Displaying posts labeled "Outdoors"

I can’t help it. Even though it’s winter here I keep daydreaming about backyards and outdoor spaces. And if I owned a teeny tiny courtyard garden behind a terrace house in the inner city I couldn’t think of a better outdoor solution. Pool, a place to sit and soak up the sun, benches for friends to gather, perhaps a slightly bigger table for al fresco dining, a frangipani to grow up and give me shade in the summer and sun in the winter and the promise of a carpet of sweet smelling flowers at my feet. A private hideaway tucked above a garage in Sydney’s Paddington by Outdoor Establishments.

Photography by Lina Hayes

This Vaucluse, Sydney garden may be young but it’s contemporary meets classic formality mix is fabulous. It will be perfect when the trees mature and the stakes and ties are no longer needed. Another great design by Harrison’s Landscaping.

It’s hard to take winter seriously in the sub-tropics where I live. Today it’s 22°C. Perfect weather for daydreaming about backyard redesigns. For small block inner city living this Bondi backyard is just about perfect. Pool? Tick. Outdoor kitchen and al fresco dining? Tick. Tropical plantings including statement container plants? Tick. A bit of grass and a swing for the kids? Tick. Privacy in the middle of a bustling city like Sydney? Tick. Who needs anything more? By Harrison’s Landscaping.

It’s like a shadow house, a phantom building. There but not there. Starkly minimalist this modern addition to a historic home is cartoon like in its form, its all black walls and roof helping it “disappear”. Housing a garage and additional living space it is connected to the existing stone building by a glass walkway allowing for a strong delineation between old and new. Kensington Park Residence by South Australian Proske Architects.

Simple, clean lined, modern and low maintenance –  doesn’t mean that this small inner city courtyard isn’t a sophisticated urban oasis. Annandale landscape design by Secret Gardens.