Garden Challenge: AstroTurf Couch
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Christina Amini tricked out her yard space with a waterproof sofa covered in shaggy Astroturf.
Posted by ReadyMade
Project by Christina Amini; Written by Katherine Sharpe; Photos by Erin Kunkel
Christina Amini and her wife, Elspeth Stowell, wanted to enjoy their patio area more, but as renters, they couldn’t build immovable fixtures. So with neighbor Sarah Keizer they designed a garden with modular, movable parts. A sense of fun reigns supreme in their space, with a “lawn chair” covered in AstroTurf, a fire pit made from an old wheelbarrow, and the “raised bed”—a real bed frame filled with soil and planted with a “quilt” of lettuce and chives. Amini scored chairs at San Francisco’s Building REsources salvage yard and kept costs down by scrounging (a sofa from Keizer’s garage, tables at the curb on trash night). If Amini were to change anything, it would be the size of the raised bed, which is less portable than she planned: “The full moves,” she says, “but it’s really heavy!”
Who: Christina Amini, 32
Where: San Francisco
Day Job: Editor
Why: Improve a yard without violating a lease
Skill Level
Moderate
Active Time
Weekend
Cost
$$
- Used couch
- AstroTurf
Materials
- Utility knife or heavy-duty scissors
- Staple gun
Tools
Take removable cushions off of the sofa. Lay AstroTurf down on the sofa and cut into pieces just large enough to cover each area with a slight overlap.
Using the staple gun, attach AstroTurf, stretching as you go for a snug fit. You don’t need to cover the bottom of the sofa, but try not to leave any gaps where water might seep in.
Cover removable cushions separately.
To read more about Christina Amini’s garden magic, visit her blog at salvagedyard.blogspot.com
