis who take the hassle out of sourcing antique finds”
Now you’ve sourced second-hand delights and taken on some of the manual labour it’s time to invest your saved cash into your ultimate social space creator: furniture.
And Laura admits that she did spend a little extra, splashing out on a luxury rattan furniture set.
Ryan Schwarze, Head of Luxury Rattan comments “Investing in quality, outdoor furniture that will stand the test of time will not only make your garden look like a page straight from a glossy home magazine but will help to create a perfect, relaxed yet social environment your guests will want to visit time and time again.”
