103 IDEAS FOR OUTDOORS
urban oasis 3. The retaining wall is made of concrete blocks covered by Random Ashlar cladding in Clancy from Eco Outdoor.
1. The Design-It
Landscapes team, headed by Mike Cass, sanded back the owner’s original furniture, painted it white and added new cushions. A ‘Mimosa’ floor cushion ($460) from Tait Outdoor expands the seating area.
4. An angled
pe rg ol a pr ev en ts th e ro of li ne in te rr up ti ng th e vi ew to th e ga rd en . It s wh it e ac ce nt s ar e th e pe rf ec t fo il to th e ye ll ow ‘J ak ’ ch ai r ($ 47 0) fr om Ta it Ou td oo r.
2. Potted plants can be trained along a wall
to introduce greenery to vertical spaces. A deep grey (try Dulux Timeless Grey) helps the foliage of this pretty mandevilla plant pop, while the pot’s aged finish adds a rustic touch.
5. Built from scratch, the heated spa is tiled in
downtown dream
This low-maintenance inner-Sydney space seamlessly extends indoor life in a perfect antidote to hectic city life words jane parbury styling Adam robinson photography sue stubbs
188 {AUGUST 2012} homebeautiful.com.au
glass mosaics from Bisazza. To get the colour he wanted, Mike selected pieces from the lighter end of the company’s ‘Blue’ collection. Pendant lanterns ($365ea) from White Home add an exotic touch.
Positioning
6. the spa on the upper deck enables filtration equipment to be hidden below. Add a towel from Cotton Love and jump in. >
The large
8. A small enclosure
for the portable barbecue’s gas bottle was built beside the dining area and finished in white to complement the retaining wall.
12. bowl (seek similar at Garden Life) of succulents is a clever idea for a small space, introducing a swathe of plantings and a conventional garden bed in an unconventional way.
9. The same
7. A trio of zones — spa, lounge and dining —
bl ue st on e pa ve rs (s ee k si mi la r at Be ll st on e) in th e di ni ng ar ea ar e us ed as st ep pi ng st on es be yo nd th e de ck , li nk in g th e tw o sp ac es .
was formulated according to how many people would use each space. Custom-made ‘Limone Ikat’ cushions (from $190ea) from Terrace enliven a dining area that can seat up to eight comfortably.
10. Loosely clipped buxus (above) contrast with
the square frame of the spa, creating a soft border. Its fluidity is also in keeping with the large succulent bowl (pictured opposite) that forms a focal point of the deck.
An outdoor shower
11. panel is made from blackbutt hardwood, with a Reece outdoor showerhead and a gate valve for the tap, as normal taps weren’t long enough for the piping. 190 {AUGUST 2012} homebeautiful.com.au
13. Dark-toned
decking, created with two coats of a tint topped with a natural finish, is a perfect foil to the greenery. At dusk, the deck reflects the light of a hurricane lamp ($95) from White Home. >
15. Forty tonnes of excavated material was removed, partly to accommodate the spa, which is 1.2m deep, and partly to generate new levels within the garden to maximise the space.
16. Adding
cushions,
14. Mike planted gardenia ‘radicans’, a dwarf
variety of the wonderfully scented shrubs, along the edge of the deck. The gardenias were selected as they won’t grow tall enough to impede the view from the house to the garden.
su ch as th es e pr in te d on es fr om Ec o Ou td oo r (f ro m $7 9e a) , is on e of th e si mp le st wa ys to so ft en a sp ac e an d in vi te la zi ng ar ou nd .
Contact
Mike Cass, Design-It Landscapes, (02) 9477 7008, designitlandscapes. com.au.
LED lighting
17. is dotted throughout the garden, hidden within the plantings, behind hedges and under stair treads. 18. Strong foliage works well with simple forms. In the yellow planter (from $70) from Terrace is a crassula from Garden Life, while a raphiolepsis ‘Oriental Pearl’ sits in the white planter.
192 {AUGUST 2012} homebeautiful.com.au