First Impressions Count with Earth Creation Landscapes
Pete Goodlet shares the secrets to creating a harmonious outdoor living area.
The secret to a beautiful garden IN Noosa or anywhere, is in the design. Beautiful landscape design takes an architecturally well-designed home to a whole new level. Take a drive around your neighbourhood and it is immediately apparent when a home has a garden that makeS the architecture sing. The harmony hits a high note and is a joy to behold.
Enhanced curb appeal is only a hint of the benefits of living with a cleverly designed garden but also a vital part of the well-used phrase: “It pays to make a good first impression!”
A great garden will build anticipation before you even open the gate.
The key to achieving a cohesive home and garden is to have a landscape designer on board as part of your team right from the beginning of the design process.
Not only will you get a better outcome, but initial plans out for quoting will include fitout details for plumbing, electrics, and structural reinforcement for features such as pergolas and even a base for a spa or plunge pool; exterior lighting will be wired to the appropriate switches at the time of construction; and piping can be fitted for outdoor showers and allowance made for irrigation and pool equipment. While this can add to the initial build cost, huge savings will be made later in both budget and disruption of your building site.
Financial savings aside it is the aesthetic wins that make the biggest blooming difference.
Homes where the exterior and interior work in harmony are a joy to live in. They work brilliantly for daily life and expand with gay abandon for hosting soirées!
Look to the spaces beyond the room and go for gold. Bathrooms can open to an enclosed courtyard, and rather than an obscure privacy window, you can include a plate glass door in the initial plans. Go the whole hog to include the plumbing and drainage for a private outdoor shower. Imagine starting each day in Noosa’s beautiful subtropical climate showering in the sunshine or finish the day bathing under the stars. Such moments transform a routine task into a thing of joy.
Living areas are busy places and with the alfresco lifestyle comes the need for ease of movement between inside and out. You want to be able to step confidently between the two, especially considering you may be balancing a cocktail or two!
Underfoot, the flooring and paving should work in cohesion. Stone tiling comes in both interior and exterior surfaces or step from timber floor to decking, with boards running the same way to enhance unity.
Scale is important too. The size of an outdoor entertaining space should mimic what is inside. Here too, you will want to include a dining and lounging area with plenty of circulation space between the two. A masonry wall enclosing an aspect of this space can enhance a sense of intimacy and privacy. An open fireplace and chimney will truly bring the inside out. Obviously, such a big feature is far more achievable if conceived early in the design development stage.
Internal garden walls or hedges can be great for discouraging the prying eyes of neighbours like the infamous Beryl Next Door! After all it is your own very valuable space and who you share it with should really be up to you!
When clients, architects and garden designers work together as a team you will have a harmony of both the look and feel of the home and garden.
Planting can be used to offer shading where needed and even assist in the passive heating and cooling of a home.
The breeze through trees or over a swimming pool can be directed to cool the home. Deciduous trees or vines can offer much needed shade in summer and in winter allow the full benefits of beautiful warming sunshine.
Stuart and his team at Earth Creation Landscapes have years of experience with working with the best architects in the game.
Their design, construction skills and experience will deliver a garden beyond your wildest expectations.
