Creating a stunning designer backyard with pool in St Heliers, Auckland | Zones

The initial consultation

Natalie’s backyard in St Heliers, Auckland had plenty of space but was lacking personality. With nothing but grass on offer, the outdoor area was sorely underutilised – not to mention uninspiring! Natalie had dreams of transforming her dull backyard into a family oasis, with a pool for the children being a top priority.

 Natalie contacted her local Zones Consultant Kate Ryan, who arranged a free meeting to discuss Natalie’s backyard goals. Natalie explained that the home was currently tenanted and that she would soon be living overseas for a time, so an excellent project manager was crucial. Kate assured her that she would be the single point of contact throughout the entire project and would expertly manage every element. This complete end-to-end service was ideal for Natalie. She and Kate then began the exciting task of creating a dream concept. 

Creating a concept

At the top of Natalie’s wish list was a pool which she knew would bring hours of enjoyment for her young children. But she also wanted the backyard to feel inviting, whether entertaining family and friends or recharging with a quiet cuppa. With Kate’s expert guidance, the pair decided to tackle the renovation as two distinct projects with an extended timeline. A custom louvre roof would be installed on the deck while the property was tenanted and Natalie was overseas, and once the family was living in the home once again, the pool installation and landscaping would get under way.

Because Zones offer a bespoke landscaping service focused on delivering exactly what works for each client, Kate was only too happy to tackle the outdoor renovation in stages. The online customer portal would also be an excellent tool for Natalie to utilise while she was away, enabling her to see progress, receive messages, and view invoices all in the one place. The Stage 2 excavation and pool installation costs were handled directly by Natalie herself.

Building the dream

Over several weeks in late Spring, a louvre roof and custom slatted cedar screen was installed on the existing north-facing decking at Natalie’s property. This instantly upgraded the outdoor space and the deck immediately became a popular spot, thanks to the shade from the new louvre system.

The major construction of the pool and other landscaping took place almost a year later, starting in July. Pool installations are always a major investment, and require numerous specialists and professionals, as well as council consent. Kate and her team managed the entire process, from the concept design right through to the delivery.

Natalie was eager to start the pool excavation as soon as possible, but an extremely wet winter and the discovery of reclaimed soil that turned to sludge with the high-water table made the excavation extremely difficult, causing both delays and increased costs. Extra drainage of the lawn area, executed by the excavation company, added peace of mind long term. Ever the problem solver, Kate reworked the original fencing design from all glass to partly aluminium which helped offset some of the site work costs. The fence also had a custom panel worked into the design to ensure the height would meet council requirements.

Paving, pebbles, and planting soon followed, as well as a custom pool shed and a new patio area.