Keeping It Simple

This contemporary outdoor entertaining area acts as an extension of the home’s interior.

- Karen Booth

Less is definitely more when working with smaller spaces, which is why this garden, with its pared-back outdoor room and sleek swimming pool, is such a resounding success. Through the judicious use of a limited palette of materials, colours and plants, this minimalist Melbourne garden looks and feels a lot bigger than it actually is. 

Maximising the space was imperative, says Steve Taylor of COS Design, and one of the ways this was achieved was by modifying the property’s boundaries and turning them into features in their own right. To mask the boundary walls, Steve specified the use of stained hardwood screen boards.