City oasis

Many people choose to redecorate when they first purchase a new home. But the owners of this property didn't stop with the interior they also completely stripped back the garden and started again with a new landscape plan.

One of the owners says that even though the house occupied most of the site, the number one priority was a lap pool.

"We wanted to create a resort-style setting and needed to make space for a lap pool of a decent length. This meant we had to rip out the existing garden, which was more of an English box garden with citrus trees and a spa pool."

The new pool was positioned on the north side of the house, where it almost meets the boundary walls on three sides. Pool builder Neil Runciman of Frontier Pools describes it as a challenging project, due to restricted access, engineering considerations and the need to accommodate existing underground services.

To enhance the resort look, the pool features a black Onyx Diamond Brite plaster finish, with black glass mosaic tiles around the waterline. The black pool interior provides good heat retention and maximises the reflections the owner says the look of the pool was just as important as its suitability for swimming.

A row of existing elder trees with sculptural trunks form a backdrop to the pool and the basis for a more subtropical planting scheme by Damian Wendelburn of Urbanite Landscape Design. The trees, which also provide privacy from neighbouring properties, are underplanted with different palms.

The landscape features a mix of stone paving and Vitex timber decking, with a matching bench seat, two seating areas, and a barbecue.

The owners say every aspect of the exterior was designed to harmonise with the interior.

"All the doors open to the outdoors. Because the garden is an extension of the house we have ensured there is a strong visual continuity."

Story by: Trendsideas