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Design Inspiration
Australian home design trends explained with James Hardie
Week 11: Emma and Ben
The room: Backyard and pool
Cash spent: $19,375 (Budget: $50,000)
Score: 37.5 (38.5 with gnome)/40 (first place)
“I just love the luxury – there’s so many layers of luxury here,” said Marty Fox. “that is what will capture the buyers.”
Emma and Ben’s winning backyard paid homage to the surrounding landscape with hundreds of trees and expansive vistas.
Emma and Ben triumphed in backyard and pool week with a spectacular garden and wine cellar. The Victorian couple took on more than 1000 square metres in area to create a winning backyard and pool area.
The concept from the couple’s landscape designer Colin Hyett was to incorporate the adjoining rolling hills of Daylesford into the backyard design, as “borrowed landscape”. This involved lots of trees – and using 80 per cent natives in the plant selection.
“So the garden seamlessly blends into the hills behind,” explained Emma.
Guest judge Dave Franklin said the backyard presented as an amphitheatre looking over Daylesford, calling the choice of natives “very sustainable”.
Entrance to the garden and backyard was made via huge timber steps leading off their back deck, framing a large planter with a spectacular tree.
From there, it was a step down to the pool area with cabana through a clever hidden retaining wall. The pool surround was an earthy brown brick, which blended beautifully with the landscape. Pavers as stepping stones helped to define the pathway while keeping it relatively informal.
A vegie garden, grove of citrus trees and firepit were located on the opposite side to the pool. The couple’s wine cellar, located under one of the wings of the house, won lots of praise, especially for the stone feature wall.
“It’s that natural colour palette and materials palette that relates to the outside, relates to the landscape and it just feels really right in Daylesford,” said Darren Palmer.
Design tip
Choosing trees and plants that are native to your area will result in a garden that is easier to maintain and uses less resources, such as fertilisers and water. Talk to your local Bunnings garden experts about what is indigenous to your local area before you decide on your plant choices.
What colour paint did they use?
Ben and Emma used Feast Watson ‘Black Japan’.
Create the look yourself with these D.I.Y. projects
More D.I.Y. Advice
Health & Safety
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.