Beat boredom with DIY
What better way to ride out this mandatory confinement than improving our homes and gardens? Sharon Stephenson reports.
In my dreams, we’re on the other side. In my dreams we can leave our homes, go to work or for a meal, cross borders and congregate in numbers of more than two or three. Sadly, dreams are all they are for the next month, maybe more. In the meantime, when we’re not sparring with our housemates over who ate the last chocolate biscuit or gradually losing our minds, many Kiwis are using the nationwide lockdown to tackle those DIY projects they’ve been putting off for a rainy day.
If the stampede to hardware stores pre-lockdown is anything to go by, lots of us are riding out this mandatory confinement by improving our homes and gardens. But what exactly are we doing?
I’ll go first: my husband and I have just survived a major renovation so we’re down to touch-ups and final details.
One of those is finding a seat we both like for our entrance so last week, hubby fashioned a chunky wooden block from a tree he’d chopped down for firewood.
It probably took longer to get the heavy beast through the door than it did to shape and sand it. Collateral damage including a bruised finger (him) and tears of frustration at manoeuvring it into place (me), but we’re pleased with the result.
We also made a narrow shelf for my husband’s home office, which took less than a day to build and paint.
Here’s betting it will occupy many more hours as he finds things to fill it with.
Another recently completed project has been turning several vintage shoe lasts (moulds) into hooks for the entrance.
I collected them when I lived in the UK and, having nowhere to display them in the new house, we refashioned them as hooks (thanks to Pinterest for the idea).
In New Plymouth, interiors blogger Jess Singh is busy suiting up to strip paint from the exterior of her 1910 bungalow when I call.
Singh’s husband Sanjay is a police officer who’s working through the lockdown, so it’s up to the mother-of-three to do the bulk of the DIY.
‘‘We bought this house 14 months ago and are in the middle of a major renovation,’’ admits Singh.
This is the fifth house the couple has renovated, so they’re used to DIY.
Singh’s plans for the lockdown include stripping seven layers of lead paint from the exterior walls of their home.
‘‘Sanj will help when he’s home but otherwise it’s just me. Because it’s lead paint, I can’t get the girls to help.’’
Also on her to-do list is stripping wallpaper and painting the inside of wardrobes. For relief, Singh will be rearranging furniture in her home and posting the results on social media.
‘‘I’m doing things like three different looks for one area and moving stuff around to create those looks. It’s a bit of fun and hopefully will give people some inspiration.’’
In Rangiora, Jecasta South and her husband Pat are focusing their efforts on the outdoor spaces of their one-year-old home. ‘‘We’re building raised garden planter boxes for vege gardens, making gates for the property. We have stain at the ready to stain the deck and outdoor furniture,’’ says the mother-of-four.
Also on the agenda is landscaping along the back fence.
‘‘We’ve given up trying to dig out the rock-hard clay to plant and instead are laying weed-mat and stones and adding large concrete pots with plants. It’s a lot tidier and the plants will provide additional shelter and privacy as they grow.’’
When the weather isn’t kind, South intends to tackle the ‘‘unnecessary clutter’’ indoors. ‘‘I’m going room by room and cupboard by cupboard, sorting contents and cleaning.
‘‘So far I’ve tackled the butler’s pantry and kitchen, the linen cupboard, walk-in wardrobe and our youngest son’s bedroom.’’
Debbra Sweetman and her husband Mitchell are also no strangers to DIY.
The Papamoa Beach couple renovated their first house in Auckland and built their second outside
the city. Just over two years ago, they moved to a former bach at Papamoa, which they’re converting into a comfortable family home for them and their three sons, aged 6, 4 and 3.
Not surprisingly Sweetman, an interior designer, has big plans for the lockdown.
‘‘We’re knee-deep in a major reno, so while things like adding a new deck can’t progress because of course the builders can’t work, there’s still lots we can do ourselves,’’ says Sweetman.
That includes ripping up the driveway, which will allow them to extend the garage, and pulling down an existing balcony.
‘‘Eventually we’ll be able to build another one with a great view of the beach across the road.’’
Other plans for the next month include ripping out two upstairs bathrooms, converting one into a walk-in wardrobe and painting their home’s exterior.
‘‘We can get a lot done ourselves so we certainly won’t be sitting around bored during the lockdown.’’
If the stampede to hardware stores pre-lockdown is anything to go by, lots of us are riding out this mandatory confinement by improving our homes and gardens.