Get inspired by By Design’s blogs on interior design and landscape architecture. We are an Auckland-based landscape designer here to help you create a stunning outdoor space tailored to your lifestyle.
Let’s have a chat.
In some ways creating a garden is like building an entire second home, the outdoor lifestyle when masterfully done should complement the interiors and the home owner personal style, it needs to function well on its own. You know this has been achieved when you almost prefer the outdoor to the indoors.
The way your interiors and gardens interact with each other and with your lifestyle is a critical consideration for us. Our top priority is your experience when you move through each space.
Whether you are embarking on a new building project or want to transform your existing outdoor space, our landscape architects will keep your interior design in mind when creating your new garden.
Fostering cohesion across your indoor and outdoor spaces using thoughtful design strategies will turn your entire property into that restful oasis we all seek for our homes.
Landscaping isn’t just a question of specifying a plant species that will not only grow well in your locality and environment. But also understanding how that plant species will grow within the composition, scale and overall volumes. We bring our well-crafted knowledge on composition and horticultural requirements, and can finely tune the balance between what will look good now and then still be looking good in 10,15 years time.
The look and the overall experience of your landscape should naturally extend from what you have going on in your home’s architecture and interior design. Blending these elements will bring out the best in all of them.
We focus on the transitions between the indoor and outdoor environments. How we can blend the two seamlessly in terms of colour, texture, feel. Consistency seems to calm the eye and soothe the spirit.
Bringing some of the features you include in your interior outside is the first point of call that we would use to make that happen. For example, if you have clean, modern lines and forms inside, following that aesthetic in your garden with bold, geometric hardscaping and statement plants will create a stunning cohesion. Use of linking colour as well at material finishes are also considered.
The more forethought that goes into your landscape design, the better the results you can expect to see. That’s why we recommend working with By Design – a team that prioritises client collaboration and intuitively knows how to make interior design and landscape architecture work together.
From our point of view to experience a garden means to live in it. This is why function and comfort matter in the exterior spaces just as much as they do within the house. We of course want to direct you to something beautiful, but most of all once we you are within the garden we aim to keep you there. So comfortable seating, a convenient place to put a drink down, an element of warmth – a fireplace, or heater, firepit. If the garden is not comfortable and does not function smoothly, everyone goes back into the house. Enjoying time with family and friends, and food in the garden is another level of experience.
The long New Zealand summers are the perfect time to enjoy entertainment in the garden. Outdoor kitchens and BBQ benches where food is the focus draws people together. We now are seeking better ways to entertain with family and friends, outdoor kitchens with fridges for cooling drinks, benches for outdoor food preparation. Stool height counters so guest can chat as the host prepares food, all enhance the outdoor entertainment experience.
Typically people feel most comfortable when they have some form of covering overhead, such as a trees, umbrella, or current trends are a louvre roof structure. These outdoor ceilings provide a sense of shelter and shade. Not only creating a sense of human scale under the night sky, they create a relaxing atmosphere. They are a great place for outdoor heating or lighting.
In the outdoors, as inside, lighting helps to define space, atmosphere, and mood. For the outdoors to feel warm and inviting, not ominous and black, it needs to be carefully lit. The magical effects of finding a way through a property guided by various light sources, up lighting trees and palms, strip lighting edges of decks, washing light over steps, makes for a much interesting experience than regimented path lights.
Not every landscape designer will attend to the need for harmoniousness between your interior and landscape the way we do at By Design.
Our speciality is creating bespoke, unique designs that employ thoughtful strategies to meet your needs. We take the time to customise the perfect garden design and even go so far as to engage in a pre-design phase to ensure that we know your brief inside and out.
We make sure to collaborate with you every step of the way to ensure your landscape design is an authentic extension of your home and your vision in terms of both looks and functionality.
Getting quality landscape design in your outdoor space will enhance your home.
Working with you, we will meet whatever vision you have for your outdoor space. We will pay attention to every detail when we design your landscape to ensure you get the best possible outcome.
For more inspiration and information, explore our ever-growing list of articles on our blog.
Here at By Design, we are passionate about forming and implementing unique design strategies to create stunning landscapes that our clients love.
Whether you are embarking on a new build or want to transform your existing backyard, we guarantee that we will deliver the best results. Get in touch with us today!