A family-friendly garden perfectly suited to the Queensland lifestyle.
A fire pit zone, a pool to cool down in on a hot summer’s day, places to sit and relax — the family who call this Sunshine Coast property home enjoy all of this, and more.
“The clients were a growing family who sought to better utilise their backyard. They wanted a pool, a casual seating area around a fire pit, and an open tiled area for lounges and an outdoor kitchen,” explains Leigh Barrett, director of Living Style Landscapes. “The design also needed to complement the classic Queenslander-style home but have a modern feel about it.”
The brief seemed simple enough until Leigh visited the site and discovered a very steep block with a few spots that seemed almost unusable. “There was 2.9m of slope over 5m with thick banana trees growing over the area — it became clear the design process would be challenging,” he says.
“We pushed the pool right up to the boundary so it could act as a retaining wall and allow as much space as possible between the pool and house. We had to do a balancing act between the contours of the natural ground, existing heights under the house, and council rules regarding side boundary height restrictions with every height change critical to the garden’s look and usability.
“Having finalised the design, the major challenge was working with the extreme slope. The pool build, which saw it attain a finished height of 2.4m out of the ground, was especially challenging due to the landslide council overlay, so significant footings were required.
“Garden beds and stepping stones to the extended beach area where the kids could play were included in the concrete construction of the pool shell,” adds Leigh. “The feature stonework, a key element of the design, was constructed along the entire boundary wall of the pool shell.”
While the pool is the centrepiece of the new design, the cosy fire pit area has proven a hit with all ages. This space includes a curved seat that wraps around the stone-clad fire plinth with its Corten fire pit insert. Both seat and fire pit are clad in the same stone.
“The tiled area linked the underneath of the house with the rest of the project and added large usable undercover areas designed to handle the Queensland weather, rain or shine,” says Leigh. “The installation of classic travertine tiles throughout the project tied in well with the existing home while the use of Wamberal stone cladding on block walls around the pool added a more modern look.
“The planting palette was chosen to complement the architectural style of the house, so leans towards the classic,” he adds. “The plants include camellias, jasmine, agapanthus and Buxus clipped into balls to add a sense of formality. The lush layers of green are inviting and serve to soften the hard structures of the project.”
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