Palatial 'outdoor rooms' featuring water features, art installations, built-in benches, technology, kitchens and pizza ovens are increasingly on the 'must have' list for homebuyers.
The trend towards extending the indoors-out has been gaining momentum as more people look to entertain at home - and is on show at the new $13 million Gainsborough Greens Display Village at Pimpama on the Gold Coast.
Expansive outdoor spaces are a signature of the 19 homes on display, with builders reporting increasing demand for low maintenance exteriors that boast a 'wow' factor.
Aston Milan Homes group marketing manager Heath Worrall said as people led busier lifestyles, they were looking to spend their relaxation time in their own backyard.
"People are seeing their home as their escape and want an outdoor space where they can relax with family and friends, particularly those of us who work in an office nine to five," he said.
"As the trend towards smaller backyards continues, people are also looking to make the most of the space they have with multi-purpose areas that link the exterior and interior in inventive ways.
"This could be dual access to the alfresco, sliding stacker or bi-fold doors that create true indoor-outdoor living or unique inclusions like a laundry with servery window and wine fridge that service the exterior entertaining space.
"The outdoor room is viewed as an extension to the home, with digital devices like audio, televisions and tablets also elaborately incorporated so people can host sporting or movie events.
"Hardscaping is another major trend on show at the Montrose 22 display at Gainsborough Greens, with built-in water features, planter boxes and bench seats creating a tropical feel."Adenbrook Homes builder Giorgio Tosoni said the lines between the indoors and outdoors were continuing to blur, with top notch furniture, accessories and fully-appointed kitchens often included in outdoor rooms.
"More and more homeowners are taking indoor activities outside and creating true outdoor rooms," he said.
"We have seen a tremendous increase in demand for decks with more integrated features like built-in benches and storage components along with accents and landscape lighting.
"Our ‘Saxon’ display home incorporates intelligent open plan living that integrates to a rear alfresco for year round entertaining and relaxing, with underroof alfrescos that make the most of outdoor living a feature of all our homes.”
Metricon’s senior interior designer Jacinta Evans said the trend toward ‘bringing the indoors out’ would reach new heights, as homeowners infused their outdoor spaces with the comforts and conveniences of the indoors.
Ms Evans said people were increasingly bringing traditionally ‘indoor’ comforts to the outdoor room, deck, porch or patio - with advances in all-weather materials, furnishings and accessories allowing outdoor living spaces to be fitted in much the same way you would any room in the home.
She said Metricon’s Merricks 42 (pictured above), on display at Gainsborough Greens, was an example of this rising trend and how it could be implemented to beautiful effect.
“One of our favourite things to do with an outdoor space is to create a ‘comfort zone,’ area or a conversation nook with built-in lounges — somewhere cozy with lots of pillows where you can curl up with a good book or have a nice catch-up," said Ms Evans.
"In the Merricks 42, this comfort zone has the beautiful outlook to the pool to further enhance appeal.”
The Gainsborough Greens Display Village features 19 homes from a range of Queensland’s leading builders including Adenbrook, Aston Milan, AusHomes, Bounds Homes, Clarendon, Colossal, Indigo Homes, Metricon, Palladio Homes, Planbuild, Plantation Homes, Stroud and Style Master.
