Contemporary in design, this inner city garden is simply made for entertaining

This inner city courtyard provides a warm, relaxed environment for the owners, offering somewhere to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. The garden has a fresh, contemporary feel and offers abundant space for entertaining and unwinding, exuding a sense of warmth from every corner.

The creation of the garden started with the engagement of Spaces and Places, an award-winning Melbourne based company, who could manage the project from start to finish. Spaces and Places’ design process allowed the clients a range of options for their new garden, which were presented in a 3D walk-through format giving the clients a clear vision of how their garden would look and function.

“Consultation and continued development of ideas is paramount in designing the right outdoor space for every client. That’s why we present several ideas during the concept stage,” says James Craig, head designer and director of Spaces and Places.

Construction of the project was done entirely by Spaces and Places. The highly professional team possesses a wide range of skills that enabled all the paving, timber work, pavilion construction, kitchen installation, irrigation and planting to be completed by the one company.

The clients are absolutely thrilled with their new space and are enjoying the transformation of their outdoor lifestyle. Entertaining is both easy and relaxed with the functional outdoor kitchen and the soft planted areas making for a comfortable space to enjoy.

Leading from the indoor living and kitchen areas, huge folding doors open onto the garden where a large, fully functional kitchen/barbecue and entertaining area takes centre stage. The stunning timber-lined roof ensures uninterrupted entertaining all year round, while the skylights and glass kitchen backboard let in an abundance of natural light. Feature lighting offsets the stone panels and timber elements, creating a soft yet stunning backdrop at night.
The long timber table, custom-made by Spaces and Places, fits perfectly in the space and provides a laid-back and comfortable arrangement.

Beyond the entertaining area the stone water feature and a solitary Japanese maple provide focal points around the garden. The changing colours of the deciduous maple provide wonderful warmth and variety throughout the seasons. Offset by a hedge of weeping lilly pilly, the remainder of the garden area softens and lifts the entire space with its fresh, vibrant foliage. The elements of stone and timber used throughout the garden create a cohesive and balanced environment.

This inner city courtyard has been transformed into a stunning outdoor living area that is so loved by the owners that they now spend more time outdoors than in. Drinks anyone?