In and out

From the Resene colour inspiration – latest looks gallery

With more reasons to stay at home than ever before, there’s a big draw in turning your home into the kind of place where you can both relax and socialise.

And one of the spaces where you’re definitely going to want to accomplish each of those goals is your outdoor patio area.

Whether your patio is flush against your home, further into your yard or on a balcony or rooftop, one of the key considerations for ensuring you can milk the most out of this space year round is by creating protection from the elements. While sun and rain are some of the obvious culprits, wind and cold can also adversely affect your chill time.

Your house can help shield you from some of the wind on blustery days, but erecting sturdy screens can alp help break the breeze coming from prevailing westerlies or easterlies (depending on where you live and the orientation of your home). Rather than attempting to block out wind with a solid surface, installing a screen with slits or perforations in it will help allow some air to flow through and keep it from having to bear so much pressure. The slitted timber screens at the rear of this patio, which have been finished in Resene Woodsman Whitewash, will keep out the lion’s share of the wind, provide privacy from surrounding neighbours and look beautiful and casual while doing it.

Another idea for a different look is to apply Resene FX Faux Rust Effect to your wind and privacy breakers, as seen here on the front left screen. It’s a waterborne coating used to create a rust style effect on exterior and interior surfaces, and once applied, it looks just like real rust – and it will continue to develop as the coating ages. You can leave it as is or protect it with a clear finish of diluted Resene Waterborne Aquapel.

When it comes to the cold, keep a selection of cosy cushions and throws nearby so that they’re easy to grab should anyone get a chill. Ideally, investing in a set in summer fabrics like cotton and linen and another set in wool and fleece will mean that there is always a suitable solution close at hand. A chic storage ‘ladder’ painted in Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss or Resene Enamacryl gloss waterborne enamel and tinted to a colour that coordinates with your outdoor decorating scheme is handy for keeping throws tidy in areas that are fully protected from the elements. For areas that are more at the mercy of Mother Nature, a storage chest, bench or ottoman will keep your blankets clean and dry and it can double as extra seating in a pinch.

Other handy things that can add to the practicality, look and ambience of your outdoor patio space are a small bar for storing and serving bevvies and a shelf for stacking up some greenery. By using affordable and easy to find materials and your favourite Resene paint colours, you can build both yourself over the course of a weekend. This bar and plant stand were made from a couple of upcycled pallets, cinder blocks and pre-cut timber panels painted in Resene Ironsand, Resene Friar Greystone and Resene Tapa to coordinate with the colours of the patio furniture and décor.

Pick up some extra timber to make an oversized Jenga game to keep your family and friends busy when they’re waiting for dinner to be served. Cut down 60mm x 37.5mm lengths of timber to nine 180mm long pieces so you end up with 54 identical blocks then sand down the edges. Rather than painting them all the same colour, use Resene testpots in six hues – Resene Triple White Pointer, Resene Friar Greystone, Resene Ironsand, Resene Gravel, Resene Tapa and Resene All Black – and use each to paint nine blocks to give the game some variation. Since most testpots are made with Resene Lumbersider, your finished blocks will be durable enough to stay outside in all kinds of weather.

Paint projects

Jenga blocks

You will need:

• 54 wooden blocks cut to 180mm long x 60mm wide x 37.5mm high
• Resene testpots in your choice of colours – we used Resene Triple White Pointer, Resene Friar Greystone, Resene Ironsand, Resene Gravel, Resene Tapa and Resene All Black.

Patio bar

You will need:

• 2 identical wood pallets
• A piece of wood for the top (treated wood for outside)
• Resene Quick Dry Primer
• Resene Lustacryl in one or more colours of your choice – we used Resene Ironsand and Resene Friar Greystone, and paintbrush or roller.

Instructions:

1. Paint your pallets and top wood in two coats using your Resene colour of choice.
2. Join the two pallets together using nails or screws to secure them.
3. Place wood on top of pallets and secure with a small screw or nail.
4. Take to backyard and set up for summer entertaining.

Plant stand

You will need:

• 4 cinder blocks
• 2 pieces of treated wood (suitable for outdoors) cut to the same width as your blocks. You can make the length as long as you like.
• Resene Quick Dry Primer
• Resene Lustacryl in one or more colours of your choice – we used Resene Ironsand and Resene Tapa, and paintbrush.

Instructions:

1. Paint cinder blocks and shelf wood (at least 2 coats) and all your paint pots
2. Place bottom two cinder blocks on leave ground and place first wood shelf on top
3. Place the next two cinder blocks on top of the wood and then pop the top shelf on top of those.
4. Add plant pots and plants to your plant stand – and don’t forget to water them!

Project by Vanessa Nouwens. Images by Wendy Fenwick. 2021