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Backyard ideas: Five fab solutions for small spaces

By Amy Collins-Walker •

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The latest figures from Commsec show that the size of an average house built in 2018/19 is 228.8 square metre; that’s a 1.3 per cent decrease on last year. Often, this steady decrease in property sizes translates into backyard and entertaining areas that are smaller which means we have to be much smarter with our outdoor choices.

Small backyard
Hanging your bike on the wall is a nifty storage solution

With outdoor living a favourite pastime for Australian families, ideas for creating small, but successful outdoor areas are in high demand. Luckily, whatever sized space you have to work with, from vertical gardens to built-in furniture and water features, there are countless ways to create an exceptional outdoor room to entertain, relax and spend time with family.

“You pay good money for land so don’t waste it! Australians love the outdoors but are finding it increasingly difficult to achieve the right balance between indoor-outdoor living, especially when you have less space to play with,” says DIY landscaper and Adbri Masonry ambassador, Jason Hodges who provides his top five ideas below, to maximise the potential of every inch of your backyard.

Get imaginative
To get the most out of the space you have, it’s important to use it creatively. Use all available surfaces; look for opportunities to transform walls, unused corner areas and even pillars into features.

Add vertical gardens to any unused walls or wrap columns with decorative lighting or climbers. Green walls can transform a once-dull space into an inviting environment – layering with colour and texture will add visual interest and make the space look even bigger too.

Create space with visual illusions
Like a painting, you need to start with the right canvas and the foundation is your flooring. Because it is the largest surface, it’s important to get this part right. Large format pavers work best in small spaces as they give the impression of greater space. Choose a light colour to open up the space and, for a modern and minimalist look, avoid intricate patterns.

Light pavers work best in small spaces
Light, plain pavers work best in small spaces

Smart furniture choices
In order to make the most of the area you have, choose space-savvy furnishings and clever storage solutions to form a practical outdoor space.

Firstly, when buying these pieces, embrace the small space; don’t clutter what precious area you have with massive outdoor settings. Instead, choose furniture that will suit how you will most often use the space. If that’s entertaining four people, pick a four-person setting – too often people ‘go big’ to accommodate the two or three times a year they have guests over and lose that precious space during the remainder of the year.

The other key idea for outdoor settings is looking for opportunities to create ‘built-in furniture.’ For example, a garden wall with capping stones can also serve as a seating wall.

Outdoor seating
Built-in seating makes great use of a tricky corner. You could add extra storage beneath the bench seats too.

Create stand out features
Just because you’re working with smaller spaces, it doesn’t mean you need to work with small ideas. Consider an area of the yard to create a landscaped feature such as a raised planter area, a water feature or a sculpture that draws the eye.

Another great idea for drawing attention away from the size of your space is planting a beautiful garden. This can even include planting herbs around the edge as a border and installing a small water feature amongst any plants to help distract from the limited space.

A firepit makes a fabulous small-space garden accessory
A firepit makes a fabulous small-space garden statement

Keep it simple, keep it clean
A good clean up and declutter of your garden space can give it a new lease on life. Prune or reorganise plants and get rid of anything that is out of place. Take a look at your outdoor furniture and make sure it is in scale to the rest of the yard. And finally, keep it simple – a clean and simple backyard will give the illusion of more space.

For more on Adbri Masonry | Redfern rooftop garden home with killer Sydney views

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December 4, 2019

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If you pick your restaurants for the interior as m If you pick your restaurants for the interior as much as the food, you might want to add @pinosalmare  by @nicgrahamandassociates to your date night list! 😍

@smartstoneaustralia's stunning Calacatta Viola sintered stone surface features throughout, making a bold statement while being durable enough to be used in the busiest areas.

Inspired by Puglia, Pino's (named after the owner's father) in Cronulla has a real seaside vibe. The Smartstone was also chosen for the outdoor tables due to its UV stability.

#calacattaviola #smartstone #restaurantinteriors #restaurantinteriordesign #italianrestaurantsydney #engineeredstone #sinteredstone
SPA VIBES was the brief for this bathroom and @jas SPA VIBES was the brief for this bathroom and @jasminemcclellanddesign delivered. And then some!

"With a keen eye for design, they wanted their main bathroom to feel calm, spa-like and elevated with more storage, better layout, and soft, layered textures in a neutral palette. Lighting was another big focus, with the goal of creating a space that felt luxurious enough to unwind in, preferably with a glass of champagne in the bath.”

Is it a yay or a nay for you?

Head to the blog via link in bio/stories for all the suppliers as well as a look at the powder room with its bold wallpaper 😍

#spabathroom #zenbathroom #spavibes #bathroomremodels 

📸 @jonathantabensky
Vacuums, mops, empties itself. Slim enough to get Vacuums, mops, empties itself. Slim enough to get under the lowest furniture and beds.

Comment 'enter' and we'll DM you the link to enter for your chance to win this top of the range $1499 robot from @ecovacs_anz, the DEEBOT T50 PRO OMNI.

Good luck!

#robotvacuumcleaner #robotvaccum #robotvacuummop #robotmop #smarthome #houseworkhacks
>>>Swipe for the transformation! 😮 From cold t >>>Swipe for the transformation! 😮

From cold to cosy!

This primary ensuite for a successful career woman working in luxury cosmetics and homewares is sexy, strong, girly, but sophisticated. We love its warmth and personality.

If you'd like to take the tour and find out where everything is from, comment 'luxe' below and I'll send the link to your DMs!

Bravo @howardlanedesigns 👏🏼 
📸 @capturedbykels__

#ensuiteinspo #ensuitedecor #ensuitegoals #marblebathrooms #statementstone
The latest addition to my @kirstenjackson_gallery The latest addition to my @kirstenjackson_gallery collection. This is a framed canvas and the quality is amazing. I feel like beautifully framed canvas prints are the perfect affordable halfway point when it comes to art.
What's your decor style? Spring, summer, autumn or What's your decor style? Spring, summer, autumn or winter?

I could have told you I was spring even before I took the quick quiz to find out, and pleased to report the quiz gave me the right result!

Comment the season you THINK you are below (spring, summer, autumn or winter) and I'll send you the link to the quiz so you can double check!

Fun!

This quiz from @templeandwebster jumps on the colour analysis trend for fashion and applies it to interiors!

#seasonaldecorating #seasonaldecor #colouranalysis
The @thermomix_au TM7 launch in Sydney yesterday w The @thermomix_au TM7 launch in Sydney yesterday was a real treat. Such an exciting and sleek looking upgrade to my favourite kitchen machine!

The new look speaks for itself and, as usual, the engineering is impressive. Here's the biggest changes that stood out to me:

1. It's SO quiet and in fact SILENT up to a certain speed 
2. It has a much bigger 10 inch screen
3. A new insulated, cool to touch bowl (the inner metal bowl detaches to wash)
4. A gorgeous new matte black design with fluted and herringbone details and made of 30% recycled materials 👏🏼 

Enjoyed a beautiful lunch all prepared, naturally, in the Thermomix! Was great to meet @mise_en_place_aus in real life as well as special guest dessert queen @kirstentibballs and catch up with the lovely Thermomix team.

Tag a friend who'll be coveting the TM7! It's available from next week!

#thermomixtm7 #thermomix #thermomixaus #thermomixlover
Awards are always a great place to get inspo. Chec Awards are always a great place to get inspo. Check out the kitchen and bathroom of the year winners in this month's @hia_au @csrdwelling Housing Awards. There's more winning homes and rooms to check out in our blog post on the homepage, via link in bio or stories now. 

Kitchen by @build.theory Bathroom by @birdblackdesign and @aspire_constructions 

#hiaawards #hiaawards2025 #awardwinninghomes #australianinteriordesign
We're so in love with this reno by @jdzdesigns_ 😍😍😍

It's a remodel of a previously dark and pokey extension to a Victorian Gothic home. It's now an open plan dream, and the transition from old to new is beautifully done with impressive black steel doors.

Head to the blog via link in bio/stories for the full story and tour.

#kitchenislands #superwhite #luxurykitchens #openplanlivingspace #steeldoordesign

📸 @lawrencefurzey
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Amy Collins-Walker

About Amy Collins-Walker

Amy is our regular feature writer, an experienced journalist and interior stylist living in Perth, Western Australia. Find out more about her styling work at http://www.amycollinswalker.com/

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