Outdoor Design Issue #40 2020

Spring is here and summer is on the horizon, so now is the perfect time to consider how we furnish our outdoor entertaining spaces in anticipation of those long, hot days and balmy nights spent with family and friends gathered on the deck, patio or beside the pool. Outdoor furniture has come an incredibly long way and now rivals its indoor counterparts for design and quality. From modular outdoor sofas that can be configured to suit your specific needs to comfy daybeds and dining settings crafted from a wide range of materials, you are spoilt for choice. In this, our spring/summer edition of Outdoor Design, we look at the latest trends in outdoor furnishings and share the advice of some of Australia’s leading furniture experts on how to choose wisely. Summer…

Australia is home to a vast array of talented, highly skilled landscape architects and landscape designers who can create a unique garden that will be individually tailored to the way you want to live Having purchased an Edwardian home in the leafy Melbourne suburb of Surrey Hills, the owners immediately embarked on a major renovation and extension program. Of course a stunning period home deserves a garden of equal splendour and the owners entrusted Erin Green from Nature’s Best Landscapes with the task of producing a sympathetic and timeless landscape. “The clients wanted the garden to be well structured, formal and feature materials that would complement the home,” explains Erin. “The sound of running water outside the main bedroom was a must and as the front of the house faces east they…

What drew you to designing gardens? Almost 30 years ago I helped my father to landscape our newly-built family home during the school holidays. It was so rewarding and from there I developed a love of working outdoors and creating something from scratch. After completing Year 12, I was delighted to be accepted to study for a horticulture degree at Melbourne University’s Burnley Campus. Have you a set design approach? Overall, my approach is to always try and achieve something that will be timeless. I start by listening to what the client wants and then I suggest design ideas that will ensure they have a functional, visually appealing space that complements the environment and enhances the existing architecture. By listening to the client, closely observing the surroundings and introducing new ideas, you can…

Spring is here and summer is on the horizon, so now is the perfect time to consider how we furnish our outdoor entertaining spaces in anticipation of those long, hot days and balmy nights spent with family and friends gathered on the deck, patio or beside the pool. Outdoor furniture has come an incredibly long way and now rivals its indoor counterparts for design and quality. From modular outdoor sofas that can be configured to suit your specific needs to comfy daybeds and dining settings crafted from a wide range of materials, you are spoilt for choice. In this, our spring/summer edition of Outdoor Design, we look at the latest trends in outdoor furnishings and share the advice of some of Australia’s leading furniture experts on how to choose wisely.…

Having worked closely with the homeowner on multiple projects in the past, designer Mike Cass, founder of mike CASS creative and design it landscapes, relished the opportunity to again join forces. This time the goal was to revitalise a tired 90-year-old property in Sydney’s inner west, both inside and out. “Our shared aim was to redesign and update the home’s interior and exterior spaces while remaining sympathetic to the architecture and surrounding properties. In doing so, we also had to ensure we adhered to the regulations governing the heritage-listed suburb,” says Mike. “I chose a soft design approach; one that embraces curvaceous lines and takes its inspiration from the time the house was first conceived. There are both formal and informal edges and the proportion of the spaces does much of the…

Nestled in the foothills of Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges, this Upper Ferntree Gully home conceals a wonderful surprise — a stunning split-level rear garden that is an entertainer’s delight and a haven for plant lovers. The garden, designed and constructed by PTA Landscapes, offers the owners everything they need for cooking, dining and relaxing outdoors. What’s more, it provides a luxuriant, leafy outlook, which can be enjoyed from inside the home or when gathered in the alfresco entertaining area. As Andrew Wilson, Co-Director of PTA Landscapes, explains, the homeowners had a clear vision for their sloping garden. “They wanted us to create a private, contemporary indoor-outdoor entertaining space that would have the feel of a sunken courtyard set within in an ever-changing, luscious green garden,” he says. “Every element was thoroughly thought-out to ensure…