Take it outside Expert advice on achieving the perfect Aussie deck

OUR GLORIOUS WEATHER MAKES A GREAT DECK A YEAR-ROUND ENTERTAINING ESSENTIAL. HERE’S HOW TO LURE THE PARTY OUTSIDE

A DECK IS MUCH MORE than a convenient transition from the house to the garden; it’s the focal point of many Australian homes. Yet many go under-used. Whether you’re putting in a new deck or want new life in your old one, good design principles will deliver a more liveable, inviting result.

1 LIFE SIZE

“When we design a deck, the first thing we do is make sure it’s big enough,” says Ian Barker of Ian Barker Gardens. “Some don’t even have room to walk around the table. In a garden, you want to feel like you have space around you.” Ian likes a minimum five by six metre deck, but that’s not always possible. To make smaller decks feel larger, limit the area covered by furniture and borrow a design trick from indoors – choose pieces that have a lighter visual construction and exposed legs, like the slatted furniture pictured; seeing more of the floor adds to the general illusion of space. With smaller pieces such as side tables, stools and the like, opt for items made from lightweight materials so that they can be moved out of the way when needed.

2 SCREEN SETTING

Screening provides a lasting solution to views of too-close neighbours – from above as well as from the side – but it doesn’t have to look dull. Here, a stepped wall painted a cooling white forms the backdrop, while a slick, laser-cut ‘Marakesh’ screen from Chippy’s Outdoor adds a stylish edge above. Overhead screening is a good shade solution for decks where trees have been removed, but if you have the option, build around an existing shade tree, which will give the sense of being fully in the garden from the moment you step outside.

3 MATERIAL THINGS

When it comes to decorative elements, Ian Barker recommends picking up on your home’s existing style. “Use colour and texture to link the inside and outside,” he says. “The same wall colours, the same materials for furniture.” In this home, the white and grey colourway in the interior spaces is carried outside onto the deck, in the flooring – fibre-cement HardieDeck, which can be finished in a wide range of colours – and furniture. Domayne’s pieces, such as the stools and outdoor setting here, coordinate across their indoor and outdoor ranges. For a more traditional look, timber never goes out of style; dark, chocolatey hardwoods like spotted gum complement all design styles while not fading to bleached grey or garish red.

“Where possible, a deck should be a metre bigger in each dimension than your dining room, so you have plenty of space for casual dining and lounging” ~ Ian Barker, Ian Barker Gardens

4 BRING THE COMFORT

Lighting your deck at night can be as simple as stringing rows of solar-powered LEDs or as complex as a fully integrated plan from a specialist lightscaper, with a range of light sources highlighting attractive materials or statement plantings. Match the alluring look of good light with physical warmth to extend the use of your deck. A woodburner such as this one adds a traditional vibe, will deliver lots of heat and create a cosy, rustic atmosphere. An ethanol burner is a real-flame option; they come in a range of styles and some have the advantage of being portable.

5 GET GREENING

“Make planting part of your plan,” advises Secret Gardens designer Matt Cantwell. Where the deck is set with a drop-off of about a metre beneath it, he recommends cantilevering it out over the garden below. When the area doesn’t have a significant level change, Matt uses in-deck ‘islands’ of plants to create a divide between lounging and dining areas, or to break up a broad expanse of timber. The mass planting in the built-in boxes shown here, which double as seat backs, helps to soften the structure’s hard angles.

“Using ferns around and under your deck in a shaded location creates a beautiful treetops rainforest feel” ~ Matt Cantwell, Secret Gardens