3 Small Outdoor Spaces... and How They Did It
Stuck with a sliver of outdoor space you're not sure what to do with? Get ideas from these three cleverly designed areas
Skinny, awkwardly shaped or the size of a postage stamp – from a design perspective, many outdoor areas are far from perfect. But, as the designers of these small or tricky alfresco spaces illustrate, that’s no reason to forgo your dreams of a lush and leafy retreat. Read on for tips and ideas galore.
Brief
- The client wanted to be able to step outside onto a level-height outdoor area.
- To create a relaxed place to spend time together as a family.
- An outdoor living space that could be enjoyed from indoors too.
- A lawn.
- Hardy, low-maintenance and dog-friendly plants.
- To soften and disguise the boundary walls and boost privacy from the neighbours.
- Add space for a barbecue and storage.
What was the space like when you came onboard?
A blank canvas on a slight slope.
Itching to get started on your own garden makeover? Find a landscape architect or designer near you on Houzz
A blank canvas on a slight slope.
Itching to get started on your own garden makeover? Find a landscape architect or designer near you on Houzz
What did you do?
- We redesigned the space with a new deck that sits flush with the kitchen/living area, curved retaining walls and a curved, cantilevered bench seat, lawn area and plantings.
- The new deck incorporates stairs so the client can step directly out from the kitchen/living area to a level-height outdoor area.
- We selected a lush planting palette that would require minimal maintenance.
- We introduced a lawn area for the dogs and an open deck for entertaining, where the kids can ride their little bikes around.
- The retaining walls divide the zones, while doubling as raised planters and seating.
- The raised planters also mean the garden beds are out of the dogs’ reach.
- Incorporated a built-in timber shed into the design for storage.
What do the curves in the pavers, planters and seating add to the design?
The curves create interest and soften the space. They also draw your eye from one space to the next.
Because we have defined zones here, we wanted a way to gently lead you from one space into the next – the curves in the pavers and built-in seating subtly do that.
The curves create interest and soften the space. They also draw your eye from one space to the next.
Because we have defined zones here, we wanted a way to gently lead you from one space into the next – the curves in the pavers and built-in seating subtly do that.
And the built-in seating?
Curved, cantilevered seating saves precious space in this small outdoor area and creates a shady spot for the client to retreat to.
Curved, cantilevered seating saves precious space in this small outdoor area and creates a shady spot for the client to retreat to.
Key plants used
- Heliconia hot rio.
- Philodendron xanadu.
- Philodendron rojo congo.
- Sansevieria moonshine.
- King bromeliad.
- Zoysia grass.
2. Mid-Century Magic
Landscape designer: Courtney Taylor, landscape designer at Terraneo Landscape Design
Location: Paddington, NSW
Description: An east-facing rear courtyard in a terrace with a Victorian facade and a modern, renovated interior. The owner has a penchant for mid-century furniture.
Who lives here: A gentleman
Courtyard size: 12 square metres
Budget: Between AU$25,000 and AU$50,000
Where did most of it go: Custom features such as the concrete bench seat and the steel/aluminium fabrication for the planter box, gate, barbecue bench and table.
Landscape designer: Courtney Taylor, landscape designer at Terraneo Landscape Design
Location: Paddington, NSW
Description: An east-facing rear courtyard in a terrace with a Victorian facade and a modern, renovated interior. The owner has a penchant for mid-century furniture.
Who lives here: A gentleman
Courtyard size: 12 square metres
Budget: Between AU$25,000 and AU$50,000
Where did most of it go: Custom features such as the concrete bench seat and the steel/aluminium fabrication for the planter box, gate, barbecue bench and table.
Brief
- To make the courtyard lighter, brighter and more interesting.
- Somewhere to enjoy a coffee or tea at any time of the day.
- Lush, hardy planting.
- It was also clear the client liked mid-century modern styling from the furniture in his home – something we wanted to reflect in the courtyard design.
What were the client’s must-haves?
Dull and very brown.
- Built-in seating.
- A barbecue bench.
- Mid-century appeal.
Dull and very brown.
What did you do?
- Fortunately, we had solid foundations to work with – an existing concrete slab that could take the weight of the proposed concrete bench and curved, recycled-brick wall with an integrated planter. Everything we did was built on top of that.
- The curved bench seat detracts from the boxiness of the space and makes it feel more comfortable and inviting.
- All-new planting: the area gets a lot of sun and the planter box we designed was narrow, so we chose hardy species that would cope with these two factors – a combination of succulents and Mediterranean-style plants.
- Placed larger, potted plants around the courtyard to add depth. It was important that each corner had a plant in it to create balance.
- Added crazy paving in natural stone as a nod to the client’s love of mid-century modern styling and architecture.
- Designed a new feature gate in powder-coated steel.
Key plants used
- Ficus elastica ‘Rubra’.
- Draceana marginata.
- Carex feather falls.
- Senecio serpens.
- Casuarina glauca ‘Cousin it’.
- Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Silver Queen’.
- Sansevieria trifasciata.
- Sedum mexicanum ‘Gold Mound’.
- Limonium perezii.
- Bougainvillea ‘Scarlett O’Hara’.
- Philodendron ‘Xanadu’.
- Opuntia spp.
- Trichocereus pachanoi.
- Mentha x piperita.
- Rosmarinus officinalis.
3. Modern and Minimalist
Design and construction: Sophie Greive, landscape architect at Think Outside Gardens
Location: Balmain, NSW
Description: A rear courtyard to a ’70s brick townhouse
Who lives here: A design-savvy couple with two young kids
Garden size: Approximately 44 square metres
Budget: AU $55,000
Where did most of it go: Hardworks – new tiling, bench seating and walling.
Design and construction: Sophie Greive, landscape architect at Think Outside Gardens
Location: Balmain, NSW
Description: A rear courtyard to a ’70s brick townhouse
Who lives here: A design-savvy couple with two young kids
Garden size: Approximately 44 square metres
Budget: AU $55,000
Where did most of it go: Hardworks – new tiling, bench seating and walling.
Brief
- Design a contemporary garden to match the internal renovation/modernisation of an old brick townhouse.
- Maximise outdoor space for the clients’ growing family.
- Screen neighbouring properties.
- Create an outdoor entertaining area that flows off the back of the house and also allows access to a garage at the side of the house.
What were the client’s must-haves?
- Easy access to the garage.
- Built-in bench seating for outdoor dining.
- Screen neighbouring properties.
What was the space like when you came onboard?
A small, dark and shaded rear courtyard wedged between an existing garage and the rear of the brown-brick townhouse.
There was a lot of brown – brown pavers, brown tea-tree fencing, brown latticework and brown pots – which made the space feel dark and depressing. It also had scattered, unrelated plantings.
The openings connecting the interior of the house to the courtyard were small.
A small, dark and shaded rear courtyard wedged between an existing garage and the rear of the brown-brick townhouse.
There was a lot of brown – brown pavers, brown tea-tree fencing, brown latticework and brown pots – which made the space feel dark and depressing. It also had scattered, unrelated plantings.
The openings connecting the interior of the house to the courtyard were small.
What did you do?
- Specified all outdoor structural work, including new concrete slab and tiling, masonry walling, built-in bench seating, drainage, irrigation and soft works.
- Added new plantings.
- Used pale, large-format vitrified tiling to lighten up the space.
- Installed a semi-floating, built-in cedar bench seat to create more circulation space in the courtyard.
- Created a seamless connection with the interior spaces by using similar colours and materials in the courtyard. The cedar bench seat, for example, matches the floorboards and joinery inside the house.
- Angled a wide, planting bed out from the garage to create space for tiger grass to hide a bin storage area. The same angle on the other side allowed space for a feature tree (the dragon tree) with a built-in bench seat wrapped around it.
- The angle of the bench seat also draws your eye through the courtyard and makes the space appear larger.
- The position of the dragon tree divides the bench into two spaces – one for casual seating and the other for formal dining.
- Chose space-saving plants with small footprints that could be planted in narrow spots, such as bamboo and palms, rather than space-hungry hedges.
- Used darker colours on the boundaries so the plants pop and the fencing recedes (which also makes the courtyard appear bigger).
- Kept planting and decor simple so as not to visually clutter up the space.
Key plants used
Your turn
Which of these three small alfresco areas impresses you the most? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story and save the images for inspiration. Go on, join the conversation.
More
Want more garden design advice? Don’t miss Garden Lighting: 13 Must-Know Tips to Get it Right
- Slender weavers bamboo (Bambusa textilis gracilis).
- Tiger grass (Thysanolaena maxima).
- Giant strelitzia (Strelitzia nicolai).
- Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata).
- Dragon tree (Dracaena draco).
- Giant bromeliad (Alacantarea imperialis).
Your turn
Which of these three small alfresco areas impresses you the most? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story and save the images for inspiration. Go on, join the conversation.
More
Want more garden design advice? Don’t miss Garden Lighting: 13 Must-Know Tips to Get it Right
1. An Urban Escape With Curves
Landscape designer: Julia Levitt, co-founder and landscape designer at Sticks and Stones Landscape Design
Location: Balmain, NSW
Description: A small, north-facing garden. This area connects to a recently renovated kitchen and living room in a terrace house with a modern extension.
Who lives here: A couple with two young children and two small dogs
Garden size: Approximately 33 square metres
Budget: Undisclosed