Our gardens are important for sustaining our environment and are a sanctuary for our own health and wellbeing. With garden sizes under pressure due to urban consolidation, we need to think creatively about how to make the most of the space we have. As a landscape architect, I recently completed a small courtyard project for a young couple. The courtyard space was their backyard and, when I first saw the area, it was a small lawn surrounded by high, dominating masonry walls.

The project commenced with a site meeting to talk to the client and assess the site for constraints and opportunities. At the first meeting, it is critical to ask the right questions and obtain a detailed design brief. In this particular case, my clients were a family of three with an infant child.

The brief was to create a multipurpose family-friendly outdoor room that connected the indoor space to the outdoors, making the overall area feel larger and interconnected to best suit their lifestyle and growing family. I was provided with a survey and then checked wall heights, views, site measurements, levels, drainage pits and locations of services. The briefing stage is the most important step in the process, as the designer uses your brief and information to creatively develop the design ideas to address your requirements.

Once I had collated all the site information and understood my client’s requirements, the design phase commenced. This is the creative phase of the project where designers develop sketch ideas in response to the brief. In this instance, I designed an area for the barbecue, an alfresco sitting area, a daybed for relaxing, a feature wall, an outdoor shower to wash the sand off after visiting the local beach and a level deck surrounded by timber bench seats with built-in storage and weatherproof soft furnishings.

Plants such as yuccas and frangipanis were selected as features to soften the high masonry walls and provide textural form and highlights. The hardwood timber deck continued the look of the interior floorboards, which were a similar colour, emphasising the seamless connection between inside and out. The concept design presentation included a scaled plan (sketch plan), section, elevation, planting and material schedules. With the approved concept design in place, I completed relevant construction documentation, details and specifications to enable the contractors to quote and build from.

Always consult with your local council to check if approval is required for any proposed works. In this case, no council approval was required, however we had to obtain body corporate approval. The garden was built without delay so the family could enjoy their first summer in their new outdoor room.

Project details:

Site Design +Studios
julian@sdstudios.com.au
sdstudios.com.au

Words & Photography Julian Brady, registered landscape architect

Originally from Outdoor rooms Volume 22

The post Creating an outdoor room with Site Design +Studios appeared first on Completehome.

Take inspiration from this outdoor bathroom at the luxury Chandra Villa in Bali, chandrabalivilla.com

With so many indoor rooms now found outside too — such as kitchens, living and dining rooms — it was only a matter of time before the bathroom joined them.

An outdoor bathing area offers a unique feeling of relaxation and peace, providing a special place where you can unwind and appreciate nature’s bounty. An outdoor shower or bath offers a place in your outdoor room where you can enjoy the movement of water on your body, surrounded by the plants and gentle breezes of the garden. This experience can be enjoyed during the day or at night and in all seasons, providing you with a personal retreat in your very own outdoor room.

This Asian-inspired outdoor shower area can be found at the Chandra Villa in Bali, chandrabalivilla.com

Shower power

An outdoor shower can be incorporated into most outdoor rooms and provides a practical function — a tailored location for rinsing off after being in the pool or spa, or for cleaning up after working in the garden — preventing the need to tiptoe through the house on your way to the bathroom.

As well as being practical, an outdoor shower also adds to the atmosphere of external living. Not only will showering outside enhance your overall outdoor experience, there’s also something quite amazing about immersing yourself in water with only the sky to cover you.

One of the best things about installing an outdoor shower is that you don’t need a lot of space. With sufficient high walls, a shower head and adequate drainage, you can be showering outside in no time. And for those who prefer an enclosure, incorporating folding glass shutters or upright screening plants will help deter prying eyes. For screening, opt for a natural material that’s tactile and welcoming against bare skin.

Outdoor shower on a New York rooftop. Photo courtesy of Sawyer/Berson Architecture & Landscape Architecture.

On a firm footing

To ensure your outdoor room caters to the needs of an outdoor shower, there are a few practicalities that need to be addressed. The floor of the shower area must be able to withstand water and prolonged periods of dampness. Treated timber is a suitable option. Not only does it feel good underfoot and provide an adequate grip, the spaces between the timber slats will allow good drainage.

Pavers are another suitable flooring option for shower areas. Provided they have a matte finish and are slip-resistant, pavers can help create that real “indoor bathroom” feel. Porous stone can also be used as long as it is in a position where it can dry in the sun.

It’s also important to consider the flooring of the rest of the outdoor room. If polished or honed stone is your main floor surface, you’ll need to completely separate your shower area from the rest of your outdoor room to ensure water doesn’t accidentally drain into the living area and become a slippery hazard.

This bathing area incorporates a bath and a shower. Photo courtesy of the Claron Property Group.

Spas and baths

Spas have become very common in outdoor rooms and tend to go hand in hand with swimming pools. However, if you’re looking to create a more “bathroom” atmosphere in your outdoor room, why not install a bath instead?

Can you think of a better way to bathe than by soaking in a tub with nothing but the stars above and greenery around? And if you have a view from your outdoor room, positioning the bath so you can enjoy the magnificent vista will only add to your overall outdoor experience.

Unlike the outdoor shower, the bath is generally a more personal item. It’s a place of pure relaxation, where you can soak and let time pass without a care. The stillness of the water also allows you to take in the natural surrounds and the movement of the foliage. Add some subtle lighting at night and scented candles or incense burners and you have your very own spa retreat. If you want a truly indulgent bathing experience, sprinkle aromatic flower petals on the surface, such as rose or geranium petals, or frangipani.

Free-standing baths also make a great design feature in outdoor rooms. When not in use, they provide a unique focal point, their presence suggesting relaxation and calm.

Creative thinking

A pavilion or pergola canopy with open sides lets the garden come up close, or you can have a semi-open room with motorised opening roof and walls, or a large gas-lift window. Alternatively, build a bathroom that’s open to the sky but enclosed with solid courtyard walls, or with sectioned walls that can be opened further, with sliding screens or louvres closed for privacy when you need it, or pushed back to enjoy a view.

As an outdoor bathroom is a larger space compared with its indoor counterpart, bathroom fittings can look best when they are oversized. Free-standing tubs instantly produce a resort-style look; a large, free-standing bath, whether of acrylic or stone, makes a great centrepiece in an outdoor bathroom. Make sure your substrate can carry the weight as some filled stone tubs will be well over a tonne.

An outdoor bathroom requires privacy and must be able to weather conditions outside. Photo courtesy of Apaiser.

A private haven

Privacy is an important issue when it comes to outdoor bathrooms, as the experience of showering or bathing outside will only be enjoyed if you feel relaxed and at ease. With the right design considerations and screening from plants and structures, you can enjoy your outdoor bathroom without challenging your comfort zone.

For privacy and to truly appreciate your natural surroundings, a green shower screen may be the way to go. Opt for water-loving plants that thrive in moist atmospheres and enjoy the lush greenery while you shower. A dense stand of bamboo will also act as a great screen to protect your privacy in an outdoor bathing area.

The inclusion of an outdoor bathing facility, whether a shower, a bath or both, brings added value to your outdoor room by providing you with a personal and intimate connection to the space. They reinforce the notion of the outdoor space as an extension of our homes and enable us to enjoy our outdoor rooms in a more personal way.

Outdoor bathroom design tips

• If choosing pavers for your outdoor bathroom, make sure they have a matte finish and are slip-resistant.
• To feel more enclosed while showering, consider folding glass shutters or a mass of upright screening plants.
• If your outdoor room has views, position the bath to take in the vista, enhancing the outdoor bathing experience.
• When not in use, baths make a unique focal point, so consider their placement in your overall design concept.
• Check out second-storey views and the locations of distant neighbours. Build walls tall enough to provide privacy.

The practicalities

• Water needs to go somewhere, so select a spot with a slight incline. Another option is to install drainage tiles beneath flooring.
• Prepare for winter if water lines are run. Include indoor cut-off valves and drain locks to prevent frozen pipes.
• For a permanent location, bricks make a substantial base. Smooth river rocks also work well, as does a deck-type foundation.
• Coordinate the building materials with your home’s facade. Coordinate, too, with any nearby outdoor structures.
• A AAA-rated rose will use 52 litres less water during an eight-minute shower than a conventional showerhead.

The post The ultimate outdoor bathroom guide appeared first on Completehome.

Embrace the outdoors because when it comes to bathing, what’s in is out!

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By Sarah Knox

An experience usually reserved for guests of the world’s most luxurious resorts, outdoor bathing is making its way into the backyard. Whether you’re an exhibitionist at heart or just want to get in touch with nature, there’s nothing quite like a relaxing soak under the stars. Check out our image gallery for some inspiration for designing your own outdoor bathing area.

Top tip: Create privacy with a feature wall, tall landscaping, trellises or garden screens.

1. What could be more luxurious than taking a mud-bath at the The Spa at The Standard Hotel, Miami, Florida? www.standardhotels.com/miami

2. Printed glass, like this one from Commex Concepts, is a great option as outdoor shower splashback. Choose any design you like to create an entirely unique artwork that can double as a feature piece in your backyard. www.commex.com.au

3. Always wanted to watch wild elephants wander by while you take a bath? Even if it wasn’t in your wildest dreams, it can be achieved in the honeymoon suite at Madikwe Hills Private Game Lodge on the Botswana border in South Africa. www.madikwehills.com

4 If a starry night sky just isn’t romantic enough for you, OiO 100% recyclable polyethylene bath and basins from antoniolupi will set the mood with their integrated LED lighting. www.antoniolupi.it

5. A tent, a bath and sprawling African plains. What more could you need? Check out the honeymoon tent at Chiawa Safari Camp, in Zambia. www.chiawa.com

6. Apaiser’s Haven bath in Wild Moss with matching feature wall is a perfect example of how to integrate colour into an outdoor bathing space, while still maintaining a tranquil atmosphere. www.apaiser.com.au

7. Karma Jimbaran Resort in Bali, Indonesia has the lush, tropical vibe down pat. You’ll be wrinkled as a prune and still won’t want to leave. www.karmajimbaran.com

8. If you can’t find true relaxation under the outdoor shower at Chandra Luxury Villas in Bali, Indonesia, it must not exist. www.chandrabalivilla.com

9.  The Ella bath by Victoria + Albert is crafted from long-lasting and extremely scratch-resistant volcanic limestone, making it durable enough withstand the outdoors. www.vandabaths.com/aus

10. If it’s not enough to spend all day by the beach, you can bathe outdoors too at the Desroches Island Beach Retreat, Seychelles. www.desroches-island.com

From Luxury Kitchens & Bathrooms magazine Vol. 11

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