Outdoor Design

Spring is here and summer is just around the corner, so it’s time to start thinking about our gardens and alfresco living spaces in preparation for the outdoor entertaining season. Do garden beds and pots need replanting? Does the deck need to be res

Increasingly, people are choosing to entertain at home and, for many, that means entertaining outdoors. The result is that the average Australian homeowner is spending significantly more time, energy and money to ensure their outdoor living spaces —

Rugging up outdoors couldn’t be simpler, considering the vast array of decorative rugs we now have at our disposal. A beautiful outdoor rug can liven up a space by adding a splash of colour, or it can soften the look and feel of a deck or patio. From

T he timeless beauty and grace of natural stone has been celebrated around the world for centuries. Natural stone is inimitable. As it’s crafted by Mother Nature, every piece is distinctive with unique markings and colourings. The beauty of natural s

Swimming pool areas really have come a very long way in recent years, now serving as key features of the architecture of a home and a rallying point for social gatherings. Pools themselves have developed, too, with features such as negative edges, ac

JINNY BLOM, QUARTO UK, RRP $69.99 Jinny Blom is a British garden designer who, although based in London, has designed gardens throughout Europe, the United States and Africa. She’s also exhibited at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show several times,

In decades past, outdoor fabrics came in virtually only two patterns —stripes or checks — and they were invariably in only one of two colour combinations: green and white or blue and white. Not only that, the fabrics themselves were awful — plasticky

With I See Wild, Phillip Withers Landscape Design created a rural back garden setting that demonstrated how you can experience a truly biodiverse environment — a place of exquisite plant diversity and wild natural beauty — every day. The materials em

Designed as a place of sanctuary and succour, Back to Babylon drew on the legendary Hanging Gardens of Babylon — described as tiered gardens with layered greenery, stone walls and dripping water — for inspiration. Integral to the success of the desig

Designed by Melbourne-based Cycas Landscape Design, Echelon strove to redefine how we see concrete, highlighting its beauty and versatility in a garden setting. Take the concrete walls as an example. Formed from recycled fence palings, they brought t

Every year, Tree & Shrub Growers Victoria creates a display garden that is the talk of the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show. Not surprisingly, each garden is a celebration of plant life and this year’s offering, Legacies, took it a step f

Inspired by the Melbourne CBD, this was an unashamedly urban garden that fused elements of the city’s past with a vision of its future, namely, a city replete with green spaces. Designer Brent Reid of Candeo Design laid out the garden, dubbed Metropo

Designed with great sensitivity by smAQ Design Collaborations and built by Australian Quality Landscaping, Emergence was inspired by ancient landscapes and the people who created them. The large stone rising up from the pond — evocative of a secluded

Along, straight path flanked by overflowing garden beds and raised reflection ponds led to the elevated pavilion and created a real sense of arrival. This garden, dubbed An Urban Sanctuary, was designed by Charlie Albone as a place of retreat as much

This garden, which was designed by Emmaline Bowman of STEM Landscape Architecture & Design and constructed by Indigenous Design Landscaping, demonstrated how effortlessly our flora and fauna can be incorporated into a home garden, creating a welcomin

Atruly inspiring example of the “holiday at home” approach to garden design, Lush had a strong tropical theme. Featuring an abundance of soft foliage along with a deck, pergola and plunge pool, the garden, designed by Joel Barnett of Instyle Gardens,

Designed by Tim Harper of Adelaide-based Space Capsule Landscape Design, The Five Boroughs was inspired by the rooftop gardens found in the five districts (boroughs) that make up New York City. Old red-brick walling gave the space a sense of history

Asteeply sloping block may be a challenge but it also presents an opportunity to create something truly amazing. The owners of this property looked to Nathan Boutros of Iconic Design & Landscaping to take the previously inaccessible lowest level of t

Gardens w ith a compelling classical undertone are always in favour. There is something timeless about them and they have a restrained elegance that ensures they transcend passing fads and changing trends. This garden in Seaforth, north of Sydney, is

Acontemporary design with classic undertones, this engaging garden in the Melbourne suburb of Elsternwick is a confident fusion of contrasting textures set within the green embrace of a luxuriant planting palette and punctuated by clean, simple lines

For most of the week, the owners of this property in Mount Martha, a seaside town on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, live in a city apartment with scant outside space. That is why, when they asked Clive Abben of Abben Art to design both front and re

Thanks to the design and construction expertise of Fifth Season Landscapes, the owners of this Sydney property have a garden that exceeds expectations. Namely, an enticing, easy-to-use entertainer’s garden that seamlessly blends classic stone and tim

Although a well-designed garden looks as if its creation was close to effortless, considerable expertise is required to create a garden that is practical and aesthetically pleasing. This is why the owners of this property in the Melbourne suburb of T

Within the garden space, structure is irrefutably significant in embedding a house within its environment. An existing mass of lawn was all that softened this home in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Malvern. The home was positioned on an upwardsloping

A fusion of design influences — some sleek and modern, others distinctly Australian with a rustic touch — has transformed this rear garden and given it a contemporary yet earthy feel. The brief given to designer Josh Hooper of Landscape Techniques an

A mix of modern, Mediterranean and tropical design elements work in harmony to give the owner of this terraced garden in Sydney the ideal space for relaxing and entertaining. The garden was built by Reflective Gardens, under the guiding hand of compa

Australia is famed for its outdoor lifestyle, so it’s not surprising that many homeowners consider it essential that there be a flawless connection between their interior and exterior living spaces. This was the goal when GOODMANORS pool + garden was

With its lush planting and multiple entertaining areas, this garden on Sydney’s North Shore is now a place of refuge. Making the most of the sloping site, Urban Escape Landscapes & Pools took the opportunity to not only design a beautiful garden, but

If you’re looking for innovative, creative garden design ideas, the annual Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show is the place to go. At the 2017 show, held earlier this year, this garden, Back to Babylon, was an indisputable star, winning both

When designing these outdoor spaces, Moto Kihara of Kihara Landscapes worked directly with Rex Lin Architects, the firm responsible for the design of the house. This was a close collaborative effort, with the architect valuing Moto’s extensive experi

With a contemporary outdoor room, lush plantings and a warm, inviting colour scheme, the rear garden of this Perth home is designed to get you in the holiday mood whether there is a winter chill in the air or summer is in full flight. The owners want

Joining the terraced homes, iconic coastline and grandiose tree-lined boulevards of the inner-Melbourne suburb of Albert Park is a circular garden that will bring peace to your soul. The Zen garden was designed with harmony in mind. Delineated circle

This outdoor oasis has a relaxed vibe and offers myriad places where the family can unwind or entertain, all thanks to the design expertise of John Storch, principal of A Total Concept, a company specialising in landscape architecture and swimming po

While a construction site of hard-packed clay and rubble would be an eyesore for most, for Mark Bell from Bell Landscapes, it was a blank canvas full of exciting potential. Taking maxiumum advantage of the open space allotted for the garden, Mark dec

As is so often the case, children seem to emerge as young adults almost overnight and we find ourselves having to adapt our homes and entertaining areas to fit the lifestyle requirements this change brings. This was the case for the owners of this Br

Astriking fusion of strong lines, contrasting hard landscaping elements and eye-catching planting, this Perth garden is a fine example of modern landscape design. Describing the design as “resort style with a hint of Australiana”, its creator, Kerri

B y drawing on the borrowed landscape, this Queensland property has an enviable sense of connection with the wider environment. This not only gives it a true sense of place, it makes the already large outdoor areas seem even more spacious. The brief

F rom the beginning, homeowners Natasha and Vince were “feel-good” people who spoke of a spiritual relationship to living and how they wished to carry that into the garden. This is one of the things that drew landscape designer Michael Webber of Mich

To create a backyard that perfectly captures the personality and lifestyle of its owners, it often pays to think outside the square — or, in this case, the rectangle. When presented with a long and narrow rear garden comprised of a new lawn and sever

The owners of this leafy property in the Sydney beachside suburb of Bronte wanted to create a welcoming entertaining area that would be surrounded by garden beds filled with textural interest. This was to include a grassed area for the dog and foliag

Whenever garden designer Kerrie Griffin-Moore peers through the windows of her bedroom or home office, a sense of serenity washes over her. Visiting clients experience a similar feeling of calm as they wend their way to the front door through the lux

Making the most of the vertical planes is one of the keys to smart small-space garden design. Introducing levels and employing built-in elements are two more. All of these tricks of the trade have been taken to new heights of innovation in this Perth

Even when your outdoor spaces are small, this doesn’t mean you have to compromise on style or functionality, as the owners of this walled front garden in Perth’s Mount Claremont discovered. Once barren and uninviting, this 12m x 5m entry courtyard ha

The owners of this Federation home loved their formal garden but felt their outdoor spaces could be put to better use, so they contacted Peter Ciobo, design director of Gaia Gardens, to create new alfresco cooking and dining areas. “Not only did we n

For some, such a large site with such an imposing residence would prove daunting. For Nathan Hunt from Outdoor Domain Designs, it was an exciting opportunity to create something special. “Because of the scale, I decided to break the site down into se

Having recently renovated and extended their home in an inner suburb of Adelaide, the owners looked to Amanda Balmer of WAX Design to help them design a series of integrated outdoor spaces that would complement the look of their newly remodelled resi

I did a lot of designing and rearranging of my parents’ garden — and my bedroom – when I was a kid. When I was 16 my sister had a cerebral haemorrhage and we needed to build a new room to facilitate her disability. We didn’t have the money to do it s

I began by working in garden maintenance, moving on to garden construction and then design. I also worked at one of Australia’s largest retail nurseries where I gained extensive plant knowledge. As well as hands-on experience, I have formal qualifica

Garden design and landscape construction has been a common interest between me and my business partner, Phil Antcliff, for many years. After attending TAFE at the same time, we discovered each other’s passions for landscaping and how we could achieve

From a young age, I was given many opportunities to work with some amazing landscape designers. The experiences they exposed me to opened my eyes to the many possibilities within the realm of landscape design and construction. Once the seed was plant

If well-designed and well-cared-for, a deck is an asset in more ways than one. Keep it clean, stain-free and looking good and you’ll want to use it all the time. What’s more, when it comes time to sell your home, even an older deck, if meticulously m

Screening can create attractive garden rooms, add defined spaces to outdoor living areas and make your home more private. Screening also hides unappealing elements, such as air-conditioning units, clothes lines or garden sheds. However, screening out

Fencing certainly plays a functional role. Depending on your needs, it can keep strangers out or pets and small children in, divide and define various outdoor areas or enhance your privacy by keeping prying eyes at bay. Chosen wisely, it can also com

Your front-garden fence doesn’t only serve to keep people out or pets and children in. Chosen well, a front fence and gate will frame and enhance your home. For those who want a stylish and secure option, CastStone’s sandstone gate pillars are the pe

Australians have long been captivated by the natural allure and endless versatility of bamboo screening. It enhances the look of any garden and works with any landscape style. Best of all, it is affordable, quick to install and resistant to moisture

Over the years, Sikkens has been the preferred choice of architects, builders, painters and DIY-ers seeking a superior finish. It’s specially developed formulas provide the answer to the demand for a transparent, high-quality coating that will enhanc

With the right treatment, it’s easy to keep even the most porous natural stone and paving, as well as tile and brick, looking great for many years. Moreover, treating a porous surface with the right impregnating sealer makes the process of cleaning m

One of the most common uses for gabion cages is the construction of retaining walls, but there are many other ways they can been used. Some of these include landscaping features such as curved walls, garden walls, fire pits, bench seating and acousti

Rock-filled gabions are quickly becoming a must-have in many residential gardens. They’re being used to build retaining and garden walls and they are being incorporated into myriad design elements, ranging from seating and water features to planters

The rear garden of this urban home conceals a delightful secret that is as innovative as it is sustainable. As you step from the house onto the deck, instead of being greeted by an expanse of lawn, you are welcomed by a thriving, semi-arid landscape

Who hasn’t been mesmerised by the animals of Africa? The elegant stretch of a giraffe’s neck, the loving bond between a mother elephant and her calf, the barelycontained power of the hippopotamus… Sculptor and industrial artist Matt Hill is bringing

If you want maximum use out of your alfresco living area, you need an effective form of climate control — and to get the best solution for your specific requirements, you need expert advice. Shadeform Sails specialises in the design, manufacture and

If you want an outdoor living space that you can use year-round, you need the experts from Outrigger Awnings & Sails. Outrigger specialises in the creation of high-quality, custom-designed shade and rainproof fabric structures for domestic and commer

To get the most out of your new outdoor living space, you need a design that is individually tailored to suit your home and lifestyle. Enter Apollo Patios, a company specialising in custom-designed outdoor home additions, including patios, decks, car

The Fresco Aurora is a must-have appliance for those who enjoy outdoor entertaining. The combination of three key features in one product takes year-round outdoor entertaining to the next level of comfort and style. The stylish outdoor heater provide

Lighting has become an essential part of any quality landscape — not just an afterthought once the project has been completed. Established in 1989, Gardens at Night specialises in the design of premium lighting systems and the manufacture of speciali

Many Australians have fond childhood memories of time spent in the backyard bouncing on a trampoline with siblings and friends — long, leisurely days spent jumping and learning new tricks. Now your children can create their own lifelong memories with

Glosswood prefinished lining boards will enhance any outdoor living space. Pictured is the Cedar colour in the satin UV finish, which complements the natural tones of the outdoor room while adding a sense of warmth. The lining boards can be used for