Poolside landscape design in Auckland

Shortly after moving into their new home, homeowners Ruth and Jonathan decided to personalise their paved patio area. They wanted to enhance the aesthetics of the outdoor space while improving its year-round usability. 

“We engaged the team at Zones in Auckland to help us with a fairly substantial outdoor entertainment area for our property in Epsom”, explains Jonathan. “This was an end-to-end, design-to-completion project that involved initial planning, build-out of completely new decking, fireplace and outdoor cooking installation, louvre installation and garden landscaping.”

Developing a new landscape design

During the design process, it was important to Jonathan and Ruth that their outdoor area blended in with the style of the home as well as their personal taste and lifestyle requirements. Landscaping specialist supported the homeowners through every aspect of the project, and worked closely with landscape designer Naomi Grey to translate Jonathan and Ruth’s ideas into a cohesive plan. 

“Design decisions at the beginning were critical for such a detailed project”, tells the team. “Designing the unique, custom-made bench unit was the first priority. This involved tossing up whether the unit should be all concrete versus all wood, or a combination of both. We decided on a wooden bench with a thick concrete top to match the thickness of a new Flare Fireplace, and the cladding of the frame underneath to match the new Garapa deck. The bench builder and concrete manufacturer had to work closely together while templating the two areas for the new unit and how they were going to fit together in the space provided. We are very happy with our design!”

During the planning stages of the project, the team provided Ruth and Jonathan with a range of decking samples, helping them to decide on the right materials for their needs. This included looking at style, durability and pricing. 

“It was really important to Jonathan that the new hardwood deck and bench retain their natural light brown tones over time, rather than weathering to the grey look that is inevitable.  After much research into the various stain/oil options for decking and which process and product would have the greatest longevity, we came up with a strategy that has achieved the desired outcome - a very comprehensive project plan was required as there were so many logistics for getting things done in the right order”, explains the team. 

Once the design was in place and the ideal materials chosen, the team put together a fixed-quote. From there, the project began. 

Building the new deck

The deck was built using garapa hardwood and now wraps around the back of the house and leads to the pool. Following this, the custom-built bench was installed as well as outdoor lighting and a Weber BBQ.