Getting Your Outdoor Entertaining Area Right: The Experts Weigh In
There’s more to making your outdoor living area great than just throwing a few pod chairs in the yard – though deploying a couple of our ultra comfy pod chairs will definitely make it a more relaxing place to be. To really get your outdoor area looking as great as it can, you need to have a think about the space, and how you want to use it.
We asked a few people who spend their professional life working with backyards, gardens and other outdoor areas in varying capacities a few quick questions to gauge their thoughts on how homeowners can get these things right.
Anthony Muscat, Turf Australia President and spokesperson
http://www.turfaustralia.com.
What is the best outdoor entertaining area you’ve come across in the course of your working life? What was so great about it? Did it make your job any easier?
The best entertaining area we’ve encountered was when we delivered some turf to a beautiful property in Potts Point overlooking the water with views to the Harbour Bridge. The lush green lawn really was set off by the water and the view – it was the perfect outdoor entertaining area that would have worked well as a family recreation area, but also as a place to entertain friends and host parties – you could really imagine having fun in that backyard on a summer’s day. This job was really easy for us because we just unloaded the pallets of turf off our truck and on to the kerb, which was then craned over the house.
What is the worst outdoor entertaining area you’ve come across in the course of your working life? What was so terrible about it? Did it make your job any harder?
The worst entertaining area we have done is when we delivered some turf to a house in Mosman, and the only access was down two flights of stairs and around a porch at the back of the house. The labour charges for this exceeded the cost of the turf. The customer wasn’t very honest when we asked what the access was like. The other problem was that there wasn’t quite enough sunlight for the turf to perform at its best. Laying turf can be a great decision but when the quality of the product is compromised by less-than-ideal conditions, it really lets the turf down.
What advice would you have for anyone planning an outdoor entertaining area?
The best advice I would give to a homeowner planning an entertaining area would be to strike that balance between practicality and aesthetic – laying turf is a great and easy option, as it provides a natural and practical space that is family-friendly. Natural turf is central tothe look of the garden makeover.
Wesley Spencer at Rara Architecture
Www.raraarchitecture.com.au
What is the best outdoor entertaining area you’ve come across in the course of your working life? What was so great about it? Did it make your job any easier?
The best outdoor entertaining area I have come across throughout my career included various structured areas for different uses- the bbq zone, the lounging area, the sunbaking area, the jaccuzi spot…
There were excellent views, so the different spaces framed these views within the structure and furniture arrangement. The amount of space obviously made it easier to cater to all of the different zones.
What is the worst outdoor entertaining area you’ve come across in the course of your working life? What was so terrible about it? Did it make your job any harder?
The worst outdoor area I’ve seen was a large roofed deck, without any real configuration – I.e. the space was just blank, enabling the user to have free reign over the space. This resulted, over time, in it becoming an extended storage area. Because there was no designated function, it became a functionless space.
What advice would you have for anyone planning an outdoor entertaining area?
My advice: address clearly why you want an outdoor space and cater to that. If you don’t have room for different zones, that’s ok, just be realistic in how many functions for which you expect to use the space. Finally, you must include storage. You won’t want to sit on your lovely cabana lounge if it’s saturated from the rain the day before or covered in cobwebs. Likewise, you’ll want to store away the extra grog without having to race to the garage during a big bash…
Stephen Aitken
http://www.aitkenrealestate.com.au/
What is the best outdoor entertaining area you’ve come across in the course of your working life? What was so great about it? Did it make your job any easier?
Some years ago in Highett the rear of the garden had been transformed to incorporate an I ground pool that complete with shallow sand like beach and pier! Elevated decking with BBQ overlooked a stunning entertaining arrangement. When you walked out into the back, you were transported to a holiday theme. It absolutely made my job easier, it was the best feature of an otherwise good but not great home.
What is the worst outdoor entertaining area you’ve come across in the course of your working life? What was so terrible about it? Did it make your job any harder?
There are many examples terrible entertaining areas many are are badly designed and a step away from someone hurting themselves on badly constructed or poorly maintained entertaining areas or many have none at all. A well constructed and functional outdoor entertaining area can add considerable value to a home.
What advice would you have for anyone planning an outdoor entertaining area?
Speak to professionals, such as landscape architects, landscape designers, and landscapers. Ideas are plentiful, a great place to start is Pinterest.
Tandi Gill, Broker/Owner RE/MAX Advantage
http://www.remaxadvantage.com.au
What is the best outdoor entertaining area you’ve come across in the course of your working life? What was so great about it? Did it make your job any easier?
There are many fabulous entertainment areas throughout Brisbane’s Bayside district and I feel so lucky to have seen some of the best examples. Probably the highlight for me was experiencing an outdoor entertaining area that had been created where the main objective was to have ‘something for everyone’ in the family.
Stepping out the first thing to greet me was the bay view, cleverly incorporated through the instalment of an infinity pool. It wasn’t the biggest area but so well thought out with an outdoor kitchen and seating area nestling in the corner on a raised deck. As twilight set in, the clever lighting made the section appear as though it was floating, tranquil above the pool area. This was a family home so clues of the children taking advantage of the entertaining area were also present but not in a gaudy or obvious way. A tasteful cubby house, built with the same material used for the decking and thus blending perfectly, was set to the side of the property with its own mini entertaining deck.
There was a waterproof awning which stretched beautifully over the dining area and to the edge of this were some very elegant looking feature ornaments, climbing upwards to the sky. Although they were magnificent to look at, their magic truly showed when the rain came! They actually echoed some beautiful sounds as the rain pattered on to them – it made for a fabulous dining experience in all weathers.
As you can see, all the senses were touched with this entertaining deck, not forgetting the well thought out placement of herbs and fragrant foliage. Of course, I visited at different times of the day and on every occasion was met with a new scent to delight even the hardiest of noses. Great care and thought had gone in to this for it to be used throughout the whole day and indeed the whole year.
Whilst the outdoor space was by far the best I have seen, the actual feeling of overwhelming joy came from seeing the look on my buyers’ faces when they saw it for the first time. You can’t beat that feeling!
What is the worst outdoor entertaining area you’ve come across in the course of your working life? What was so terrible about it? Did it make your job any harder?
There have been a few! I think the common factor is the lack of thought given to an area which might not be fit for that purpose. For example, installing a loud speaker system when your neighbours are only a step away, or overcrowding the area with unnecessary paraphernalia. There is one in particular that stands out. It was built with good intentions and had the bare bones of potential, however, the pool was now a shade of green with overgrown shrubbery surrounding it, the decking that led out to it had rotted, particularly where three dog houses had been in situ and to one side was an outdoor waterbed – I can only assume this was a fashionable trend at some point – set in to a ‘retro’ cove with faded ‘Moroccan style’ tiling. There was no synergy at all and it had echoes from all eras which did not blend well together. It had so obviously become a place where no one enjoyed being and nothing had been done to rectify it – a real wasted space which was a pity. It took a lot of visualising from potential buyers which did make my job more challenging!
What advice would you have for anyone planning an outdoor entertaining area?
Think about what you really want to get from your outdoor entertaining area, not just something that looks pretty in a magazine. Your entertainment area must be fit for your requirements. Keep it simple and make any ‘statement’ pieces changeable. That way you can have an entertainment area that grows with you and changes as your tastes mature. Also, keep pet areas well-maintained – our beloved animals are a big part of Australian families but that does not mean we need to sacrifice the quality of our outdoor areas. Lastly – USE IT! All too often we have some wonderful outdoor areas and we just don’t make the most of them.