{great entertainer} outdoor

Coconut candle holders from garden life, vases and beaker from made by tait, floor cushions from the design hunter and made by tait

paradise found
The discovery of a spectacular water view inspired this resort-worthy outdoor entertaining space
WORDS Anna McCooe styling Adam Robinson PHOTOGRAPHY Natalie Hunfalvay

Homeowners Tony and Beth created a relaxed and inviting outdoor space in their Sydney home. A clever barbecue bay is built up with a dark-coloured ceramic tile splashback for easy cleaning and is carefully sited so the smoke doesnt blow into the outdoor lounge. >
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The couple love travelling to the South Pacific and are delighted that they can now enjoy that same holiday feeling at home. The island-themed stone carving from a local garden centre ties into their happy memories, although it was a challenge to carry it up the steep site! The painted timber fence, which will one day be screened by lilly pilly, successfully hides the neighbours pool. >

With

greenery

all around us, we really feel like were getting away from it all out here ~ Tony
and concrete retaining walls reflect the natural beauty of the views. A simple spotted gum timber bench maximises seating and provides a visual link to distant gum trees. A partial wall and screening plants lead the eye to the water and woodland beyond, while a timber fence disguises the next-door neighbours above-ground pool and will eventually be garbed in green, all contributing to the rooms private feeling. With such wild bush views in the distance, Josh planted a restrained scheme of murraya and lilly pilly to create a neat frame, and encouraged the natural ferns and mosses on the rock wall to prosper. As the sun starts to go down over the water, its easy to see why the backyard serves as the couples primary living space and all thanks to that day spent chopping back the lantana. Well head out here after work, light a few candles and enjoy a quiet glass of wine, and on the weekends well invite a bunch of friends around for a barbecue, says Tony. Its even lovely in the rain.

For 12 years owners Tony and Beth had more or less left their back garden in Sydneys north to its own devices. Then one day, they decided to don their gardening gloves and attack the mountainous lantana out the back. They looked down, gasped, and looked again. The couple had just discovered their gardens beautiful water views. It was so private and peaceful, says Tony. We could picture ourselves getting quite comfortable out there. Inspired, the couple began planning a deck that would capture the view and put together a team comprising of structural landscaper Josh Harrison, from Harrisons Landscaping, and designer Paul Scrivener. Plans quickly escalated and the proposed deck soon blossomed into a full-blown, roofed outdoor room and cabana, complete with lounging and dining spaces, integrated bar heating and downlighting. If we were going to do it, we wanted to do it right, recalls Tony. It was a bigger investment than we originally intended, but it has completely transformed the way we use our home. Set into a steep sandstone rock face, with no level surfaces, the space had its share of challenges. Designer Paul worked the elevated landscape to his advantage by resting the entertaining space on a natural rock bed topped with a concrete slab. Travertine tiles

Structural landscaper: Josh Harrison, Harrisons Landscaping, (02) 9986 3112, harrisonlandscaping.com.au. Designer: Paul Scrivener, (02) 9907 8011, scrivener-design.com.

Top left: Looking out at the stunning water view from their cabana, its easy to see why Tony and Beth embarked on this large-scale landscape project. Josh added extra greenery to the view with large cordylines, weeping lilly pillies, tree ferns and buxus around the edges. Top right: When Tony and Beth look out of their kitchen window, this naturally occurring green wall meets their eyes. The moss and maidenhair ferns were always growing on the rock face. Josh simply encouraged them to thicken up by cutting them back with hedging sheers. Meanwhile, plaster of Paris replica fossils play up the history of the landscape.

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Working with rather than against it, the cabana was built on top of a natural outcrop

nature sandstone

Top left: Looking up from the street, the cabana was going to be quite imposing, explains landscaper Josh Harrison. To counter this, a large mass of dirt and tree roots were cleared from the front, the existing sandstone was built up with additional sandstone blocks, and the new retaining wall was covered up by greenery to lessen the impact of the man-made structure. Top right: As a smart space-saving idea, the built-in spotted gum bench takes up very little room, but when its teamed with an outdoor dining table it comfortably seats a crowd. Paul, the designer, was very clever when it came to maximising the small space, says Tony. The Australian spotted gum not only calls out to the bush surrounds, but also incredibly practical. The tannins in spotted gum tends to weep less compared to other Australian hardwoods, such as merbau and tallowwood, so there is less chance it will stain the pavers below, explains Josh. Left: Scala travertine tiles from Eco Outdoor were chosen to create a sense of spaciousness. Choosing a large format tile to reduce grout lines makes the tight area look bigger, too, says Josh. Tony found the comfortable lounge suite at Outdoor Living and Leisure.

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