Hobbs Street
A compact backyard transformed into a social centrepiece. Great Spaces created a warm, inviting entertaining space built around a custom wood-fired pizza oven.
Brief
This family home, with tween-aged children, required a complete backyard refresh. The owners wanted a space centred around entertaining, with a strong visual feature and areas for gathering. A wood-fired pizza oven was a key inclusion, supported by seating, planting, and lighting that would create atmosphere and year-round usability.
Design
The design focused on warmth, function, and social interaction:
- Feature centrepiece: A custom wood-fired pizza oven anchors the entertaining space.
- Integrated seating: Concrete benches with built-in lighting and corner seating create a natural gathering zone.
- Multi-use elements: Benches double as wood storage and incorporate a discreet dog kennel.
- Layered surfaces: Bluestone paving combined with grass and steppers introduces variation and flow.
- Atmosphere & planting: A water feature with lilies, seasonal planting, vines, and festoon lighting create a relaxed, evolving environment.
Construction
The project involved reshaping the backyard to accommodate multiple uses within a cohesive layout. Concrete benches and tables were formed on-site, designed to integrate with the pizza oven while providing seating, storage, and functional flexibility.
Bluestone paving established the main entertaining zone, with lawn areas and stepping stones softening the space and improving flow. A water feature was installed to introduce movement and calm, while planting was selected to provide year-round interest.
Lighting was integrated throughout, enhancing usability into the evening, and reinforcing the social nature of the space.
The finished garden has become a true extension of the home, designed for entertaining, built for everyday life, and loved by both the owners and their kids.
