House & Garden Design Ideas
Landscape Design

Design guide

See Your Outdoor Furniture Design
Looks Before you build

Most outdoor areas fail on furniture, not on landscaping. Settings are bought too large for the paving, placed in full afternoon sun, or stranded a long walk from the kitchen. Here are the numbers designers use.

Clearances

Space each setting really needs

SettingMinimum paved areaKey clearance
Dining for 63.5m x 3.5m900mm behind each chair
Dining for 104.5m x 4m900mm behind each chair
Modular lounge3m x 3m450mm between sofa and coffee table
BBQ / outdoor kitchen2.4m run x 1.5m standing zone500mm clear either side of the grill
Firepit circle3.5m diameter1m from pit edge to seat fronts
Sun lounges poolside2m deep strip1.2m walkway behind

Worked examples

Concepts built around furniture zones

Compact Townhouse Front front yard landscaping concept — Forward LookingConcept 19Forward Looking

Small space

Compact Townhouse Front

Under 40 square metres worked hard with vertical greenery and a bench nook.

  • Vertical garden
  • Bench nook
  • Feature paving
  • Pot cluster

Typical build range: $5k – $10k

Pergola Dining Room backyard landscaping concept — Forward LookingConcept 22Forward Looking

Entertainer

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

BBQ Kitchen Courtyard backyard landscaping concept — Forward LookingConcept 23Forward Looking

Entertainer

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

Firepit Circle backyard landscaping concept — Forward LookingConcept 24Forward Looking

Cosy

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

Gazebo Garden Room backyard landscaping concept — Forward LookingConcept 25Forward Looking

Classic

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

Outdoor Cinema Lawn backyard landscaping concept — Forward LookingConcept 33Forward Looking

Fun

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

Materials that survive outdoors

  • Powder coated aluminium: light, rust free, best value for coastal sites.
  • Teak and eucalyptus: ages to silver grey, needs oiling to stay honey coloured.
  • Woven resin wicker: choose UV stabilised over a metal frame, not natural cane.
  • Concrete and stone tables: permanent and heavy, ideal in windy yards.
  • Cushions: solution dyed acrylic fabric with quick dry foam, plus a storage bench.

Placement rules of thumb

  • Put the dining setting closest to the indoor kitchen; the lounge can be further away.
  • Face lounge seating toward the best view or the pool, not toward the fence.
  • Shade the setting you use at 1pm, not the one you use at 7pm.
  • Anchor each zone with a rug, a change of paving or a pergola so it does not float.
  • Leave a clear 1m path around every setting so people are not squeezing past chairs.