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Take an ordinary house in the suburbs, add an expansive deck with a stylish outdoor kitchen and dining area, and watch how your space – and lifestyle – is transformed.
Landscape designer Inge Jabara (joined by builder Tim Clark and interior designer and stylist Jono Fleming) used her vision and experience to create an enviable outdoor entertainment area. “The premise of the backyard is to be an extension of the interior,” says Inge. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a balcony garden or a big backyard, that outdoor space can fit the culture of cooking food and entertaining friends and family outside in summer.”
First, work out the elements you would love in your outdoor kitchen. Measure out the space to make sure it will all fit. Once you’re happy with the configuration, you can begin ordering and building.
If your outdoor kitchen is covered, it is required to have open sides in the barbecue area. Check your barbecue’s specifications to make sure you don’t need to add a rangehood. Also, if you are connecting your barbecue to natural gas, make sure you order a natural gas conversion kit.
“Creating destinations and a sense of curiosity in the garden is such a fun approach,” says Inge. “I started with the most important part, which is the deck, and worked from there.”
Half of the remaining space was dedicated to lawn, but there was still plenty to work with, including space for a paved lounge-style entertaining area.
“There’s no harm in having two entertainment zones, because we entertain in so many different ways,” Inge says. “This way, the adults can sit up on the deck and the kids can go down to their own space.”
For the best access to full morning sun, the vegetable garden was placed in the back left corner, with a kids’ play area to the right.
Inge began planning the backyard transformation by mapping out the different zones. Once the entertaining area was complete, she had the back corner in mind for vegetables planted in Birdies modular raised garden beds. “We have six beds in raised planters – they come in different sizes and heights,” she says.
And no space goes to waste. “At the end of each box is an herb or spinach,” Inge explains. Everything in the garden has an eight- to 11-week yield, so there’s not long to wait until harvest time.
A big cherry tree reaches over from next door, and just over the back fence is an established orange tree. “I like to create a borrowed landscape, where you bring the neighbours’ trees into your own garden design so it looks like yours keeps going,” she says.
Think about which vegetables you eat most often. Work backwards from there, planting what you’ll enjoy. Opt for the quickest production or yield. Some plants take 26 weeks to yield, so look for those that mature in six to 11 weeks, so you get consistent turnover.
Tip: When planning your vegetable garden, make sure it has good mid-morning to afternoon sun.
Check out how we constructed a fence and gate for the garden.
Photo Credit: Alex Reinders
Asbestos, lead-based paints and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber are health hazards you need to look out for when renovating older homes. These substances can easily be disturbed when renovating and exposure to them can cause a range of life-threatening diseases and conditions including cancer. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer or visit our Health & Safety page.
When following our advice in our D.I.Y. videos, make sure you use all equipment, including PPE, safely by following the manufacturer’s instructions. Check that the equipment is suitable for the task and that PPE fits properly. If you are unsure, hire an expert to do the job or talk to a Bunnings Team Member.
