A Total Concept Landscape Architects was commissioned to design swimming pool, pool cabana, covered outdoor entertaining room and gardens for this lower north shore Sydney property for the owners, a family of four.
The location of the cabana was set adjacent to the swimming pool to the rear of the property to visually maximise the lawn and garden and to allow views from the cabana backward towards the home and covered outdoor entertaining room. This in turn took advantage of the level changes across the property to develop an elevated lawn area adjacent to the residence to create transitional zones between the home and rear spaces, adding interest to the design.
An existing covered entertaining area previously built by our client was too small for entertaining purposes. Our client decided to ‘bite the bullet’ and rebuild both the entertaining area and the roofed covering with more substantial dimensions and generous steps leading to the lawn to create a more usable area.
The cabana is located adjacent to the pool to service the swimmers of the family and allow parents to closely supervise their children. It is designed so that as the children get older it can double as a rumpus and sleepover room for children far enough away so that music and electronic games are not heard in the main home but still close enough for parents to keep a watchful eye on teenagers.
The cabana has feature mirrored wing walls to either side that hides a utility area on one side and a pool filter and storage area on the other. Wisteria sinensis (Wisteria) is draped around the feature mirrors that reflect the blue of the pool and the greens of the gardens to integrate and seat the height of the cabana into the garden.
The traditional style and colours of the poolside cabana and outdoor entertaining area tie back to the design of the home to ensure that the overall project is in keeping with the residence. The skillion roof of the outdoor entertaining room and poolside cabana have been designed with skylights and a high ceiling, great for light, airflow and to visually increase the size of each.
The outdoor entertaining room incorporates a large kitchen allowing for large extended family entertaining during festive seasons. The built-in cabinetry incorporating Caesar-stone benchtop, under-mounted sink, stainless steel fridge, dishwasher and barbecue were all designed together with adjustable louvred windows to allow light into the outdoor entertaining room and to create privacy to the adjoining property.
The water of the understated geometrically shaped swimming pool contrasts beautifully with the surrounding blond limestone paving, the timber floors, gardens and lawns. The outdoor entertaining room flows seamlessly out from the matching timber flooring of the home through large generous door openings.
The surrounding gardens include formal hedges of Syzygium ‘Cascade’ (Lilly Pilly), Buxus sempervirens (English box), Agapanthus orientalis ‘Blue’ (blue agapanthus), Cerastium tomentosum (snow-insummer), Gardenia ‘Florida’ (Florists Gardenia), Clivea miniata (Clivea), Magnolia ‘Little Gem’ (Rusty Magnolia) and potted Fortunella hindsi (Hong Kong kumquat) together with formal tree planting of Magnolia ‘Exmouth’ (Magnolia) provides a mix of perfumed flowers at various times of the year to add interest to the project.
The visual simplicity of design unifies the project and sets the components well into the surrounding landscaped gardens to create ‘Two Rooms for One’.
