b'A blend of Balinese elements and local design creates this dramatic new garden. When it came to creating a garden for their new home, Tony and Deb Wilson were inspired by a recent trip to Bali. Their aim was to merge the experience of a Balinese resort holiday with a simple, down-to-earth style of architecture. We wanted to create a tranquil environment, to emulate some of the ambience of Bali using water, tropical plants and other sculptural elements, but still maintain a unique kiwi flavour.The result is an innovative blend of styles and a garden which includes some quite striking featureslike the three wavy water features, the boardwalk, pebbled gardens and over-sized pots.Simon Stephenson, from Stephenson Architects, was commissioned to design their family home on a piece of land situated a stones throw from Lucus Creek in Albany, Auckland. It was important to have the landscape designed and built at the same time as the house so that there was a cohesive, unifying result, says Tony.TonyandDebcollaboratedonthedesignofthegardenwithlandscapecontractorJohn Eagleton from Outside Edge. He had designed and built two previous projects with them and was familiar with their working style. This time the couple wanted a more hands-on approach, working closely with John during the design process to create their vision. During one family vacation in Bali, Tony and Deb came across a village of Balinese and Italian artisans who were creating amazing stone interior and exterior products destined for the European market. This greatly influenced the final look and feel for their new home and garden. Two containers filled with stone tiles, large pots and other artefacts were shippedAbovePlants were chosen for their back to Auckland to be incorporated into the garden. architectural merits, like this striking succulent.The single-storey, low-slung home sits comfortably at the centre of the 1750m2 property,LeftThe new courtyard and garden dividing the areas to be landscaped into two clearly defined spaces. nestles into the low-slung house.115'