1. Install a recycled brick path
A path made from recycled bricks has a beautiful rustic look which works well with the older-style of the home. Paving a new garden path is an easy DIY job you can tackle yourself, as long as you prepare the ground for paving correctly beforehand. If you can’t source recycled bricks, try laying pavers instead. They’re laid in exactly the same way.
In this garden, the path was laid in herringbone style, which requires bricks to be cut (hire a brick saw). If you plan on attempting a similar project yourself and want to avoid any cutting, choose an alternative brick paving pattern, such as running bond or basket weave.
2. Replace the old driveway
When building a brick driveway, the herringbone pattern (used here) offers the best strength for car traffic.
The team used the same bricklaying process as they did for the brick path. Once the pavers had been laid, they tied a scrap of carpet under a plate compactor and used it to bed the bricks firmly so they can easily support the weight of a car.
3. Add a modern picket fence
The starting point with any fence makeover is choosing a design that suits the style of your home - in this case it was a timber picket fence. For a modern look, square-cut pickets were selected. Other popular fence ideas you could try at your own place include slatted screens, aluminium fences or even a fence made from Colorbond Steel.
Once these three jobs had been completed, it was easier to see where to add the finishing touches. For this home, it included reviving the front lawn, creating new garden beds flanking both sides of the front path and adding some leafy, shade trees.