Achieve compound beauty beyond flowers and lawns

As people build houses, attractiveness is key. This starts right from the compound.
Besides lawn and simple trees, some people take a step further to put other various features in their compounds to create beauty.
Since a good compound creates the first impression to the house, how it looks matters and this depends on the owner’s sense of creativity.
However, a unique place is what almost everyone longs for the reason people take a step further to include unique features in their compounds to make them nice looking, attractive and impressive.

Use of sculptures
This is the reason why Gorret Betty Mbabazi, a resident of Kijura Fort Portal, decided to use a crested crane and a monkey in her compound.
At the sight of her compound, you could mistake it for a hotel because of the art and creativity she put to make it beautiful. She says she was inspired by her love and passion for art.

“I grew up seeing birds but I loved the crested crane the most because of the way my mother used to describe them; polite, calm and the most beautiful of birds.
When designing my compound, I chose it in order to bring back my childhood memories,” she explains.
Mbabazi also included playing materials for her children so that they do not have to go looking for where to play from.
On the left of the garden is a well-built hut with a sculpture of a monkey well decorated and placed at the entrance. She says she put this hut for shade.

She also says that she loves monkeys so much and that’s why she decided to use a monkey in her compound. Mbabazi adds that she intended to create nature, uniqueness and to utilise space in her big compound.
Besides the features in her compound, Mbabazi has also included a vegetable garden at the edge of the compound. It is multipurpose, she gets vegetables and it also adds beauty to her compound.
Like Mbabazi, different people put various features in their compounds; some decide to use swimming pools, many trees, Gazebos and other interesting things that create uniqueness and beauty

Different makes
Wanja Boniface of Bonre Consultancy Palour Bweyogerere says different people have love for different things.
The sculptures are made either of wood, bronze, silver or even cement. They include monkey sculptures, lions, dove, human beings, and duck, among others, depending on what one wants,” he says.

Wanja says that if you are to use the sculptures, make sure you place them at the gate entrance to create that first impression although you can as well place them anywhere you wish.
“Also these sculptures can be placed at the resting site of the gardens within the compound, there can be some chairs and tables within this place for relaxation or in case of simple meetings within the compound,” he adds
Gazebos, wanja says can also create both beauty and bring shade in the compound, with the Gazebos, you can use trees, huts, tents, and this is as well multipurpose because it creates shade and beauty at the same time.
Wanja says tree trunks can also create amazing beauty as well, he advises that you place them near trees because they can be best used under a shade.

Advice to sculpture lovers

Wanja advises that when choosing what to add in your compound keep in mind the effect it will have on the house , that is, mind the colour, the duration because most people may invest in things that may get damaged easily .
On the care, he advises that make sure you clean them frequently to keep them good looking , as for other features like swimming pools, he advises that you regulate the children because they may drown.
He also says that for the best look, we should aim at uniformity so as we are giving our exterior features color, let them match with the colours used in the house.

Stereotypes surrounding sculptures

As much as some people love sculptures and put them in their compounds, others refuse them relating them to religious beliefs. In case, when some people use them, others question their belief that’s the reason most people have not embraced the use of sculptures especially in Uganda.
However, this kind of thinking is changing. Many Ugandans have learnt the use of sculptures too and how they add beauty in their compounds.

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