The brief for Naroon Road was to create a contemporary back garden and a place of casual yet sophisticated entertaining; a place for weekend family time and for the children to wind down and relax with their friends. The vibe was to be ‘inner-city Melbourne’ that encapsulates the essence of the laneway café culture and the central Claret Ash Tree was to be protected at all cost. As such, a palette of materials including recycled clinker bricks, bluestone cladding, Stringybark timber and cantilevered timber arbors with steel infills were chosen. A pizza oven, BBQ, large decking area and firepit were added to tick the ‘family entertaining’ box.
The biggest design challenge was the 10m lap pool and adjoining spa that, due to tree roots and underground large bedrock floaters that lay 300m below the surface,prohibited digging into the ground. The decision was made to position the pool along the side of the home and above the ground. Thisallowed us not to need a pool fence to the rear area of the pooland created the main architectural feature of the garden.
A border of Slender Weaver Bamboo was used as a border as it is non-invasive and has great clumping properties. Clusters of Liriope and scattered potted plants scattered around assist in softening the hardscape.
The end result displays a clever use of levels, structures, architecture, materials and plantings, which has made Naroon Road a beautiful space to be in.
Material Used :
1. Decking: 90mm x 19mm Yellow Stringybark, supplied by WR Timbers
2. Pool Tiles: Cotto 48mm x 48mm ceramic mosaic in Charcoal, supplied by Coulson Tiles
3. Recycled Bricks: ‘Vic Blue’ or red/blue clinker bricks, supplied by Uneeda Bricks
4. Screenboards: 35mm x 19mm silvertop ash finished in Feast Watson Black Japan, supplied by Radial Timber Sales
5. Wet edge/spa tiles: Bisazza 20mm x 20mm glass mosaic blend in Marlene
6. Corten Steel fire bowl: Commissioned by Lump Sculpture
7. BBQ: Slimline integrated BBQ, supplied by Electrolux
8. Outdoor Lighting: Supplied by Gardens At Night
9. Bluestone Pavers: Supplied by Better Exteriors
