As the summer came to a close I decided the greenhouse needed painting. It had been at least three years since it had had a coat of protection and the last time it was done I didn’t think about how it looked and it was painted a red/brown, which I’ve always disliked. The greenhouse has always been a storage area in the winter for all the delicate plants and anything we don’t want left out in the cold stormy weather to get damaged. So everything was hurriedly piled up in there and it was a mess! I had seen the Scandinavian green houses on instagram, they use theirs as mini winter houses, practical but pretty with seating areas. Accounts such as @gertrudsrum ( take a look). Although my greenhouse is only small I thought there was potential.

My first job was to empty and go through everything in the little shed behind the greenhouse. This was valuable storage space that wasn’t being utilised. I found old broken tools packaging for equipment we no longer owned etc, after a trip to the tip and reorganisation there was lots of space to add the larger items from the green house such as trugs, brooms and big pots. Next I emptied everything else from the greenhouse, swept it out and prepared it for painting. After looking at dark greenhouses on Pinterest I settled on a green/black colour. Initially I wanted to go for Farrow and Ball Studio Green but felt this would take far more preparation than I was prepared to do to get a good finish. So I opted for Cuprinol Shades, which is half way between a paint and wood stain and is deigned for sheds and outdoor furniture. It is also water based which I find easier to work with. I ordered two colour testers, Old English Green and Holly. I’m so glad I did as both colours come out completely different in real life than they looked on the website. I went for Holly.

Cuprinol Shades paint is quite thin, you need to put at least two coats on in quick succession, if you leave it longer than eight hours between coats you need to sand down lightly. The whole process took me nearer two weeks than the one week I was planning, as it’s fiddly work and I was fighting the weather!

Halfway through painting the vintage apple crates I had ordered from eBay ( there are lots available at a good price) arrived. They fitted perfectly, stacked under the staging to hide and organise all the unsightly plastic pots and equipment. It was around this time that the idea of stencilling the floor came to me. I remembered seeing @bethshehata stencilling her garden path. I checked her blog and found the stencil company Dizzyduckdesigns.com they have an amazing range of designs and tutorials which are easy to follow. After a bit of research I decided to use Dulux Trade Masonry paint, mixed to match Farrow and Ball Railings colour, it’s just a bit darker than the green house colour. After washing the floor with sugar soap, I found my old stippling brush from the 1990s ( the last time I stencilled!) took a deep breath and began!

So once the painting, stencilling and storage were in place I needed to bring in all my tender plants as the weather was turning colder and wetter. The agapanthus pots fitted perfectly between the crates on the floor and my succulents looked great on the plant ladder. I always bring my lanterns and hanging plants in as they suffer if left outside through the winter, so they added to the cosy atmosphere. My last idea ( a bit indulgent) was the little stove, it’s basically an electric fan heater with a fancy top, so totally safe. I went to BandQ and bought the cheapest black stove I could find and I love it!! I added slate labels from hobbycraft.co.uk and a sheepskin from Homesense.com and I was finally finished.

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There is more space than before due to all the under staging storage. What I spent money on;

Paint for the greenhouse, paint for the floor, apple crates, stencil, stove

The only other cost was my time, about twelve hours spread over three weeks.