A MODERNIST HAVEN
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas|Issue #17.5
This 1972 home gets a contemporary garden that kids and parents alike absolutely love
EMILY BELLING
A MODERNIST HAVEN

The family living in this Melbourne home are in love with its modernist, 1970s architecture, so they naturally sought a backyard that complemented the aesthetic. Anna Maskiell of Public Realm Lab was able to deliver.

“We are architects who are in love with gardens and who work closely with landscape architects, so we tend to think about gardens in terms of how you occupy them, how you move through them and how they complement internal spaces,” Anna says.

“Our preference is for our clients to be able to live outside or in some kind of in-between space as much as possible, because it’s good for us!”

In light of this, the design centred around the concept of “a series of outdoor rooms” for the family to enjoy comfortably throughout Melbourne’s many different seasons.

Anna’s favourite element of the backyard design is the raised planter edge along the side boundary.

“This little patch of yard gets the best (in fact, only) sun through Melbourne’s very pleasant mid-season,” she says.

“It was really important that we found a way for our clients to sit in the sun with a coffee or tea and be by the water.”

The raised planter edge can function as a seat, drinks ledge or even a stage, as their little ones have shown.

Aesthetic inspiration was drawn from the original home’s modernist architecture, which the team “mined” for design cues regarding colours, textures and materials to be used throughout the garden.

This story is from the Issue #17.5 edition of Backyard & Garden Design Ideas.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Issue #17.5 edition of Backyard & Garden Design Ideas.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BACKYARD & GARDEN DESIGN IDEASView All
SEEING GREEN
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

SEEING GREEN

This garden design took the challenge of a sloping site and transformed it into a tropical, green oasis

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue #18.2
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT

Edible plants tend to be thirsty, but it is possible to grow healthy, flavoursome veggies without over-taxing your water supply

time-read
9 mins  |
Issue #18.2
Roots of orange
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

Roots of orange

One of the most popular and health-giving of veggies, carrots are a must for the garden and the plate

time-read
6 mins  |
Issue #18.2
Heart of stone
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

Heart of stone

What’s more beautiful than a material formed over thousands of years by nature?

time-read
1 min  |
Issue #18.2
BLOOMING FABULOUS
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

BLOOMING FABULOUS

A combination of formal, fun, and cottage, this delightful garden in Brisbane mixes it up with magnificent results

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue #18.2
GET A ROOM!
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

GET A ROOM!

Since living, working and entertaining at home is becoming the norm, exploring the creation of outdoor “rooms” in our backyards provides plenty of scope for imagination

time-read
10+ mins  |
Issue #18.2
Alligator pear
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

Alligator pear

That’s just one of the many names for the large, luxurious berry we know and love as avocado

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue #18.2
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

Eat, Play, Love

This urban oasis is filled with a diverse blend of productive plants and natives, a unique haven that continues to evolve

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue #18.1
The Plant Sage Behind - The Plant Society
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

The Plant Sage Behind - The Plant Society

Jason Chongue is a veritable celebrity in the plant world — and taking a walk through his foliage-filled home, you can see why!

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue #18.1
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

Funky Wooden Features Bring This Space To Life

This Coogee property was given a new life with creative wooden solutions and an injection of tropical-inspired greenery, creating that holiday experience right in the backyard

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue #18.1