The owners of this beautiful house had just completed a stunning refurbishment and wanted to create an outdoor entertainment area that would accommodate large parties. They were looking for a style that was contemporary but sympathetic to the house. We designed a material palette that carried on the brick from the house in the edging and framing of the new terraces and koi pond with angles echoing the footprint of the house. The inset paving is a sleek, sawn beige sandstone with warm yellow undertones.
Considering the house’s amazing views of the garden from every room, we ensured that all of these vistas were varied and interesting. The kitchen terrace was lowered and separated by planting to hide the rear view of extensive equipment and to create an intimate area for bonding around the BBQ. The koi pond is the main feature and runs along the long face of the patio. At perching height from the kitchen patio and leaning height from the lawn, it is possible to get up close and interact with the fish. A large water blade provides a soothing background trickle and the koi can be observed from the seating area above. Outdoor lighting around the terraces, steps and inside the water makes for stunning effects at night.
Planting was selected to provide colour, texture and an element of change throughout the year. Transparent grasses soften some of the patio edges between the main terrace and the water feature with taller grasses and planting obscuring the access hatches to the pump chamber, which features a neat hatch finished in the same black Millboard that mirrors the woodwork on the house and runs along the edge of the pond.
