OUTDOOR ARTICLES
Under the Sun

This season’s outdoor furniture is as beautiful as it is functional. We’ve chosen some modern pieces you’re sure to love. Outdoor furniture has truly come of age and is equally as stylish as pieces made for the inside of your house. Gone are the days of faded wooden settings and peeling cane chairs – today’s designs are super sleek, super modern and made from durable, weather-resistant materials that will last the test of time.

TAKE IT OUTSIDE

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Summer Days

Jason and Odette have created a magnificent pool and alfresco living area that gives their great outdoors a great deal of style. Ten years ago Odette and Jason bought a block of land in Helensburgh set in the Royal National Park, south of Sydney. With a passion for building and design, they demolished the existing one-bedroom miner’s cottage and started from scratch. Now thanks to Jason, who runs his own building company, Modline Building, they have a truly spectacular and original home that is the essence of style and luxury.

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Get Outside

Australia is known for its sunny, outdoor lifestyle and, true to form, the latest trend is the outdoor room, which is transforming backyards across the country! The ideal outdoor room is an area that flows seamlessly from the indoor living area to the outside; blending together to create one continuous space. Create your very own haven with our expert tips from Habitat For You Senior Interior Designer and Creative Director Effie Dimos.

What is an outdoor room?

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Outdoor Maintenance

The inside of your house isn't the only thing in your home needing special love and attention, you also need to focus on the outside! We asked Justin Dibble from award-winning landscape firm Fluid Design all about the advantages of a wellmaintained outdoor space and his top care tips for keeping your alfresco area looking fabulous!

ADVANTAGES

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Splashing Out

There’s nothing better than getting into the water and splashing around – which is a great explanation for the popularity of the home swimming pool. It seems no space is too small and no location too awkward, and you don’t even need a backyard. Confirming what many of us have noted in the last few years, John Long, Managing Director of Premier Pools, tells us that home owners have moved away from a simple rectangular pool down the back of the garden in favour of styles that are much more integrated into the design and lifestyle of the home and entertaining area.

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Decked Out For Living

Timber decking is one of the most practical ways of developing an outdoor living area. Adding a timber deck is one of the easiest - and most economical - ways to increase your living space. Add a deck to your house and make it easy to enjoy an outdoor lifestyle in comfort. It’s the ideal place to entertain and it gives the family more room to spread out, relax and have fun. One of the most popular renovations in recent years has been connecting the living area to a large deck with sliding or bi-fold doors to create a seamless indoor/outdoor area that can be used all year round.

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Modern Masterpieces

Contemporary design is all about extravagance! Bold colours and striking sculptures dominate the scene, with minimal plantings and extensive use of hard surfaces in place of lawn. Use foliage plants such as agaves, crotons, flax and bromeliads to give interesting form and colour to the landscape. Paint walls with bright colours and use dramatic water features or statues to attract attention. Furniture should be either minimalist or – the absolute opposite – outrageous! Use colourful pebbles in place of mulch, and don’t be afraid of using outlandish combinations of colour and texture.

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Garden Sounds

Sight and smell are the senses usually taken into consideration when designing a garden, but sound can also have an important effect on the mood of an outdoor area. There are plenty of ways to introduce the soothing and moodinspiring qualities of sound into the garden. There are simple touches like wind chimes among the trees or hung from a pergola and the gentle splash of running water or even the notes of a pair of songbirds in a sheltered aviary. If there’s space, a cascading fountain makes an attractive feature while inducing a tranquil spirit.

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