Building a Stylish and Sophisticated Outdoor Living Area in Remuera, Auckland

Consulting Locally

Corina had big dreams for a thoroughly modern makeover of her Remuera home – both inside and out. Protection from the rain, a new driveway, and a refreshed deck and garden were all on the list to transform her outdoor area and make it more family-friendly for living and play. Knowing she would need help to make her ideas a reality, Corina contacted her local Zones Renovation Consultant, Kate Ryan.

Kate met with Corina at her home to discuss her landscaping goals, budget and timeline, and to explain more about the Zones renovation process. Zones has turned time- consuming and stressful renovations into a straightforward experience that homeowners love. They focus on a bespoke service, tailoring solutions to your needs and budget, and providing detailed plans before any work begins, to reduce the risk of any unwanted surprises along the way! 

Designing Custom Solutions

The Zones customised service was exactly what Corina wanted. With Kate on board as her dedicated consultant, it was time to start designing and refining her backyard concept.

The old deck would be removed to make way for smart new Kwila decking. A pergola,  designed to complement the deck, would be fitted with a custom louvre roof to ensure protection from the elements and create an outdoor living area that was directly accessible to the house through sliding doors. New planting and pebbled areas were also part of the concept, providing a low maintenance but curated feel to the area.

 The long driveway would be concreted, with modern aluminium fencing to create a polished feel to the whole space. Corina initially envisaged an automatic gate at the end of the drive, but after discussion with Kate, decided that was unnecessary, given the length of the driveway.

Transformation Begins

Corina was simultaneously planning renovations to her home which required council consent, so there was a significant amount of time between the design phase of her outdoor area and work beginning. Kate managed this delayed timeline without issues, as well as coordinating with other contractors to ensure an efficient work schedule. By overseeing every element of Corina’s project and being her single point of contact throughout, Kate made the entire project stress-free.

Once the old deck was removed, the new deck and louvre roofing could be installed. Because the louvre involved some difficult angles in order to fit the shape of the house, Kate arranged several site visits to ensure measurements were exact and all height and boundary rules were adhered to. The louvre installers cut the blades to fit the unusual shape and a customised flashing was made to fit and ensure water tightness.

The driveway was excavated and poured once the need for work access to the house was reduced – and some fine weather occurred – and then the modern aluminium fence was installed to complete the chic new look.