Our clients sometimes have a general idea of what they are looking for, but not what shape it will take, or how to best make use of a space for their needs. This was the case for this project. The client’s private residence had a very distinct character to it - influenced by the architecture of southern France and the Mediterranean regions. The pool area of the estate had little to no entertainment space or seating, and was overcrowded by trees, and a shade structure that didn’t aesthetically match its surrounds. The client’s wishes were to expand the area if possible, and have a complementary space that would encourage the family to make more use of the space while looking “like it had always been there”.

Development of the design involved precise selection of fixtures and finish that complemented the larger estate, and the arrangement of new structural elements to carefully align with existing elements that included the estate, pool, and nearby gate. The area was designed to promote use of new features such as an outdoor kitchen, complete with barbeque and stone-surface pizza oven, a fire pit and dining area. Furthermore, new landscaping, planters and trees were introduced to match the design, and help define the new space, which had removed old, harsher barriers.

The finalized finishes blended seamlessly with the surrounds, and included soap-washed travertine facia tiles, Chicago bricks in a herringbone arrangement, white Hardie-board and timber elements, and concrete benchtops. The client had only wished to see the fully developed result, and opted out of the development process, choosing to rely completely on Austrada for making the right choices for their project.

The final result was well received upon presentation to the client, and their excitement with the result has now lead to plans for further expansion of the area in subsequent projects, as well as works across other parts of the estate. Construction was completed in 2023 with new projects beginning later in 2024.