8 great summer-ready tips

Published: 27 Sep 2012

Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].

The temperature's rising

Yah, the sun is shining and the temperatures are rising. It’s time to venture out of the house and reassess our outdoor living spaces and gardens. And the exterior of the house if you’re game enough – how about stepping outside the colour square and trying a fun colour for the house like this one in Resene Moonbeam. There are lots of boring chores to be done (clean the gutters, de-gunk the paths and decks) but there’s also fun to be had thinking about how we can spruce up our outdoor areas to get the most pleasure out of them for this coming summer. 

1. Think big. Is it time for the house to be treated to new paint? If you are tackling any of this yourself, use the right equipment in the right way to make sure you keep yourself safe – the correct ladders, well stabilised. Keep three points of contact on ladders – e.g. two feet and a hand. Don’t reach over too far – keep your belt buckle within the sides of the ladder.

2. Would an outdoor fireplace extend the life of your outdoor dining, or maybe something cheaper and more portable like a chimenea (Mexican oven) or clever EcoSmart firebox?

3. Is your deck looking dingy and your paths mossy? They could have become a slippery hazard during winter. Clean decks with Resene Timber and Deck Wash, and paths with Resene Deep Clean. You can improve the slip-resistance of decks and paths by adding Resene SRG Grit to your paint.

4. Consider a shade sail or a louvred pergola so that the sun doesn’t sizzle you or the summer showers drive you inside. Or side screens to block the prevailing wind.

5. Sick of staring at the shabby fence. Give it a smart new paint job using Resene Lumbersider tinted to whatever colour you want. A good idea is to use the trim colour (the one around your windows) on a more classically styled fence if you want it to be a feature. Or if you want it to blend into the garden, use a dark grey-green like Resene Knave.

6. Does your outdoor lighting need attention? Are you straining to see if the sausages are cooked or are you at risk of tripping on the front path at night? Make sure your outdoor areas are well lit: use sensor lights near entranceways and solar lights in the garden.

7. Review your planting – do you have the right balance of structural and smaller plants, or colour if you want it? Cut trees and shrubs back to prevent shading over paths and steps which will encourage mould growth. Keep any hazardous garden chemicals, solvents, paints and sprays out of sight and reach of children – ideally locked in a cupboard. Better yet, return all unwanted paint and paint packaging to the Resene PaintWise service – it will get them out of your house and they can be recycled, donated to community groups or reused.

8. Is your furniture serving you well. Do you need a bigger table, more chairs? Make sure the surface that you put them on is stable – no wonky tiles or shifting pebbles – or you and your glass of wine might end up on the ground.

pictures

Sally Tagg

Warming up

Would an outdoor fireplace extend the life of your outdoor dining? This one has been designed to fit with its Art Deco house, and features the classic Art Deco sunburst motif. It’s painted Resene Half Thorndon Cream.

Do it on a deck

Decks are an easy way to provide outdoor living. For a spring-clean, use Resene Timber and Deck Wash. Use side-screens to block the prevailing wind or sightlines from the neighbour. This is one of Lockwood’s EcoSmart homes, finished with waterborne Environmental Choice approved Resene paint.

Spruce up the fence

Sick of staring at the shabby fence. Give it a smart new paint job using Resene Lumbersider tinted to whatever colour you want. This one is a quirky take on a classic picket, painted in Resene Half Pearl Lusta while the house is Resene Bluegrass with a Resene Copper Rust fascia.

pictures

Frances Oliver

Clever coverings

Consider a shade sail or a louvred pergola so that the sun doesn’t sizzle you or the summer showers drive you inside. This one is from Shades Direct.

Lighting the way

Does your outdoor lighting need attention? Use well-positioned lights so you don’t stumble on the paths, and to create atmosphere. These wall lights are from Lighting Direct’s Erie range.

Review your planting

Do you have the right balance of structural and smaller plants, or colour if you want it. This courtyard and planting plan was designed by Ross Marriott from Artworks Landscape in Christchurch.

pictures

Juliet Nicholas

Is the furniture right?

Do you have the right furniture for the space? This simple table and bench seats is perfectly balanced in this courtyard garden designed by Sandra Batley of Flourish. Informal slatted screens in Resene Crowshead are used for privacy, as a wind break, and for visual interest.

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Resene Copper Rust

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Resene Half Thorndon Cream

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