Upon reflection

Good landscaping can bring a house to life. This subtropical, resort-style garden was designed by Robin Shafer of Shafer Design

Water feature designed by Schafer Design and built arecales, evening, landscape, leaf, morning, nature, palm tree, plant, reflection, resort, sea, sky, sunlight, tree, tropics, vacation, vegetation, water — Water feature designed by Schafer Design and built by Frontier Pools as part of resort-style home designed by Masonry Design Solutions

View of the patio area in the Mediterranean-style home, interior design, patio, property, real estate, white

Exterior view of resort-style home designed by Masonry architecture, arecales, building, cottage, estate, facade, home, house, landscape, palm tree, property, real estate, residential area, sky, villa, window, gray

Lifestyle considerations are always a priority when you are looking to renovate or build a new home. And an attractive outdoor living area is probably right at the top of the list.

Robin Shafer of Shafer Design says the earlier a landscape designer is consulted on a project, the better the outcome.

"Outdoor living is an integral part of a modern lifestyle, and needs to be planned from the outset," she says. "The payoff is not just about an attractive alfresco dining area, or an inviting swimming pool an appealing landscape will also increase the value of a house substantially."

Shafer has been designing gardens for the past 25 years and has seen a number of landscaping trends evolve. But she says good landscape design is more about working with the architecture of a house and the personality of the client.

"Every project demands a different design response. A subtropical garden, such as the one featured here, may be a solution for a house with resort-style architecture, but another property may require a more formal, traditional layout."

Although based in Auckland, Shafer undertakes work throughout the country.