Jozecom Place

The pool was already in the ground — what the owners wanted was a backyard the whole family could actually live in over summer, built out around it: somewhere to sit out, entertain and barbecue, without a lot of upkeep. We took on everything around the water and designed the paving, deck, fencing and planting as one, so it reads as a single, connected outdoor room rather than a set of separate zones.

We wrapped the pool to lift it. Honed sandstone coping and inset bands run around the water against a large-format concrete surround, with frameless glass fencing all the way round — safe and compliant, but open enough that the whole yard still feels like one space.

A raised hardwood deck steps up off the pool for the hot tub, sun loungers and beanbags — the warm timber a deliberate contrast to the cool grey paving and dark fencing. Alongside it, a broad run of large-format concrete paving gives a generous, level patio for the outdoor lounge, dining and barbecue setup, sheltered under a louvred pergola so it works rain or shine.

Lush subtropical planting — banana palms, cordylines and tree ferns in white-pebble beds — softens the hard surfaces and gives the yard a resort feel, while a fresh strip of lawn wraps the edge. The result is a private, low-maintenance backyard set up for exactly what the family wanted: summer living and long barbecues.