How to Create a Great Outdoor Entertainment Area for Your New Home

Kiwis are renowned for their sense of adventure and love for the outdoors. This is very much reflected in new home designs featuring outdoor alfresco areas perfectly placed for entertaining family and friends.

By combining contemporary design and innovative construction techniques you can create a multifunctional  indoor/outdoor entertainment area that can be enjoyed year-round. Here’s a few examples.

• Add larger door openings fitted with bifold doors or recessed self-stacking doors to create a seamless flow between the indoor/outdoor spaces.
• Extend the roofline of your home over the outdoor entertainment area or use a roofing alternative such as retractable panels to provide all-weather protection.
• Continue the indoor flooring outdoors, or match the flooring in materials, style and colour to achieve a seamless transition.
• Mirror design features including furniture, mirrors, pot plants etc. from the indoor living area through to the outdoor entertainment area so the two spaces blend as one entire zone.
• If a swimming pool is part of your outdoor plan, integrating the pool on the same level as your deck area creates a stunning seamless outlook from the indoors outward.

In addition to the structural aspect of creating a stunning outdoor area, careful consideration needs to be given to landscaping. A well-designed garden not only provides an attractive outlook, it’s essential to your home’s liveability; providing privacy and security for your family and a great backyard for the kids to play.

Visit our new showhome Lincoln and see our design of a unique fully enclosable Outdoor Entertainment area packed with features. Open Thu to Sun 12 to 4pm at 162 Southfield Drive, Te Whariki, Lincoln.

There are three main elements to landscaping:

Hard Landscaping

• Driveways, paths/paving and fencing
• Garden edging (straight patterns for a formal garden, or curved edging for a natural flow)
• Stones/pebbles/mulch (add colour and texture; also helping to control weeds)
• Lighting (provides ambiance and illuminates paths and driveways for safety)
• A fire pit (a warm inclusion!)

Soft Landscaping

• Lawn (should be easy to maintain, visually appealing, durable and weed resistant)
• Plants (where possible choose native plants for hardiness and minimal maintenance)
• Garden Beds (provide colour and interest to the garden)

Zoning

Depending on the size of your section, and if you are struggling a little with where to start, you can try to think of different zones for the outside area.

• The first thing to think about is the sun’s path, and how to maximise this for growing plants or siting the veggie path.
• Entertaining – what time do you typically enjoy the garden the most? Where is the sun at this time? Do you need shade? How best would this be achieved? With planting or a sail for example.
• Lawn, have you got enough space for the kids to do what they want to? if you can break the areas up into zones, you’ll find it much easier to create the total garden area you will be delighted with.

We recommend you draw up a basic plan of your outdoor area. Plot the position of your new home on the section, planned driveways, paths and fencing. Make a note where the sun hits your property, prevailing winds and surrounding houses for privacy considerations. As sections come in different shapes, sizes and levels you may need to budget for levelling or terracing.

It’s important to note that some subdivision developers will want to see a copy of your landscape plan as part of the approval process. Our team at Headstart Homes by Hallmark will guide you throughout the entire process and keep you fully informed every step of the way.

Headstart Homes are specifically designed for our first-time buyers and investors alike, so give us a call to discuss how we can help you get into your dream home sooner than you might think with our home designer Canterbury. Click here to view our range of quality affordable house plans, including house & land packages Christchurch.