When renovating their 120-year-old Tenerife home, John and Jane knew that one main area that had to be changed was the backyard; a rugged cliff face took up the majority of the yard and consequently the space was underused. The major challenge of the operation was to clear away the rough dirt wall by hand and then to manually carry 37-tonnes worth of material up the mountain; steel, timber, concrete sleepers, soil – it was a job to test anyone’s mettle!

However, it was certainly worth it. As John and Jane are overseas a lot, they needed a garden that was low maintenance, drought tolerant, and could look after itself all year round. The luxurious pool, lavishly tiled in a deep sapphire due, is surrounded by a modwood plastic composite deck (selected as it is such an easy material to maintain). The stairs now lead up to a gorgeous viewing deck, boasting some of the most picturesque views of the Brisbane skyline. The low maintenance design continues with the selection of plants; hardy and architectural, they look stunning with little effort, and plant pots line the stairway up to the viewing deck. Frangipans, dragon trees and aloe vera all make appearances, and the runaway lights embedded into the un-oiled ironbark stairs illuminate the space at night. The development has clearly transformed the previously underused space, and John and Jane plan to install an outdoor kitchen up on the viewing deck for parties and sunset drinks; a private paradise right in the heart of the city!