Lydia Maskiell’s Spa
- Products Used Ekodeck Designer Series / Backbeach
- Location Launceston, Tasmania
Guest Writer – Lydia Maskiel
We’re a busy family, and we wanted an outdoor family space that was low-maintenance and durable…
More and more our homes and landscapes are becoming a point of escape, especially as we’re trending towards an increase in creating holiday-like spaces at home that cultivate togetherness and relaxation.
We’re craving an at home outlet to feel that sense of relief more than ever!
It can be tricky to find a balance between creating a space that caters to the dynamics of the entire family, but also can flow into a more intimate space.
A space that can switch between these modes is essential to future-proofing the ultimate outdoor area – family mode by day and adult mode by night!
The types of materials and colours that you select are pivotal in the creation of these dynamic spaces.
We’re a busy family, and we wanted an outdoor family space that was low-maintenance and durable, to withstand Tasmania’s four seasons in one day climate. The main material we chose was composite decking, more specifically Ekodeck’s Designer Series decking in the colour Backbeach.
One of the core parts of our brief was to have a low maintenance decking product that wouldn’t discolour or splinter over time, and that didn’t require ongoing treatment or maintaining. This was following my builder husband’s stern position of “do it once, do it well”.
There is a certain amount of assurance and confidence with using a composite decking product, as you know what to expect in the future – you’ll know what the decking will look like and how it will perform years from now.
Previously, we’ve had experiences with timber decking, where our children have been casualties to the summer splinters – so avoiding this with a composite decking product was at the top of our wish list.
As an interior designer myself, I appreciate that colour and texture have a profound influence on a space.
Lydia Maskiell, Lydia Maskiell Interiors
The Backbeach colour in Ekodeck’s Designer Series is a favourite as it is the perfect blend of greige – a mix of grey and brown undertones making it an easy colour to pair with, as it brings a sense of warmth and timelessness to a space.
The realistic finish and tactility of the composite decking mimics the grain of real timber decking, which makes Ekodeck a great comparable decking product in terms of the look and feel of timber. And it is truly lush under foot!
We decided to raise the deck as a way to create a clear separation between the turfed area, the house and the children’ cubby, to the family spa area, which allows the decking to take centre-stage (or quite literally a stage)!
This sense of grandeur and presentation has been further accentuated with an all-glass balustrade, as not to hinder the sense of depth to the space, but still adhering to the fencing requirements around pools and spas.
We were conscious that we were working with a smaller area for this deck, so we scaled up with some full-height surrounding screening and decking that runs wall-to-wall.
The outdoor space is partially enclosed with a white pergola, linking the planes together to frame the inbuilt spa area and create privacy. This has been a design tool to give a definitive separation of the zones, and give emphasis to the featured outdoor area.
The raised decking area has also afforded the opportunity to create a place for storage. We’ve installed a hinged secret door along the face of the deck, which doubles as both storage and spa equipment access.
We wanted to show the significance of the existing old tree by surrounding the decking around the base of the tree. The interplay between the existing tree and composite decking give a contemporary sensibility to the period home.
In a former life, our now outdoor oasis was once a jungle of overgrown shrubbery, but with an experienced eye and an overdose of optimism to visualise what the space could be, it has quickly become our escape, and given us another form of togetherness that we are truly grateful for!
You can find Ekodeck Designer Series decking at Bunnings Warehouse!
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