I discovered a lovely old iron daybed in the barn when we bought the house back in January; far too small for a double, but too big for a single, I set about renovating it to provide a relaxing sofa/ chaise for the pool house.
As it wasn't a standard size I couldn't buy a mattress to fit, so I sourced some foam, wadding and fabric from my new favourite fabric shop in Brive (La Halle aux Tissus) and enjoyed making a 'French mattress' after watching a 'how to' video on You Tube. This has been my best up-cycle for a while.
I also found a rusty old table and chairs set with a broken table top in the garden - these got the same paint treatment, and along with a friend's old glass table top, (which was about to go to the tip) and some pretty fabric for the seat cushions, the set looks as good as new!
Finally, I found a huge cobweb encased dresser hidden in the barn which although beautiful, was far too tall to fit into the house or the gite. This was the final candidate for a make-over, to provide some much needed storage space.
Together, these re-loved items have transformed the pool house into a jolly outdoor room right next to the pool. The pool house has been well used this summer and has featured well in our guest feedback which makes me very happy. :)
Maria said:
"One of our favourite things about this property is the pool house, this well thought out area contains everything you need for lunch/dinner without having to go back to the house. This covered area also contains a lovely day bed which is perfect for relaxing out of the sun once you've had too much".
Ellie said:
La piscine fut un temps fort de notre voyage, avec un pool-house à côté pour s’abriter du soleil. Il y avait toutes les commodités nécessaires pour passer la journée entière à l’extérieur, dans les grands domaines. (The swimming pool was a highlight of our trip, with a pool house next door for shelter from the sun. There were all the facilities we needed to spend the whole day outdoors, in the large grounds.)