The 5 step guide to creating your outdoor oasis

I love spending time outdoors; there’s really nothing more soothing than coming home from a hard day at work and padding out into the backyard to enjoy a cool glass of wine as the sun sets over the fence and leaves a beautiful sunset. Of course, it wasn’t always this way as I used to have the backyard from hell – one that I would rather ignore and draw the blinds on. It was while I was watching The Block one evening that I was inspired to get started on my backyard and to make it a spot that I enjoyed instead of loathed, and so I rounded up my husband that very weekend and we made plans to create the perfect backyard oasis. It wasn’t easy to get the work done, but once we had started, we gained momentum with every new development. Now, we have friends over a lot and enjoy the space so much more. I want to share with you my tips for creating a gorgeous backyard oasis and hope that it helps you!

Tip One: Sort out your furniture

If you’re still pulling up a chair at the rattiest table ever, it might be time to make an adult decision and to buy something new (or even second hand, and refurb it!). A great place to start is your local hardware store – they have so many options for every price range. If you’re worried about the cost, why not grab something cheap from the classifieds and set about restoring it. It’s a great weekend project and the feeling of getting it done will be very rewarding.

Tip Two: Enjoy the outside – no matter the weather

When you’re entertaining outside and you want to enjoy the summer weather, it helps to have some great blinds to shade you and to keep things cool. I recently invested in Ziptrak blinds in Melbourne and have loved them ever since I bought them. They’re great as I can close them up and enjoy the shade when it’s super sunny, and open them when I want to let the sunshine in. I know that during winter, they’re going to be great as well, as I’ll be able to use them when the cool winds are blowing and even when it’s raining.

Tip Three: Get a great BBQ

It pays to have spent a little bit more on your BBQ when it comes down to a big job like cooking for Grand Final Day! I recently went to a friend’s house for the big day and was sorry to see them struggling to cook all of the food on their just a bit too-small barbecue. We went all out and bought a great barbecue and I can happily say it’s never let us down!

Tip Four: Get a great sound system

The last thing you want when you’re holding a party is to be fiddling around with the sound system because it’s either too small, to low or too far away to impact on the party and to create the dance floor you want so badly! Splurge a little and get yourself some waterproof outdoor speakers.

Tip Five: Remove the need for maintenance with pavers

It’s all very well and good to say that you’re going to mow the lawn every week but in reality, that never happens. Save yourself the trouble and install pavers. You’ll be very glad you did.

It’s been a journey for us as homeowners, but I can gladly say that installing all of the above has really given our home a new lease on life – and it’s also added value to our property. You could say that it paid for itself! Good luck and happy renovating!  Eada Hudes