LANDSCAPE OF THE YEAR AWARDS ENTRANT NSW
Luxuriant front and rear gardens create an aura of calm and abundance
Purchased by a pair of down-sizing empty-nesters, the property had much to recommend it but work was needed to turn it into a home that would give them a comfortable indoor-outdoor lifestyle and garden spaces future grandchildren could enjoy. To carry out the building and landscaping works, they looked to Ben Mahony of The Mahony Group.
The front garden refresh was all about enhancing the street appeal. “We installed a stunning new entry path and gate as well as a period-style fence, and we repaved the veranda. We also planted out a lush garden oveflowing with lots of colour and contrasting plant foliage,” explains Ben.
At the rear, the existing swimming pool was too close to the house, cutting off access to the sunken lawn area. The alfresco area adjacent to the house was uncovered, wasn’t wide enough for tables and chairs, and lacked a barbecue. Inside the home, the kitchen, dining and lounge rooms at the rear were restricted and the doors leading to the outside space were dated.
The Mahony Group extended the rear of the home to gain over a metre in width. The team also replaced the weathered timber doors and windows with contemporary folding steel and glass doors, updating the facade and providing a seamless connection between inside and out.
The construction team also increased the size of the outdoor entertaining area and moved the pool fence to a lower position to minimise its visual impact. The expanded entertaining area features a custom floating barbecue, a retractable weatherproof shade structure, as well as heating and sound systems. The terrace was also repaved using a contemporary porcelain tile.
“To enable the entertaining area to be increased in size we infilled the swim-out area of the pool. In addition, we installed new steps and a long bench within the pool for entertaining grandchildren, increased the width of the paved coping to the rear of the pool, and retiled the pool’s interior with a contemporary black pearlescent tile,” says Ben.
“The rear lawn area was raised by over a metre to better integrate it with the pool and entertaining area so that grandchildren could be viewed easily from inside the home or from the alfresco entertaining area. This also enabled a garden shed to be installed and hidden to the rear of the lawn.”
To provide privacy for the entertaining area, Ben and his team screened the boundary with tall planting, which was integrated into an existing Murraya hedge. This has created a concealed garden which offers a serene outlook from the covered rear terrace as well as the kitchen and living areas of the home, in the process creating a sense of serenity.
Contact Details
Landscape Construction: THE MAHONY GROUP
Phone (02) 9999 1079
Email info@themahonygroup.com.au