Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue #15 2022 i Best Homes

Expertly designed and constructed by the team at Gremmo Homes, this uber-functional luxury dwelling finds its place high among the headlands at North Curl Curl on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Navigating a narrow 11m-wide block, Gremmo Homes was able to artfully fuse a confident monochromatic colour palette with rich textural finishes to generate a bold street presence sure to captivate those passing by. Charred timber cladding and smooth render walls work in combination to create a moody ambience, while refreshing organic textures, such as a bespoke oak timber front door and sandstone paving, provide true depth of field. Stepping through the oversized pivot front door, you’re immediately greeted with a contemporary layout that complements the steep, sloping site. Throughout the home there are numerous nods to the importance of solar passive…

Boasting a classical yet modern facade and an interior designed for luxurious yet casual living, this exquisite new display home from Buildcraft Constructions perfectly showcases the custom builder’s design and construction expertise and eye for detail. Located in Bella Vista, a bourgeoning new suburb north-west of Sydney, the two-storey, four-bedroom display home was designed with both comfortable, day-to-day family living and easy year-round entertaining in mind. “The front portion of the house is designed for entertaining guests and features a lavish area that’s ideal for socialising or relaxing. The front foyer also makes a wonderful first impression. As visitors step over the threshold, their eyes are drawn to the large, light-filled entry void and the statement wrought-iron staircase,” says John Ugarkovic, director, Buildcraft Constructions. “The family area of the house…

Blessed with a prime location on Sydney’s North Shore, but saddled with an older, too-small single-storey home in need of major renovation, the owners decided the best solution was to go ahead and scrap the existing dwelling and build something modern, larger and much more comfortable in its stead. The new five-bedroom home was built for an executive couple with an older child. The couple entertained frequently — family and friends as well as business associates — and they travelled a lot for work. They wanted to be able to come home to a luxurious environment, to entertain guests at home rather than having to go out to socialise, and have space for overnight visitors. “Given the condition of the old home and its lack of entertaining space, it made…

Most people would agree that during winter the fireplace is the heart of the home. This is why wood heating is still hugely popular around the world, especially as the industry innovates to meet ever-increasing emissions and efficiency standards. Established in 2010, Euro Fireplaces makes its home in Mansfield, Victoria, just below the snowfields of Mt Buller. What began as a single-owner-operated shop has expanded to three shopfronts and a network of more than 30 stockists, from Hobart to Brisbane. Designed and manufactured in Europe, Euro Fireplaces’ freestanding, inbuilt and pellet heaters are optimised for Australian wood and heating conditions. This is achieved by using a combination of natural convection and radiant heat, with heat bank and fresh air intake connections available for most models. Heat bank charges as the…

From kitchens, bathrooms and ensuites to bedrooms and alfresco living areas, a well-conceived colour palette can transform the way a space looks and feels. This renovated home is a prime example. Combining dark joinery and splashbacks with a lighter-hued benchtop and a lowered ceiling, this harmonious yet striking kitchen is the brainchild of Peter Gill, principal designer and director at Kitchens by Peter Gill and vice president of ACFA (Australian Cabinet and Furniture Association). The floor plan was conceived to provide separate cooking, preparation and washing zones, making for an ergonomic kitchen that minimises traffic throughout the space. The butler’s pantry is conveniently located behind the main kitchen and enjoys its own cooking, preparation and washing areas. Standing out from the rest of the kitchen, in terms of colour, the…

This breathtaking and stylish powder room is quirky, eclectic and simply perfect for its owners. Previously a tired and plain bathroom, it has been totally transformed into a black and white extravaganza that befits the style of the home and is perfectly matched to the owners’ unique style and personality. Black is a bold choice in any small bathroom, but paired with white panelling and gold accents the space comes to life in a delightful way. The bathroom has been personalised with the owners’ own accessories to enhance the Art Deco style, which includes a stunning 19th-century gilded frame mirror and fun “butler”, imported from the USA, to hold hand towels. A bathroom such as this requires excellence in design and workmanship to achieve its lofty goals, and Brindabella has…

In business since 2014, Buildmat is a well-regarded manufacturer of superior sinks and a supplier of exceptional architectural products for kitchens, bathrooms and laundries. Having begun with the kitchen sink market, Buildmat expanded its range to include the supply of premium-quality products to provide an innovative selection for designers and homeowners who wanted more than the industry was offering. A 100-per-cent Australian-owned and-operated online retailer, Buildmat is based in Melbourne and lives by the motto: “If it’s not a product we will have in our own home, then we won’t be selling it”. From stylish bathroom basins and tapware to laundry tubs, faucets, mixers and even the kitchen sink, this premium manufacturer is an award-winning business with plenty to offer. Handcrafted from 304-grade, 1.5mm-thick stainless steel — on average more…

Hardware & General first opened as a corner hardware store in 1960. Since then, it has expanded along Winbourne Road, Harbord Road and Pittwater Road in the northern Sydney suburb of Brookvale — and the company has added 20 specialist sales centres The company’s renovated and redesigned Brookvale bathroom showroom and adjoining tap showroom have an incredibly impressive depth of choice of brands and products in varying price ranges. This means products can be compared and contrasted before being locked in. What stands out the most when entering the bathroom showroom are the inspirational bathroom concept spaces, which are styled to reflect a variety of design styles to help you visualise your renovation and find the perfect products for it. Many members of the helpful, highly professional Hardware & General…

Many people spend all their efforts designing and personalising the inside of their homes but neglect their outdoor space. With some clever design choices, however, you can capitalise on any outdoor space — and even turn it into an extension of your home. When OUTHOUSE design’s Steve Warner received the design brief for this intriguing project, it was clear that the terrace home in Sydney’s inner west had recently been transformed with the addition of a modern architectural extension to the rear. When you ventured through the character-filled hallway to the back of the home, however, what greeted you was a paved courtyard that was seriously lacking in style and substance. Even though the owners have a strong sense of style and character, this personality ceased to exist within the…

This gorgeous pool and landscape were designed to fit an irregular-shaped area between the primary residence and a separate granny flat. In addition to the block constraints, a major part of the design brief was to create a visual connection between the two dwellings. The talented team at Wisdom Pools and Landscapes managed the entire project, including the pool and landscape design, supply of all materials and the entire installation. A custom pool was designed to fit the space, with a rectangular swim zone angled at 45 degrees in the deep end. This maximised the length of the pool. The angular design has also created different areas for entertaining and relaxing, which Wisdom Pools and Landscapes enhanced with a cantilevered bench seat, a fire pit, a pergola, a built-in barbecue…

Set seamlessly into its picturesque rural surroundings, this freeform pool sits on a hill with an enviable outlook. Natural stone paving and timber decking have been chosen to complement the style of the pool and gently place it within its coastal environment. Castlemaine random stone paving was the perfect choice for this project, with its warm, earthy tones of brown, gold and terracotta. It’s sourced from the original Castlemaine stone quarry in Central Victoria, one of only a few local quarries still producing. This iconic stone has been mined since 1953 and has truly stood the test of time. It’s a popular choice due to its durability, gorgeous colouring as well as its availability in so many forms. It’s also slip-resistant and salt-tolerant, which is why this unique stone is…

Heating your outdoor space isn’t just about keeping the family warm in winter. For many, looks are as important as functionality, maintenance and running costs. For ambience — and to add a sculptural element to your garden — fire pits are ideal. Unique Fire Pits, established more than a decade ago, specialises in wood-burning fire pits that are made from durable cast iron and stainless steel. The fire pits are fabricated in Sydney and are available in a variety of designs and sizes. Of unique design, the fire pits are as much a work of art as a source of heat. “Even when the fire pit is not in use, it can still function as a sculptural piece in the yard,” says Ricardo Fioravanti, owner of Unique Fire Pits. “All…

Remember the many happy hours you spent as a child, bouncing on the backyard trampoline? Why not let your children — and grandchildren — experience the same unbridled fun? “At MrTrampoline we’re in the business of supplying fun, fun, fun — 365 days a year — by manufacturing the best trampolines available,” says Adam Richards, director of MrTrampoline. “Our trampoline frames are made from all-Australian steel. We fabricate, modify and weld the components and then send them off to be hot-dip galvanised. This gives the frame decades of serviceability over our nearest rivals.” The springs are made from high-tensile galvanised wire according to MrTrampoline’s specific design, delivering a longer, smoother bounce. “The bounce bed is the pièce de résistance,” continues Adam. “We manually weave each bed in our facility in…

Outdoor living season is in full swing and Aussies everywhere are breaking out the barbies, firing up the fire pits, and decking out their decks. Often the centrepiece of a home’s outdoor space, a deck provides an ideal setting for relaxing, entertaining and making memories. But, because a deck sits outside all year long, it’s important to protect it from its number-one enemy — water. Water contributes to mould growth and decomposition and can accelerate structural deterioration. Even decks made with today’s high-performance composite decking boards are likely to be built atop substructures made of timber, leaving them vulnerable to moisture damage and decay. When the joists and bearers used to build a deck’s frame are exposed to the outdoor elements, water can seep into screw holes and sit on…

When you’re blessed with a large block of land and a lovely rural outlook, you want to make the most of what nature has to offer. That means a house with expansive windows, sliding glass doors and a seamless indoor-outdoor connection. This beautiful single-level abode, home to a young professional couple and their four children, sits on a 20-acre site in Cordalba, a rural town in Queensland’s picturesque Bundaberg region. As locals themselves, the couple wanted a local builder with good knowledge of the region and experience building in a country setting — this quest led them straight to Stroud Homes Wide Bay. “The clients wanted a modern country home that would suit the region they were already living in,” explains Aletha Walters, co-owner of Stroud Homes Wide Bay. “This…

Designed and built by McLachlan Homes, Northbry Lodge, a multi-award-winning plantation-style home, sits happily in a tranquil setting with to-die-for views. Approaching from the north, the curved Blue stackstone wall and sandstone retaining captures the eye, as does the home’s extensive roof span. “The grand port cochere offers a sense of arrival, taking advantage of the hip scissor roof trusses and 4m-high raked ceilings finished with feature timber and soft shadow lines,” says Sally McLachlan of McLachlan Homes. “The long covered walkway, with its stained timber decking, leads you to the rotunda. This space mirrors the porte cochere, but with the addition of water features and tropical landscaping. “Stepping through the custom pivot door into the grand foyer, you are greeted with a vaulted timber-clad ceiling, large fixed-glass windows, feature…

In designing and building their Hamptons display home, the guiding mantra for the team at Garth Chapman Queenslanders was to craft a breathtaking home that faithfully represented an authentic piece of traditional architecture. “The home’s external appeal is undeniable with its multiple gables, eave brackets and Scyon Linea cladding; also the front and rear timber verandahs that draw all the elements together,” says Stephen Havas, director, Garth Chapman Queenslanders. “Then there’s the charming dark-grey painted timber entry door, surrounded by white joinery and trims, which provides a tantalising taste of the wonders to be encountered once you step over the threshold.” Your journey begins with the wide entry hall, which features polished American oak timber flooring, stained in a walnut colour, and wainscot timber wall trims, which show off the…

In a well-established bayside suburb in Melbourne resides a character-filled four-bedroom, two-bathroom Victorian Gabled Traditional residence from Harkaway Homes that looks like it has been in situ for more than a century. The 232sqm home, however, was only recently built by proud owner-builders, Toby and Kirsten. The couple had serendipitously chanced upon the Harkaway Homes’ website more than 10 years ago and from that point on aspired to own one of Harkaway’s beautiful traditional homes. “I’ve always had a dream to build my own home,” states Toby, “and Harkaway Homes offered me the opportunity to create the residence I had long visualised for myself and my family, namely a traditional home with a charming classic exterior and a highly functional modern interior.” A few years ago, when the family was…

The Australian lifestyle is perfectly suited to beachy Hamptons-inspired homes. It’s a versatile style that is luxurious but relaxed, where classic lines mix with coastal colours and natural textures to create a timeless look. “With our busy modern lives, the Hamptons interior immediately creates a more casual feel when we get home, or for those times when we just want to chill out with a book in a quiet space. It works well for entertaining, too, when our beautiful warm summer weather allows us to let the out doors in,” says Greg Ollerhead of OneWorld Collection. The colour palettes, textures and materials used are influenced by nature. They are ideal for creating a beachside ambience and add a laid-back aesthetic to your home, combining elegance and comfort with a sophisticated…

It’s not hard to imagine spending time in a kitchen like the one in this Melbourne home. You could picture stepping into the room and running your hand over the dramatic Signorino limestone island that just invites your touch. You could also see yourself prepare food as you spoke with your family and friends who would be seated on the plush under-bench stools, allowing you to mix your passion for entertaining and your flair for all things culinary in the one session. It would be just as easy to picture yourself presenting meals that had been prepped in the butler’s pantry, a luxurious continuation of the main kitchen that uses the same quality materials for a cohesive finish. Later, when the sun sunk low in the sky, the golden tones…

True or false: When you open your pantry you feel at peace. If this statement is not quite ringing true — if every time you open the doors you’re greeted by a jumble of items that takes you forever to search through — it’s time to invest in some pantry storage from PEKA. Based in Switzerland, PEKA is an international brand and a market leader when it comes to clever home organisation. Recently, Australian company Nover introduced these smart storage solutions to the local market, and it’s not hard to see why. PEKA offers a range of successful products that Australian homeowners and designers are falling in love with. To begin with, let’s take a look at PEKA Pleno Plus. This is a modern organisation system that allows you to…

White-on-white tiles and grout have been used in wet areas for what seems like forever. There is no denying the popularity of this classic combination and it doesn’t look like the trend is going anywhere in a hurry. Wondering how the pictured statement Kit Kat-tile splashback with all those grout lines is going to stand up to repeated splatter from the stove? That’s where EnduroShield will help. EnduroShield is a protective, easy-clean coating that helps repel water and oil-based stains, ensuring surfaces stay cleaner for longer. This low-maintenance, highly durable protection, when applied directly to tiles and grout lines in the kitchen, bathroom or laundry, means your whites will stay that way no matter what is thrown at them. Both designers and homeowners swear by it. This testimonial, from @buildingouraston…

Having worked very closely with the homeowner on multiple projects in the past, designer Mike Cass, founder of mike CASS creative and design-it landscapes, relished the opportunity to again join forces. This time the goal was to revitalise a tired 90-year-old property located in Sydney’s Inner West. “Our shared aim was to redesign and update both the home’s interior and exterior spaces while remaining sympathetic to the architecture and surrounding properties. In doing so, we also had to ensure we adhered to the regulations governing the heritage-listed suburb,” says Mike. “I chose a soft design approach; one that embraces curvaceous lines and takes its inspiration from the time the house was first conceived. There are both formal and informal edges and the proportion of the spaces does much of the…

While the kitchen may be the social hub of the home, the swimming pool is the place everyone wants to be when they’re outside. And with such a beautifully designed pool, spa and cabana combo as this one, the full resort experience is on tap, day and night. Designed by Nick McCarthy, the founder of Urban Escape Landscapes & Pools, this trans-seasonal backyard retreat exceeded the homeowners’ expectations. It also won Best Poolscape in the 2022 NSW Landscape of the Year Awards and was named the 2019 SPASA National Pool of the Year “The brief was to provide multi-purpose outdoor spaces. At the heart of that was to be a pool and spa that can be used year-round,” says Nick. “The family has teenage children so it was important to…

Big or small, swimming pools are often the focal point of a family’s outdoor entertaining and need to be designed accordingly. Great care, attention and design savvy goes into creating the most successful pools and poolside entertaining areas, especially those that need to comfortably fit into a compact or oddly shaped space. Such was the case with this clean-lined pool and entertaining area, designed by Will Marcus of multi-award-winning Argo Architects, that is nestled behind a family home in a leafy suburb close to Brisbane. “The design brief was to fit a contemporary poolscape into a small wedge-shaped backyard along with a workshop, a rumpus room — overhanging the pool as it happened — a couple of sitting areas and a pavilion,” explains Will. “Ensuring a clear view from the…

Offering complete protection from the weather, a retractable pool enclosure will utterly transform your lifestyle and ensure you get maximum enjoyment out of your pool or spa. TPEC Pool Enclosures are custom designed to suit your specific needs and optimise your outdoor living space. Constructed of materials that can withstand the rigours of any pool environment, TPEC enclosures not only improve your lifestyle, they stand the test of time and add value to your property. TPEC retractable enclosures provide the ultimate solution for any pool, making it possible to use it no matter what the season, and when the weather allows, your pool or outdoor area can be opened within minutes. This makes a TPEC retractable enclosure the most versatile and stylish solution for enclosing a pool, spa or outdoor…

The owners of this contemporary home located to the north of Adelaide have created a welcoming outdoor pool area which is perfect for relaxing with family and friends or taking daily exercise. Swimming pools are increasingly popular, combining our love of both the outdoors and exercise, but without shade coverage pool usage can be restricted on warmer days. To ensure they get maximum use out of the pool, the homeowners opted to install this stunning Shaderunner® which neatly spans the space between the existing buildings. Each Shaderunner® is custom-designed to suit the specific application and this system — which is 5.5m wide and extends out 11m — is no exception. This provides 60sqm of retractable shade and UV coverage to the full extent of the pool as well as the…

If you’re looking for a versatile alfresco cooking option for your backyard, terrace or balcony, Morsø has the perfect solution. But what to choose? The multifunctional Morsø Forno outdoor wood-fired oven, the Grill ’17 which functions as an outdoor kitchen, or the little Morsø Grill ’71 which can also double as an outdoor table? Let’s start with the Morsø Forno oven. A fine example of Danish design, this oven is made from solid cast iron and will form the centrepiece of your outdoor entertaining area. The only limit is your imagination when it comes to conjuring up new and delicious dishes in the Morsø Forno. You can use it to prepare pretty much anything, from hot-smoked salmon and crisp pizzas to exquisite desserts. With various optional accessories you can turn…

Everyone is drawn to fire. Having a chiminea entices people to gather, relax and interact; it also extends the use of your outdoor living space, creating warmth and ambience year-round. And when it comes to woodfired cooking, well, that’s a sure-fire way to keep guests wanting to come back for more. Aussie Heatwave Fireplaces was established 23 years ago and specialises in woodfired outdoor heating and cooking, offering an array of chimineas, fire pits and pizza ovens. “We are a small husband-and-wife business that sells premium-quality, highly durable products which will stand the test of time,” says Andrew Fenton, who runs the business with his wife Liz. “Many of our products are made in Australia. Our cast iron, bronze and alloy chimineas are manufactured in country Victoria.” The newest addition…

Capturing the enduring elegance of the French provincial style, but with a modern twist, Wildlife is Varcon Group’s latest bespoke addition to its collection of prestige homes. Named after the street on which it was built, it is a majestic and expansive multi-award-winning, five-bedroom display home designed to showcase Varcon’s incomparable custom capabilities. The two-storey home’s impressive facade, with its eye-catching peaked roof and grand entrance embraced by wrought-iron fencing, creates a mesmerising first impression. Upon entering the home through the solid-iron doors, the natural textures, along with the finest materials and fixtures — European oak parquetry flooring, feature chandeliers, marble benchtops — combine to create a home of superior quality and opulence. The striking flooring flows through the entire ground level, extending into a modern kitchen with a unique…

For this family of five, creating a home where they could make memories was of utmost importance. But they didn’t want to just do it anywhere. Location was key, and luckily for Steven, his wife and their three young boys, all under the age of six, this magnificent plot in Sydney’s north provided something to write home about. At first glance, this site wasn’t exactly ideal. It features steep bushland, lots of rock ledges and a 12m crossfall over the build area, which meant water and gradient issues. But, as it turns out, these limitations also gave the home something a little bit special and the homeowners wanted to use this as a springboard to work from. “The uniqueness of this project was its design to utilise the slope of…

Long known for its beautiful beaches, the Sydney suburb of Cronulla now has something else to crow about — Contour, one of Reform Projects’ latest builds. A blend of modern and coastal architecture, it has changed the face of the Cronulla foreshore. Perfectly positioned right on the doorstep of the Cronulla coastline, Contour, which was designed by PBD Architects, is a five-storey boutique residence with a two-storey basement carpark. A one-of-a-kind, luxury five-storey build, it offers those who yearn to call Cronulla home the highest level of amenities and a design that that maximises — and references — its prized beachside location. The natural flow and landscape contours of Cronulla’s waterfront inspired the building’s enormous, sweeping curves along the southern facade, which are perfectly juxtaposed against the Cerrano render of…

The beautiful design of the Archer Gas Log Space Heater range will add style and value to your home, thanks to classic styling and the natural look of a gas log fire that complements any decor. Most importantly, the range, with its 5.4-to 5.7-star rating, has also achieved the ultimate in efficiency and high heat output. The energy star rating system represents an industry-wide independent rating that indicates how efficiently a heater operates — the more energy stars, the greater the efficiency. The Archer Gas Log Space Heater range is believed to be the highest star-rated product available in the world today. With this high energy star rating and its heat transfer efficiency, the range has the capacity to heat areas of 180–250sqm, which is a very impressive achievement. The…

To design and build a kitchen that has wow factor is no easy feat, but the Danish-born Gamborg brothers from DK Design Kitchens are no strangers to creating a kitchen zone that is at one with an entire living environment. Scandinavian design is what DK Design Kitchens does best — a style that simply never dates or goes out of fashion. The mantra “less is more” is often used when it comes to a Scandi aesthetic, but this doesn’t necessarily mean sacrificing exciting flair. The two existing reclaimed timber columns were the main consideration for this kitchen space, each offering an intriguing point of difference while still seamlessly working with the Scandi style. The combination of warm timbers, beautiful textures, neutral colours and natural stones sing in harmony to create…

Edward Bulwer-Lytton said “In life, as in art, the beautiful moves in curves” and curves were certainly a beautiful feature in the 2022 KBDi Designer Awards program. Softening the edges of your cabinetry can make an enormous difference to the look and feel of your kitchen. In this feature, KBDi shares four of its favourite examples of all-class curves. Let’s start this look at the 2022 winners with Sydney’s Dean Welsh of Thinkdzine Interiors. The island is the centrepiece of this striking kitchen designed by Dean. The soft, curved, marble-inspired benchtop and slated curved end panels give the island a furniture feel, meeting the client’s brief for an “almost invisible” kitchen. The very carefully recessed cooktop continues the theme, seamlessly integrating the barely-there appliances into the surface. Next is Carla…

If you’re looking for style and functionality in one, look no further than Trespa Meteon exterior panels by Nover. For many years now, the iconic Trespa brand has been supporting architects worldwide with durable exterior design products, and the new Trespa Meteon panels are a very welcome addition to Nover’s extensive range of hardware. There’s a lot to love about Trespa Meteon. The material is a decorative high-pressure compact laminate with an integral surface that is manufactured through the company’s exclusive Electron Beam Curing (EBC). The unique blend comprises up to 70 per cent natural fibres and thermosetting resins, ensuring every panel looks luxurious while lasting a lifetime. These versatile, hard-wearing exterior panels are also designed to be weather-resistant, making them the perfect choice for outdoor kitchens that need to…

This new-build champions texture and warmth with a variety of wood finishes set against an otherwise pared-back palette. Aside from the visual warmth, LVI electric radiant heaters provide actual warmth and are stylish, low maintenance and easily installed. With a versatile open floor plan and large sliding doors, this home design balances a feeling of lightness with the depth of the materials used, which includes timber and concrete. Clean lines further highlight the texture in the materiality, allowing the delicate details of the vertical roof bracing to create visual interest in an otherwise subdued space. The heating solutions provided by LVI electric radiant heaters echo the simplicity of the home design, with true radiant heat emitted from each unit — all without the noise and air movement usually associated with…

The designer’s aim was to create a sustainable native garden — one that looked raw and rustic, was low maintenance and featured a bird- and bee-attracting planting scheme. The must-have list presented to Mark Tisdell of MUD Landscape Design didn’t end there, though. “The owners wanted us to make the best use of the north-facing aspect and bush outlook, incorporate new levels based on the removal of part of the existing retaining wall, create a level turfed area where the kids could play, establish a sitting area, and find space to establish a chicken run and edible gardens. Materials were to be recycled and reused where possible,” explains Mark. “What we have created is a very textural, earthy and organic space that perfectly suits the clients’ values and lifestyle. It’s…

When landscape architect John Storch, the director of A Total Concept, received a call from the owners of this Sydney home — a couple with whom he had worked on two previous projects — he was thrilled. They wanted his help to develop their recently acquired property and John was immediately on board. “Each property we’ve designed for these clients has been different because each had very different requirements,” says John. “The first, a semidetached home, was designed to cater for the needs of a young family. The second, a large, highly detailed suburban home on acreage was designed with entertaining teenagers in mind and as for this third property, the goal was to create a sanctuary for the downsizing couple. As a pair of empty-nesters, they wanted something just…

A site with a dramatic slope does have the potential to be problematic when it comes to the design and construction of a pool. However, Artesian Pools embraced the challenges of a steep site and used them to its advantage when building this pool for a young Sydney family. The homeowners requested an outdoor entertaining area that made optimal use of their very steep site, situated in Coogee, a gorgeous beachside suburb in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Their spectacular rectangular in-ground concrete pool was designed in conjunction with the architect’s vision and brought to life by Artesian Pools. “The clients had a backyard that they were not utilising as it was such a steep block,” explains Zeb Rodrigues, founder of Artesian Pools. “Now they have a pool that they can use…

Relaxing with family and friends while enjoying a pool lifestyle in your backyard oasis is something you’ve dreamed of for some time. Why not make your life even easier by talking to your pool builder about a self-cleaning pool? A self-cleaning pool allows you to spend more time enjoying life while your pool cleans itself. Your pool will also be more efficient to operate and more enjoyable to swim in because of the increased circulation benefits. Owning a pool has never been this easy. Not all self-cleaning pools are the same, however. QuikClean in-floor cleaning systems feature advanced technology, they have been developed for Australian conditions and are proven in the most demanding conditions. The focus of a QuikClean system is you. Three superior systems, all with unique features and…

Lunch on the deck, dinner under the stars … having a well-furnished, beautifully decorated outdoor living space makes these scenarios so much more appealing, and it provides an additional “room” you can use when entertaining. As with most things in life, buying the best quality you can afford is always a good idea. With outdoor furniture, buying quality is about comfort and style; and it’s about choosing something that is strong, durable and easy to maintain. Schots Home Emporium has developed a stellar reputation for its outdoor furniture collections. For a modern or industrial look, the range of concrete furniture — benches, coffee tables, dining tables, stools … even a sofa — is truly diverse. For those who prefer the warmth of timber or perhaps a more traditional look, Schots’…

The design challenge was to create something new in the barbecue market. To redefine a barbecue to perform like it was cooking over a bed of red-hot coals. It needed to provide even heat without flare-ups and be a true multifunctional outdoor cooking appliance that produced tastier and juicier food. CROSSRAY achieved this using patented infrared cooking technology which it has incorporated into its gas and electric barbecues, portable and inbuilt barbecues, and outdoor kitchens. For the gas barbecue range, CROSSRAY uses angled side burners that are built into the barbecue. They are surface-combustion ceramic burners and located close to the grill, which enables a very high surface temperature to be achieved. Additionally, there are no large flames, which results in significantly less gas usage (up to 50 per cent…

The right lighting improves mood and creates an inviting ambience, so if your outdoor spaces are dark, gloomy and unappealing when the sun goes down, transform them into enjoyable and enticing spaces with strategic illumination. Start by lighting your garden, swimming pool, outdoor features, verandah and patio. To achieve the best results, opt for high-quality lights and expert installation, which is where garden lighting specialist Pekka Uusi-Hakimo and the Nitetime Designs’ team step in. Whether you want to highlight a prominent garden feature, accentuate established trees, illuminate nicely trimmed hedges, or extend your lighting to pathways, steps, stairs or a driveway, Nitetime Designs can help. The first step is to identify what areas you need to light and why. Will it be for security, better visibility during family barbecues and…