Concept 21Forward LookingResort
Resort Pool Retreat
A tiled lap pool, sun ledge and cabana lounge that turns the yard into a holiday.
- Lap pool
- Sun ledge
- Cabana lounge
- Glass fence
Typical build range: $70k – $150k
20 AI designed concepts
See Your Backyard Design
Looks Before you build
The backyard is where a home actually gets used. These twenty concepts show how pools, pergolas, BBQ kitchens, lawns and planting fit together on real suburban blocks — including small courtyards, narrow side yards and sloping sites.
Zoning first
A backyard is four zones, not one space
Nearly every successful backyard plan separates these functions and then connects them with paving and lighting.
Cook
BBQ or outdoor kitchen, within about 6m of the indoor kitchen so carrying food works.
Gather
Dining and lounge under shade — pergola, gazebo or alfresco roof.
Play or swim
Lawn, pool or both. Needs the sunniest, most supervised part of the yard.
Service
Bins, clothesline, shed, pool equipment, compost. Screened but reachable.
The collection
All 20 backyard concepts
Switch between the drone top view and the four ground level views on any card.
Concept 21Forward Looking
Concept 22Forward LookingEntertainer
Pergola Dining Room
A louvred pergola over a ten seat table with an outdoor kitchen bench alongside.
- Louvred pergola
- 10 seat table
- Outdoor kitchen
- Festoon lighting
Typical build range: $28k – $55k
Concept 23Forward LookingEntertainer
BBQ Kitchen Courtyard
A built-in BBQ run, stone bench, bar seating and a herb wall within arm's reach.
- Built-in BBQ
- Stone bench
- Bar seating
- Herb wall
Typical build range: $22k – $45k
Concept 24Forward LookingCosy
Firepit Circle
A sunken stone firepit ringed with lounge seating and low level lighting.
- Sunken firepit
- Curved seating
- Gravel circle
- Low lighting
Typical build range: $12k – $24k
Concept 25Forward LookingClassic
Gazebo Garden Room
A shingle roofed gazebo set in lawn with a lounge suite and ceiling fan.
- Timber gazebo
- Lounge suite
- Ceiling fan
- Lawn setting
Typical build range: $25k – $48k
Concept 26Forward LookingFamily
Kids and Dogs Yard
Tough turf, a shaded play zone, hidden storage and a mud-free path loop.
- Durable turf
- Shaded play zone
- Path loop
- Hidden storage
Typical build range: $15k – $30k
Concept 27Forward LookingProductive
Kitchen Garden Backyard
Raised vegetable beds, espaliered fruit, a compost bay and a potting bench.
- Raised beds
- Espalier fruit
- Compost bay
- Potting bench
Typical build range: $9k – $19k
Concept 28Forward LookingSmall space
Plunge Pool Courtyard
A 4 metre plunge pool, deck platform and green wall in a compact rear yard.
- Plunge pool
- Deck platform
- Green wall
- Water feature
Typical build range: $45k – $80k
Concept 29Forward LookingBalanced
Deck and Lawn Split
Half timber deck for furniture, half lawn for play, joined by a wide step.
- Timber deck
- Lawn panel
- Wide step
- Border beds
Typical build range: $18k – $34k
Concept 30Forward LookingTropical
Tropical Oasis
Layered palms and gingers around a dark tiled pool with hidden lighting.
- Layered palms
- Dark tiled pool
- Hidden lighting
- Timber screens
Typical build range: $60k – $120k
Concept 31Forward LookingLow water
Desert Modern Yard
Decomposed granite, agaves, a linear fire table and floating concrete steps.
- Granite ground
- Agave planting
- Fire table
- Floating steps
Typical build range: $20k – $40k
Concept 32Forward LookingWellness
Spa and Sauna Corner
A plunge spa, barrel sauna and cold shower tucked into a screened corner.
- Plunge spa
- Barrel sauna
- Outdoor shower
- Privacy screening
Typical build range: $35k – $70k
Concept 33Forward LookingFun
Outdoor Cinema Lawn
A projector wall, tiered lawn seating and bean bag storage bench.
- Projector wall
- Tiered lawn
- Storage bench
- Speaker layout
Typical build range: $10k – $22k
Concept 34Forward LookingSloping site
Sloping Yard Terraces
Three levels: dining terrace, lawn, and a lookout deck at the high end.
- Retaining walls
- Dining terrace
- Lookout deck
- Step lighting
Typical build range: $40k – $90k
Concept 35Forward LookingResort
Poolside Pergola Combo
Pool, pergola lounge and BBQ zone arranged in one continuous entertaining run.
- Pool
- Pergola lounge
- BBQ zone
- Shared paving
Typical build range: $80k – $160k
Concept 36Forward LookingJapanese
Zen Courtyard
Gravel, boulders, a water basin and clipped forms for a still, quiet yard.
- Raked gravel
- Boulder setting
- Water basin
- Clipped forms
Typical build range: $14k – $28k
Concept 37Forward LookingSustainable
Native Habitat Backyard
Indigenous planting, a frog pond, log seating and a rainwater tank.
- Native planting
- Frog pond
- Log seating
- Rain tank
Typical build range: $12k – $25k
Concept 38Forward LookingArchitectural
Alfresco Extension
A roofed alfresco that reads as part of the house, with sliding screens.
- Roofed alfresco
- Sliding screens
- Flush thresholds
- Feature ceiling
Typical build range: $45k – $95k
Concept 39Forward LookingSmall space
Narrow Side Yard Rescue
A forgotten 3 metre strip turned into a lit garden walk with vertical planting.
- Garden walk
- Vertical planting
- Strip lighting
- Concealed bins
Typical build range: $7k – $14k
Concept 40Forward LookingLighting led
Full Night Backyard
A dusk-first design: lit pool, glowing pergola, grazed walls and warm path light.
- Pool lighting
- Pergola glow
- Wall grazing
- Smart scenes
Typical build range: $16k – $32k
Sizing the spaces so they actually work
- Outdoor dining for six needs about 3.5m x 3.5m clear, including chair pull-out.
- A lounge setting needs 3m x 3m minimum, with 700mm circulation behind seats.
- Allow 1.2m of clear paving on the main side of a pool for sun lounges.
- Keep firepits 3m from structures, screening and overhanging branches.
Sun, wind and privacy
Track where the sun lands in your yard at 10am, 1pm and 5pm across a weekend. Shade structures should sit where you will be at 1pm in summer, not where a plan looks symmetrical. Solid fences deflect wind upward and create turbulence; slatted screens with about 30% gap perform far better on exposed sites.
Getting the sequence right
Excavation and pool shell, then drainage and services, then retaining and paving, then structures, then irrigation, then planting, then furniture and lighting. Planting before the hardscape is the most common and most expensive mistake in a DIY backyard.