The owners of this Paddington terrace were after an innovative solution for their 42.5m2 courtyard area, something with a modern feel, highly functional and an inviting space in which they could entertain family and friends. The house spills out into the garden from both the kitchen and lounge room, with large bi-folding doors eliminating the division between inside and out and a Balinese-inspired water feature on the rear wall which can be viewed from all aspects of this bold outdoor space.
The planting creates a foil to the hard structured areas, with the garden designed in layers to soften the overall look. Bromeliads are used to great effect by Urban Exotic in the lower garden and on top of the walls, a specially made, self-irrigating planting system, constructed from recycled plastic, sees thriving ‘Ipomea bastats’ spilling over and down the face of the walls. Bamboo was selected to screen out the neighbours and give an architectural effect against the dark walls and enhances the feeling of enclosing the space and making it more intimate.
The outdoor dining room is covered by a powder-coated galvanised metal structure. Stainless steel wire strung across the sections accommodates the Boston Ivy which creates a green roof and dappled light in the summer months and allows more sunlight in the winter when it loses its foliage. The clients love the separation between the outdoor cooking and seating areas and can appreciate how the division of space has, in fact, made the area appear larger and certainly more functional that first thought and they now spend more time in their stunning outdoor rooms than they do inside the house.