Bringing new life to a well loved space.
The Project
This inner-suburban garden was suffering from many years of neglect, and was showing clear signs of deterioration. The new owners wanted to make a change - they have small children, and entertaining is an important part of their life. The garden they inherited with the house did not allow for easy and safe play for the kids, and the entertaining area adjacent to the house was cramped, damp and run-down looking.
The main issue was the layout of the garden; this was made up of many small levels, and each was different, with no relationship or link to the next area. The overall effect was a very tired-looking, fragmented garden that looked much smaller than it was.
The house itself had been renovated to a high standard, and the state of the garden really let it down. It was clear that we needed to establish some areas where children could play safely, where adults could entertain, and to create a generally more open and modern feeling to the garden.
The Design
The area closest to the house was a very narrow paved area - too cramped to be used for entertaining more than a few people. So we pushed back the retaining wall towards the pool, opening up this area to a more usable size.
The area to the rear of the pool was re-levelled to slope gently from back to front, curving around the rear of the pool and rolling down toward the house. The perimeter was planted out to ensure privacy from neighbouring properties, keeping to low-maintenance and low water usage plants.
The pool itself was stripped and re-tiled - and we added a spa large enough to accommodate the whole family (plus a few friends). By adding water channels from the spa into the pool, we were able to link the two, creating the impression that both were built together. By using frameless glass pool fencing, the whole garden is visible, making it appear even larger than it is - and the owners have a clear view to every corner of the garden to keep an eye on the kids.
The result has been very successful - a 70's relic has been transformed into a modern, stylish and family-friendly space - by carefully redesigning the garden to work as a whole, rather than several small areas, the whole family can use the entire garden, with plenty of space for everyone.