This outdoor design is multi-functional, fresh and with all the features for a family to have fun
From the front garden with its lush garden beds to the poolside deck at the rear, this home is embraced by inviting outdoor spaces that entice the eye and soothe the senses, no matter what your vantage point.
Designed by Mike Cass, director at Mike Cass Creative, and built by Design-It Landscapes, the gardens have a look that is modern and fresh. They are also multi-functional and abound with all the features the family needs to make spending time outside a pleasurable experience.
“As there was limited usable area, the plan was to reclaim space through terracing and retaining. We also wanted to provide for a mix of functions and features and include elements to draw the eye so that there was something special to look at from every angle,” explains Mike.
Achieving a sense of balance and proportion was integral to Mike’s design, as was the creation of engaging colour contrasts. The latter was largely accomplished through the use of multi-layered planting. The plant palette, which also added detail to the design, was carefully selected and includes lily pillies for up-close framing, giant bromeliads for focal plants, as well as white mondo grass, tricolour jasmine and a variety of succulents. For privacy around the tight boundary, Design-It Landscapes planted slender weaver’s bamboo.
At the rear of the home there is a swimming pool, a deck (built of spotted gum hardwood, as were the pontoons in the front garden) and a patio which is the prime outdoor entertaining area. “Here you will find a large and inviting outdoor kitchen complete with workbench, fridges, barbecue and outdoor sink along with a handmade pizza bar, built in the traditional manner … brick by brick,” says Mike.
As the entertaining area leads straight into the home, ensuring a seamless connection between the outdoor elements and the home’s interior was essential. One of the ways this was achieved was by repeating the same material used for the external cladding in the interior kitchen, lounge and ensuite — just one example of the thoughtful and creative approach for which Mike Cass Creative and Design-it Landscapes have become widely known.
For more information
Landscape design by Mike Cass Creative Landscape construction by Design-it Landscapes
88 Penshurst Street, Willoughby NSW 2068
(02) 9967 5621