Make do and mend Mondays

Sometimes it is fun to challenge yourself to do something with as tight a budget as you can. We just created a coffee corner in our garden doing just that.


Back in February, we started searching on a Dutch website called Marktplaats for a table and extra chair for our garden in our new home. We have a second terrace that is large enough for more than the one rocking chair which I had at our old house. These chairs were sold as a one time offer at a major DIY chain years ago. I was able to find a second one for which we paid only 20 euros. The original price was 99 euros. As soon as we got home, Jos got stuck in on sanding it so we could oil it with the same oil we use on the other chair.

The table was becoming a challenge. I did not want a big table but also not one too small. I felt like Goldie Locks trying out the furniture of the Three Bears. We finally found an old French bistro table made of wrought iron with a stone top. It needed work but was only 10 euros.

We scraped it with a steel brush, cleaned it and painted it black. I loved it for the pretty and decorative scroll work under the table. It came up like new again.

A few items on the table which can be seen from inside the house and our chairs sat by the table in the shade of our sweetgum tree. I rarely ever sit in the sun so this is fast becoming my favorite spot.

A perfect spot to sit and listen to the birds with a cup of coffee or tea and read a book...

This area is not finished as we have to have the terrace rebricked and I want to work on decorating the edging of this terrace but in the meantime, we can sit there and simply enjoy...

Cost of this mend so far is only 30 euros. Who does not like a bargain?