Courtyard dilemma

The challenge

Newlyweds Michelle and JC Schoeman missed having a dining room in their rental apartment in Stellenbosch and the small paved area in their courtyard left them feeling uninspired. They were keen to create a space where they can unwind and entertain friends, without breaking the bank.

The solution

With a bit of creativity, the pair turned a dull area into a multifunctional Mediterraneaninspired courtyard. Here’s how:

1 ARTIFICIAL GRASS

After doing their homework, creating a moodboard and even painting a detailed watercolour mock-up of the space, Michelle and JC bought two pieces of artificial grass at the hardware store and got to work.

“We wanted more greenery outside and knew that artificial grass would do the trick; it’s also soft underfoot like a rug,” says Michelle. “I chose to landscape with organic shapes to make it look more natural.”

After fitting the first larger piece of lawn snugly around a tree in the corner of the courtyard, they cut the remaining piece into two S-shapes. They installed the first one next to the rectangular piece around the tree to soften the line and create a curve; they used the other piece on the opposite side of the courtyard.

“I used chalk to mark the pattern and fabric scissors to cut it out. The scissors will never be the same again – but it worked like a charm!” says Michelle with a laugh.