It starts with kicking off your shoes and stepping out onto a surface that lets you exhale. Solid stone is the foundation, both physically and visually, adding structure and defined edges to your urban oasis.

Travertine is a popular choice to add long-lasting luxury that flows from indoors to outdoors. A natural sedimentary rock formed from calcium carbonate deposits, it forms around hot springs and limestone caves in places like Italy, Turkey, Peru, Mexico, Croatia and Iran. Creamy white and smooth but with natural, flowing patterns, it achieves a balance between modernity and character that only gets better with age.  

Sandstone is also the ideal addition to any Beaches garden, a distinctive mark of the Sydney sandstone region. Working in rhythm with the natural landscape, sandstone makes for an excellent feature wall, bringing rough texture, natural edges, and warm, sun-drenched colour to the palette. Behind the barbeque, as a backdrop to the pool, or against the back wall of the house are ideal attention-grabbing spots for sandstone cladding.

When choosing which stone goes where, make sure you’re factoring in foot traffic: softer stones like limestone are fine for less walked-upon surfaces, but hotspots will need sturdy options like granite, bluestone or sandstone. Likewise, if you have any areas prone to flooding, choose a textured, grippy surface that won’t become a slipping hazard. Make sure drainage is factored in from day one, too, as we are a land of droughts and flooding rains, after all. •