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A vibrant DIY courtyard makeover

Time to give your outdoor space a pick-me-up!
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If your backyard has a tired-looking wall, don’t stand for it! Give your courtyard the makeover it deserves and revamp with a timber screen, some fresh greenery and some good lighting.

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By turning your focus to easy DIY fix-ups like this in the winter, you’ll have a summer-ready backyard, perfect for guests and long lunches.

WATCH: Adam and Melissa’s bedroom and courtyard makeover

1. Before you start

For the timber wall and decking, paint the existing wall behind in a bright colour to make the timber screen really ‘pop’ (we used three colours side-by-side – Dulux Weathershield Low Sheen in Burning Brier, Red Clown and Tango). Next, fix a 45 x 45mm timber batten along the top and bottom of the wall, paint it as well, then nail on timber lengths in various widths using a spirit level to help with spacing.

(Credit: Phil Aynsley) (Credit: Phil Aynsley)

2. Deck in a box

Multi-level decks can be complex to build, but the whole process can be simplified by using a modular deck system. Here, our deck has a top level of about 2 x 3m, a lower ‘day bed’ level of 1 x 3m, and two 1 x 1m step platforms. Each level is made of multiples of 1116mm² modules linked together. These kits are approved for decks less than 1m high, with frames available for both domestic and commercial use. Also, the components weigh no more than 20kg each – super easy!

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Love the look of this modular decking? Click here for the decking instructions. 

(Credit: Phil Aynsley) (Credit: Phil Aynsley)
Courtyard
(Credit: Phil Aynsley) (Credit: Phil Aynsley)

3. Growing up

Add life and colour to the walls of your courtyard or backyard with a vertical garden. You can make your own from scratch or buy DIY modular kits that take out all the guesswork. Here, we used the Holman GreenWall Vertical Planting Kit (available from Bunnings stores nationally at $99). Each kit comes with a panel that can hold up to eight small removable pots, which means you can easily replace or swap plants as you wish. The panel can also be connected to more panels to make a bigger garden. To water, just attach a hose to any of the side connections as each pot has its own dripper.

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(Credit: Phil Aynsley) (Credit: Phil Aynsley)

4. Turn up the heat

If you have the room, there’s nothing like the warmth of a flickering fire to add to your outdoor entertaining space! There are plenty of backyard heating options for you to explore, from portable fire pits to clay chimeneas.

Courtyard with firepit
(Credit: Phil Aynsley) (Credit: Phil Aynsley)
Vertical garden in courtyard
(Credit: Phil Aynsley) (Credit: Phil Aynsley)
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5. Light it up!

Think of outdoor lighting as the cherry on top. Not just for aesthetics, exterior lighting provides an extra reason for you to linger a bit longer in your brand new courtyard. Opt for a mixture of spotlights and mood lighting (like fairy lights, candles or festoon lights).

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