Close but so far away

Designed by Emma Johnston, Goom Landscapes

From the designer:

The brief was to fit a spa pool, barbecue, kitchen area and a bar into a rather snug inner-city backyard, with louvre shutters and easy care but bold planting to off-set the hardscaping.

The end result is seamless.

Thoughtful design creates an intimate vibe, diminishing the bustle of the city directly outside the walls and creating a calm oasis which is perfect for entertaining.  

The first design challenge was ensuring the covered space in the landscape did not obstruct the flow of light into the house.

The louvre system and heating ensures the space can be used year round.

When the sun shines, they are open and if the heavens decide to fall, a simple press on a remote closes them back to their rain-proof form.  

Because of the limitations of the space, the design team needed to use every little bit of space in a thoughtful way.

All the posts of the overhead structure needed to belong somewhere, by incorporating these into the bench wall it avoided them taking up valuable space on the deck.

Cages are ready to capture the evergreen plantings when they grow to ensure they also don’t encroach on the space.  

However, there is nothing disjointed about this space. 

It is the backyard for those who love to host and proves you don’t need a huge space to create an entertainment area.

Designed by: Emma Johnston, Goom Landscapes

Story by: Trendsideas

Photography by: Sarah Rowlands photography