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Dark colours and the sound of water give this small outdoor living space a sense of depth and enchantment

Dark finishings contrast with the various plants in backyard, courtyard, garden, grass, landscape, landscaping, leaf, plant, tree, walkway, yard, green — Dark finishings contrast with the various plants in this small garden

View of outdoor area with landscaping and seating floristry, garden, home, interior design, plant, tree

View of outdoor area with landscaping and seating backyard, courtyard, garden, landscaping, outdoor structure, plant, real estate, tree, yard

Dark finishings contrast with the various plants in backyard, garden, grass, green, leaf, majorelle blue, plant, tree, blue

View of outdoor area with landscaping and seating green, lighting, majorelle blue, plant, reflection, tree, water, black

Creating a successful open-air setting from a modest footprint involves more than merely clearing the space and surrounding it with plantings. A more effective approach is to play on the imagination, providing a variety of areas and levels of vegetation to make the extent of the garden difficult to read at a glance.

This was the approach taken when clients asked landscape architect Richard Kelly from Urban Exotic to create an outdoor living space with a modern feel and a high degree of functionality. The design had to provide privacy in the high-density location and be aesthetically pleasing from all angles, including from the adjacent living spaces and an upstairs bedroom window, says Richard Kelly.

"In response, I created a symmetrical design with three volumes a cooking zone, an open-air lounge-dining space and, to the rear, a separate pool area with a water feature," he says. "I designed a galvanised steel framework over the lounge section to give it prominence.

View of outdoor area with landscaping and seating backyard, garden, grass, green, leaf, majorelle blue, plant, tree, blue — View of outdoor area with landscaping and seating area.

"There was another reason this is an urban plot, close to several buildings. Introducing a tall built element into the garden plays off these adjacent forms and softens the aesthetic. This is an open framework just now, but over time it will be overgrown with ivy."

Low walls separate the different areas of the garden, creating intimacy and a degree of separation from one volume to the next. The low height allows an expanse of greenery to greet the eye from tall bifold doors in the living area.

Evergreen michelias set in a root control system are lined up with the house and pleached, obscuring a void to a neighbouring property. Two weeping Japanese maples create a natural vista, channelling the view to the water feature.

View of outdoor area with landscaping and seating backyard, courtyard, garden, grass, landscape, landscaping, leaf, plant, tree, walkway, yard, green — View of outdoor area with landscaping and seating area.

"On top of the walls, a custom self-irrigating planting system made from recycled plastic holds vivid Ipomoea batatas, spilling down over the edges. The plantings create a foil to the hard-structured forms, and the layers of the garden soften the overall look," says Richard Kelly.

The perimeters of the 42.5m² environment are planted in bamboo. As this matures, it will be pruned to expose the stems to wall height, with upper foliage retained as a screen.