The Australian lifestyle we lead today encourages not only outdoor living but plays a large role in how we entertain. The traditional house layout of bedrooms, kitchen, living and dining has been increased and altered by the changes in our lifestyles. A basic entertaining courtyard or outdoor area to put the ‘barbie’ in, has grown from a simple pergola to a large outdoor living area, with lighting, sounds and decorative water features like fountains, waterfalls and even lap pools. Many new-build owners have these areas planned before the beginning of construction while others see the opportunity of utilising some wasted space on their land, and an easy renovation to increase to their house size. The owners of this home had a large expansive rectangle shape that lead from the side of the house and backed onto the garage. The owners had a long list of designs and requirements that had to be met before they started building, as they only wanted to do it once!