What to do with our courtyard?

While the interior of the house is more-or-less completed in terms of livability (as far as affordability and space), the backyard, front yard and courtyard leaves plenty wanting.

Because it's just a rental (up to the next 2 years), we have to pace ourselves, both pocket-wise and ambition-wise. Everything has to be easy to move around.

The yards are just grass... nothing exciting. Very boring, in fact, but at least it's neat and clean.

The courtyard has commanded plenty of frustrated what-if scenarios. All in all it's a really poorly planned space.

Big Picture: A plain, if poorly, concreted area, with a slope down to the backyard. (in green, below)



Small Picture:
1. Where the two walls meets, there is a drainage hole. But the builder has stupidly built it on a slight mound! So nothing drains.

2. There are no covered areas.

3. Some mad architect (maybe owner builder) built is so that the only rooms facing the beautiful morning sun from the North are the bathrooms! The courtyard (and rest of house) is on the opposite side and gets almost no sun!

4. The walls of the courtyard aren't really usable either, it's very utilitarian with air conditioner split unit, dustbins, windows and doors. (see illustration above)

After almost 2 months of what-ifs

I think this is the plan with the easiest layout:



Even in winter, I often love to sit out to have a short read or a tea. I think I have settled on a sandstone outdoor setting. Something like this would be great since it's weather-proof.

From here

I brought Sir Lancelot with me, although right now, it's not in a good spot. We left our lovely potted gardenias and birdbath back in Melbourne for our tenants to enjoy.




I love swings.

I still want badly a swing in my garden. My mother had a gorgeous 70s wrought iron garden swing, in this style but more ornate:



For furniture, I'd love to have an expansive sandstone table like the one below with some (much more) comfortable chairs:



Maybe something like this, hardwearing and rustic. This image has been foremost in my mind:



Our tenants asked us to leave my beloved yellow breakfast Colebrookdale setting in our property, so I love the fact that they enjoy it so much!



We still have those white wicker pieces, but since there's no covered area here, they have to languish away in storage.

I'd love to have a courtyard filled with ferns and greenery, in a bright spot, much like Halle Berry's beautiful pied-a-terre:

Via here

Of course it's a smidgen larger than our previous courtyard-cum-frontyard-cum-backyard!

Keep on coming back to see how I create living spaces for me and my small family :)