Renter's $200 Bunnings courtyard DIY perfect for coronavirus isolation

With all of us spending a lot more time at home, one renter has come up with a clever way to transform her small outdoor space.

Like most of us, Jessica Holsman is staying at home for the foreseeable future.

With the coronavirus pandemic worsening in Australia the Melbourne-based youtuber and author @studywithjess is looking for ways to keep busy while also making her apartment a more inviting space – especially now it's become her home, work, gym and social outlet all rolled into one.

Fortunately Ms Holsman has found a way to make her space more inviting, transforming her courtyard into a chic Hamptons-style space where she can work and practise yoga.

"I think our space can really affect our mental state and also our clarity," she said. "So if you've got a nice and clean and clear space, you've got a clear mind.

"It's just my way of creating a little at-home oasis for myself."

Jessica Holsman is @studywithjess. Picture: Instagram.

RELATED: Follow the latest coronavirus updates

In partnership with Bunnings, Ms Holsman spent $200 buying paint, pots and herbs to transform her courtyard and "grimy" old outdoor furniture.

"I had that deckchair that turned into the daybed (for a while). It was my sister's and before it was my sister's it was my aunt's, and before that I don't know whose it was, it's been passed down generation to generation," she said with a laugh.

"The other pieces of furniture were actually from Bunnings, but I bought them a few years ago, so I wanted to spice them up as well."

With self-isolation on the agenda for the foreseeable future, Ms Holsman has transformed her “grimy” outdoor furniture. Picture: Instagram.

A simple paint job and some new plants have transformed the space. Picture: Instagram.

Better still Ms Holsman was able to complete the project in the space of an afternoon.

"I set aside a nice sunny afternoon and I probably spent about three hours, because I did three coats of paint on all the furniture, and then you have to let it dry in between," she said.

To add some greenery to her courtyard Ms Holsman also bought and repotted some herbs that will not only add colour but also prove useful in the coming months.

Ms Holsman uses the outdoor space to work from home. Picture: Instagram.

"

She also has a chic daybed to relax on. Picture: Instagram.

“I got some mint, rosemary and lavender because I wanted to have a couple of things that I actually use day to day, because I cook with a lot of mint and rosemary," she said.

"Lavender I love to cut it and pop it in a little vase on my bedside table."

RELATED: How to prepare your home for a coronavirus outbreak

DIY PROJECTS THAT WON'T BREAK THE BANK

As we bunker down for what Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned could be six months of shutdowns, Ms Holsman has shared her top tips for keeping busy while adding to your home.

GET ORGANISED

Doing a spring clean and organising your space is a cheap and cheerful task that your future self will definitely be thanking yourself for, especially if you are working from home. Ms Holsman recommends going room by room and tidying up your space.

"If you're feeling like your home is not the ideal place to work I would definitely look for more storage and organisation DIYs," she said. "A lot of that stuff you can order online, so you don't have to leave the house."

Cleaning up will also be good for your mental health and create a sense of control and structure in these uncertain times.

"Organising your home, decluttering, cleaning things out, storage and organisation solutions that all brings a sense of control right now and just helps us to reduce our overall anxiety," Ms Holsman said.

RELATED: Woman’s ‘so easy’ $70 storage hack

DO SOMETHING JUST FOR FUN

DIY projects don't just have to practical. Ms Holsman recommends bringing out your artistic side and creating some artwork to decorate your at-home workspace. Parents can also get arty with their kids for some Easter-themed decorations.

"Anything creative that you can put on a nice calming playlist and you can get painting, or anything that you're using your hands," she said. "I feel like when I'm creative I'm really present and I'm more mindful and feel like that's one of the best ways to reduce my stress at this time."

BRING THE OUTDOORS INSIDE:

With advice to stay inside except for exercise and essentials, it can be easy to get cabin fever – especially if you live in an apartment. But you can bring the outdoors inside by buying more plants to liven up rooms, Ms Holsman said.

"We can go outside but we can't really be as active as we usually would like and socialise outside," she said.

"I'm trying to bring more of that outside oasis into my home so decorating different rooms with more indoor house plants. I've got a lot of hanging plants so I want to get a shelving unit and display it that way."