Laid-back living

Sloping sites can seem like wasted land when they are too steep to be usable. But, as this project shows, with a little ingenuity, it is possible to transform such areas.

Richard Unsworth, one of the owners of this property, says the steep rear yard was originally terraced it still had an old concrete retaining wall and sunken concrete steps.

"It was scarcely usable, and there was no fencing, so it was not suitable for young children, or for entertaining," he says. "We decided to work with the existing terraces, but to cover them over with kwila decking to create a fenced outdoor seating area and a play area for our young daughter."

Unsworth says the project was a collaboration with Matt Lyons of Deck-King Ltd, who helped solve the practicalities of the design, including the need to incorporate steps leading down to a vegetable garden below the deck. The steps needed to be positioned in the centre of the deck, which added to the complexity of the fencing.

"We stepped the decking to provide different levels, so it doesn't look too overpowering, and placed the outdoor seating and pizza oven on the lower level," says Unsworth.

Further visual interest is provided by the deck construction. The kwila boards are not framed at the edges, so they appear to float above the garden that borders the edge. Smooth stones in these gardens enhance the semi-tropical look of the landscape.

The Fijian mahogany wood screen creates another point of difference. The fence planks were cut to three different widths to create a more eye-catching backdrop.

The landscape includes a children's play area with a built-in blackboard and a sand pit that has a retractable cover. A Kentia palm and mature cabbage trees provide leafy shade for the play area.

Story by: Colleen Hawkes

Photography by: Jamie Cobeldick