deck
Wooden slats This modern style of shade protection is right at home when integrated with a sleek contemporary property. For a structure like this, choose a durable wood to ensure many years of use. Make sure it is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to be sure of sustainable harvesting, and protection of wildlife and the people whose lives depends on the forest.
Crank out an awning For more flexibility, and with fickle weather to contend with, even during the summer months, a retractable waterproof awning is the best option. You can commit to your evening dinner alfresco, even if the weather looks a bit doubtful, and create a cool and inviting outdoor area during the day, while still having an areas that’s light and bright for entertaining.
Patios and pergolas Just because you’ve opted for paved outdoor living spaces over lawn doesn’t mean they have to be any less green. A pergola draped in Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) enhances a paved dining area and mass plantings of Liriope muscari ‘Royal Purple’ around the edges add a finishing touch.
Cane reed shading A well-priced canopy can be produced in various ways, such as with these natural cane reeds that are gently looped over the beams – all held in position with stainless-steel wire. The tactile effect adds interest to the space, making the deck a great place to dine and relax at any time of the day.
Outrigger Awnings and Sails, Sydney Save Email 4. Batten sail awning There’s nothing more blissful than chilling out on your deck at sunset, and to create shade a batten sail is an effective solution. While it offers sun and rain protection, it also keeps the house cool in summer. Most importantly, aluminium battens stiffen the lightweight fabric – this prevents flapping and stops the awning from holding water.
The same colours used outside the house flow inside, and vice versa. “In Sydney, we try to live outside as much as possible for at least six months of the year, making spaces which flow easily from inside to outside a very important part of good design,” says Greg. It was also simpler to keep the colour scheme minimalist. There are really only three main colours used throughout the house: soft white, dark charcoal and natural wood. Art and furniture add other colours.
Merbau Although merbau is often a contentious choice, it’s still a very popular hardwood, derived largely from South East Asia, as well as Papua New Guinea. The reason many people opt to use another hardwood over merbau has nothing to do with its performance or durability. Unfortunately, merbau is harvested from tropical forests, and, in some cases, may come from illegally-sourced suppliers. I always recommend checking with your supplier to make sure their merbau is certified and is sourced from a legitimate supplier using ethical practices. Enough about the bad side of merbau, here’s the good stuff. Merbau is an excellent performing hardwood and is perfectly suited to the Australian climate. If you’re after a red-coloured hardwood, merbau is the perfect option. One thing to mention whenever using merbau is to NEVER use it near light-coloured tiles or pavers, as the timber is one of the worst when it comes to leeching tannins. I always recommend pre-oiling merbau twice before installation to reduce leeching.
. Blackbutt Blackbutt provides great fire resistance and depending on which state you live in, may even be on the list of approved hardwoods for fire zones. As far as performance goes, blackbutt is great to work with and very durable. It performs well in the Australian climate and doesn’t tend to warp and split. One issue with blackbutt is its tendency to take on a yellowish or pinkish tinge once oiled. I’ve stopped using natural timber oil on blackbutt and have started using an oil with a silver tint. This ensures the timber is protected and also maintains its beautiful natural colour.
2. Teak Teak may have very well found itself on the top of my list of hardwoods … if it didn’t come with the high price tag. Out of all the hardwoods on this list, teak is the best performing. It’s great to work with, holds nails and screws tight and will last up to 40 years in above-ground applications. Teak also performs great in the Australian climate. A popular choice for furniture, teak has a beautiful pale colour that reacts well to mild staining and oiling. I don’t do many teak decks, simply due to its price tag. While it performs well and literally lasts half a lifetime, it’s often hard to persuade my clients to fork out the cash for such expensive timber.
1. Spotted gum One of the most commonly used Australian hardwoods, spotted gum, is loved by designers and architects the world over for its beautiful grain structure and attractive markings. I love spotted gum and use it for 90 per cent of my projects. It’s tough, performs well in the unpredictable Australian climate and it’s also a minimal staining timber as it’s less prone to bleed tannins than other species. Generally, I’ll just use a natural timber oil without any tint to treat the decking, as the last thing you want to do is take away from that naturally beautiful appearance. If you’re looking to create that wow factor with your new deck, try using wide board (136 x 25mm) spotted gum screwed down using 14 gauge 75mm stainless steel screws – it gives the appearance of a jetty or wharf and looks absolutely stunning.
17. Breezeway deck A generously sized deck is an effective way to connect structures on the same property – or parts of one large home – and increase outdoor living space at the same time.
11. Layered deck Layers of decking merge in this unusual and visually interesting deck design. Well suited to modern and contemporary homes, a deck like the one shown here would also make a striking addition to a small urban lot.
Master bedroom deck Decks don’t need to be huge to have a big (and very positive) effect on lifestyle. Case in point: a small deck off the master bedroom, with just enough space for a pair of lounge chairs and a table to set a drink and a book.
. Bump-out deck Instead of sticking with a basic square or rectangular deck, try bumping it out on one side. A bump-out can help a deck ‘settle’ into the landscape and increase views.
. Corner deck If your home has a corner ‘missing’ from the layout, filling in the exterior space with a corner deck can complement the architecture. And if you can add sliding glass doors leading onto the deck, so much the better.
5. Dining deck Love eating alfresco? Plan your deck to fit your dream dining table and site it for maximum dining enjoyment – not too far from the house and under a tree (that can hold string lights or lanterns) would be ideal.
4. Petite deck Working a deck into a smaller backyard can actually make the space feel larger – and more usable. The owners of this charming Spanish colonial bungalow in Southern California built a deck extending into the backyard, making the most of the space between mature yucca trees.
Keep it tidy A simple clean-up won’t cost you a cent and will make the space crisp and clutter-free. Often gardens with high walls will be heavily shaded, resulting in dampness, so sweep up all garden waste to avoid that wet, messy leaf build up. Look at the outdoor space and ask yourself, “Do I really use all this stuff?” If the answer is no, get rid of it – you’ll be amazed at how much space that junk is taking up.
Add a mirror Another great trick is to use a mirror somewhere in the courtyard. Install the mirror on the rear boundary wall of the courtyard, behind any planting. It will look like the garden is endless, as opposed to looking like a mirror has been placed somewhere simply for an aesthetic purpose.
While a big outdoor lounge setting might seem appealing, keep in mind what the courtyard is predominantly used for. If you often use the space for entertaining, keep it free and include pieces that are easy to move around, like fold-away chairs.
Start by painting your boundary walls in a cool colour, like ‘Woodland Grey’ by Dulux, which is used here. Cooler colours fade away from the eye, making the courtyard look longer than it actually is.
Do look down. This simple terrace is not only a private, sunny spot to share a meal, it also works to deliver natural sunlight into the flat below. Could your rooftop terrace handle skylights?
The terrace is a covered space that is closed off on three sides, but opens to the deck, garden and pool. Vertical louvres bring a strong linearity to the design but are practical and can be shut in times of windy or inclement weather. The kitchen bench extends seamlessly into this area to become a built-in barbecue. Bench seating provides a sheltered place to sit in this indoor-outdoor environment.
In the seats. For a quick backyard clean-up, pack all the outdoor sports and gardening equipment into some bench seating. These can be either built in or purchased from gardening or homeware stores. It’s so much easier to tidy up after a game of backyard cricket if all you have to do is open a lid and drop the bat, ball and stumps inside.
Daybeds If space is an issue and you want to laze in the sun either by the pool or on a simple rear deck, then building in a liftable backrest/daybed section into the deck can offer a space to relax without the permanency or clutter of furniture. You can custom make a throw over cushion to add to the comfort. If you have the space, you can’t go past a purchased sun lounge that will add an architectural element and flair to the space. Scatter cushions will also enhance the space with a real pop of colour. A permanent daybed is another relaxing option and is normally built as a timber structure, say, 40 to 50 centimetres off the ground. An arbor or pergola structure above is optional and adds a sense of privacy and enclosure to the structure. You can also add the liftable backrest section to the daybed for added comfort. Either way, creating an inviting structure to promote the activity of ‘nothing’ is a welcomed feature to any beachside retreat.
3. Ice buckets Not all of your holiday is about trying to do as little as possible; entertaining is something we all crave to do either as a host or a guest. With summertime entertaining, ice cold drinks are a large part of the experience and although the good ol’ Aussie Esky is renown as a tried and tested accessory, they are quite simply bulky, ugly and, let’s face it, hide all the fun. Introducing an ice box to a table setting is a simple, sophisticated and far more stylish way of presenting drinks at a summer party. The Esky won’t be forgotten as it can still hold the back-up supplies, but the image of a full ice box bursting with wine, champagne and selected beers is quite simply mouth-watering. Ice boxes are also evolving and can be built into a table, deck, benchtop or even a poolside bar. Another little design tip is if you are thinking of building an ice box to a table or bar style eating area, make it the same size as an ethanol burner, such as an Eco Smart fire – then you have the option of dropping in the fire for some added ambiance on cooler nights.
See through it A simple and relatively inexpensive roofing option is transparent corrugated polycarbonate roofing: it lets in the light and keeps out the wet. Opt for a tinted version if you want to keep out the harshest summer rays as well.
Q