Endless summer

Sitting on a sheltered terrace beside an outdoor fire on a sunny day, you could be forgiven for thinking that summer wasn't quite over yet.

As part of an ongoing renovation project, the owners of this property have created an outdoor living area that is useable all year round. By including a covered outdoor eating area with outdoor fireplace, a sun deck, heated pool and spa, there are plenty of options for using the outdoor area when the weather cools.

The design needed to be reasonably traditional, to suit the character of the established home.

"They wanted enough space for a large dining table, and they didn't want anything between them and the pool," says the architect, Paul Leuschke.

Leuschke's solution was to extend the roof line of the house, creating a sheltered outdoor room that uses the same roofing and weatherboards as the rest of the house so that the extension looks as though it has always been there.

The new structure has a long opening on one side, which can be closed off with sliding shutters when the breeze is strong.

A skylight above the folding doors means that the interior still receives plenty of natural light. The use of white paint on the walls and ceiling of the outdoor room means the space does not feel too enclosed.

While the dining area receives the afternoon sun, the sun deck beside the pool provides plenty of space for sunbathing all day. A pergola provides a little shade.

Frameless glass fencing was used along the edge of the sandstone paving, in order to retain the views of the entire property from every direction.

Because the site slopes away, the pool is built up to be the same level as the outdoor dining area. The pool's waterfall edge flows down to the lower garden, where a bench seat provides a quiet corner for reflection.

The property is surrounded by mature trees, meaning the entire outdoor living area is quite private.

Story by: Trendsideas