Let us introduce you to our friends at TPEC Pool Enclosures, leading suppliers of retractable pool enclosures. Offering complete protection, a retractable pool enclosure will transform your lifestyle and ensure you get the maximum enjoyment out of your pool or spa.

What is a pool enclosure?

TPEC Pool Enclosures are 100% custom designed to suit your requirements and optimise your outdoor living space. Constructed of materials that will endure the rigours of the pool environment for more than 30 years, pool enclosures will not only improve your lifestyle but also add value to your property.

Protecting your pool from all the elements with an enclosure is a simple way to reduce and manage the maintenance necessary to keep it healthy. Once installed, the enclosure will maintain temperature and keep out debris/dust/leaves. This will have a flow-on effect in reducing maintenance, and leave your pool ready to swim in at any given moment. During the warmer months, the enclosure can be opened completely within minutes to give you a healthy dose of vitamin C.

Additionally, enjoy a major reduction in energy and water bills. Outdoor pools are subject to water evaporation which leads to the loss of heat. When enclosed, pools are isolated from the atmosphere and therefore evaporation will be slowed down.

Pool enclosure design

TPEC offer a variety of design so you can select the enclosure which best aligns with your style preferences:

High Models

High Enclosures are ideal for a client looking to add an extra room to their property and have usable space inside the enclosure year-round.

Medium Models

A medium height enclosure is ideal in smaller, tighter pool areas, or for use over lap-pools, and also allows the enclosure to be completely opened when the weather permits.

Low Models

A low enclosure solution is a great option to avoid affecting a nice view, or dominating a garden/landscape. They can also be installed in confined pool areas and still allow the enclosure to be retracted when the weather permits.

Lean-To Models

Lean-to pool and spa enclosures are specifically designed to attached to a building, retaining wall or other structure to form one side of the enclosed area.

For more information

TPEC Australia

The post How a Pool Enclosure will transform your lifestyle appeared first on Completehome.

Materials

In an outdoor kitchen, the materials used need to be resistant to various elements including weather, mould and staining. Stainless steel has traditionally been the material of choice for many barbecue and kitchen designs. However, the growing trend in creating a liveable space in the backyard is producing a demand for alternative options that are more sleek and stylish. Surfaces such as granite and acrylic allow for a diversity of colours and designs, and provide the appropriate qualities for an outdoor environment.

MyAlfresco offers its customers Alucomp — a panel consisting of aluminium layers with a polyethylene core — and Staron solid surfaces. Pictured here is an outdoor kitchen installed by MyAlfresco with gloss white cabinetry and a benchtop that contrasts beautifully with the stainless-steel built-in barbecue.

myalfresco.com

Flexibility

Popular choices for those renting and property owners who are short on space are free-standing options such as Cosh Living’s Indu Duo barbecue. Not an ordinary barbecue, the Indu Duo has modular induction hobs, extendable chopping boards on either side of the cooktop and a trolley with storage for pots, pans, utensils and ingredients. Also with wheels, the Indu Duo and other free-standing options offer a flexible alternative for outdoor cooking due to their mobility and ease of use.

coshliving.com.au

Storage

Just as important in your outdoor kitchen, storage will determine the functionality of your cooking area. The sort of storage you will require will depend on the extent of your outdoor cooking, how often you will use the space and what facilities you have installed. Drawers and cabinetry are a must, however, you could consider adding more or less depending on your needs. Pictured here is the Collaroy from Lifestyle BBQs with a side burner and sink top, two cabinets, one drawer and centre cabinet with tilt-lift door.

lifestylebbqs.com

Cellar

For wine lovers, you might want to consider a designated wine cellar for your outdoor alfresco area. Acting as both storage and a statement piece, Spiral Cellars’ Garden Cellar has a weatherproof external trap door and holds 24 standard claret bottles with room for other entertaining or gardening needs, such as extra chairs, outdoor tableware, shovels and rakes.

spiralcellars.co.uk

All in one

How you plan to use your outdoor kitchen and how often will determine the size of your barbecue and whether you will require any extra appliances, such as side burners or even an oven. An Australian-made unit with steel hotplates, ribbon burner and optional roasting hood is a sound option as it offers all you need to cook everything from roasts to pizzas, seafood and steak. However, if you are an avid outdoor cook, an in-built oven could be a great way to keep food warm and allow you to cook every element of the meal in your outdoor kitchen, including roast vegetables and even dessert. Pictured here is Heatlie’s Gourmet Elite model.

heatlie.com.au

Wood ovens

A centrepiece for your outdoor kitchen, and a companion to the trusty barbecue, a contemporary pizza oven can be powered either by wood fire or LPG gas. Not just for pizzas, these ovens are also great for roasting, giving your food that gorgeous smoky flavour. A stunning feature of this extravagant outdoor kitchen, designed by Dean Herald of Rolling Stone Landscapes, the wood-fired pizza oven will also warm up this outdoor room during the cooler months.

rollingstonelandscapes.com

Photography by Natalie Hunfalvay Photography.

Sink and mixer

While not the most enjoyable part of the cooking process, the cleaning up still needs to get done. Instead of carting all the pans, plates and glasses indoors, why not consider installing a sink and mixer into your outdoor kitchen space? This means you will be able to clean utensils and other servingware as you go. An extendable sink mixer is ideal for this setting as it enables large pieces that will be quite greasy to be washed. This outdoor kitchen by Concepts by Gavin Hepper even has an integrated dishwasher — genius!

conceptsbygavinhepper.com.au

Bar fridge

A must-have in an entertainer’s outdoor living area, bar fridges will keep your snacks cool and your drinks even cooler. Although it’s classed as an extra for most people, if you have the space to install at least one bar fridge, you should. This outdoor entertainer’s paradise was designed by Interiors by Darren James and has been fitted with all the mod cons including a slimline Electrolux barbecue and wok, Caesarstone benchtops and three stunning backlit Vintec bar fridges.

interiorsbydarrenjames.com.au

Compact design

Let’s face it — not all of us have huge exterior spaces that can incorporate a five-burner barbecue, wood-fired oven, bar fridges and an integrated dishwasher, but no Aussie home should be deprived of a good ’ol barbie. Designed by Franklin Landscape & Design, this small outdoor space in Prahran, Melbourne, has become a functional oasis with a minimally designed built-in barbecue. Centring the space with a dining table has resulted in an efficient and practical outdoor room that can be enjoyed by kids playing in the pool, adults chatting around the table and the cook whipping up a storm on the barbie.

franklinld.com

Originally from Home Design magazine, Volume 18 Issue 1

The post A guide to planning your outdoor design appeared first on Completehome.