For many Melbourne families, summer has always been about getting away. Whether it was a weekend at the beach, a road trip, an interstate escape or an overseas holiday, the warmer months traditionally meant pressing pause on everyday life.
While Australians still love to travel, the pace of modern life, family commitments and rising costs can make regular getaways harder to plan. As a result, more homeowners are rethinking where that sense of escape comes from, looking beyond the annual holiday and finding ways to bring moments of rest, connection and relaxation into everyday life.
Increasingly, families are discovering that the best getaway doesn’t always require a suitcase. Sometimes, it’s waiting in their own backyard.
Start By Designing for the Way You Holiday
Before making any decisions, think about your favourite holiday destination and what keeps drawing you back. Perhaps it’s the slower pace, afternoons spent by the water while the kids swim, relaxed meals that linger into the evening or simply having somewhere that makes it easy to switch off.
Those moments should become the inspiration for your backyard. The most successful outdoor spaces are designed as one cohesive environment, with every element working together to recreate the atmosphere you love most about being away.
(Image: Backyard holidaying. Credit: Bricolage/Shutterstock)
Make the Pool the Hero
Every great holiday destination has a place people naturally gravitate towards, and more often than not, it’s the water – even if you’re not always swimming.
Across Melbourne, more families are choosing custom-designed concrete pools as the foundation of their backyard getaway. Whether it’s a freeform design nestled into lush landscaping, a sleek infinity edge or a contemporary geometric recreational pool, bespoke design allows every pool to reflect the home, the landscape and the lifestyle it was created for.
Elevate the Everyday
The pool may be the centrepiece, but thoughtful design is what transforms it into a destination in its own right.
Integrated spas create the perfect place to unwind, while generous sun shelves invite lazy afternoons in the water. Swim-up seating, submerged benches, drink ledges and subtle underwater lighting encourage people to linger, while premium mosaic tiles and natural stone give the water its own distinctive colour and character.
Laguna, one of Melbourne’s leading pool builders, demonstrates this beautifully with its award-winning Clifton Hill project, where a curved concrete pool, detached spa and integrated cold plunge work together with a seamless infinity edge and Bisazza mosaic tiles to create a sculptural outdoor space that feels both luxurious and deeply connected to the surrounding landscape.
(Image: Custom concrete pool design in Clifton Hill by Laguna. Credit: Laguna)
Create Places to Linger
Some of the best holiday moments happen beside the pool, not just in it. Whether it’s reading in the shade, sharing a long lunch or watching the kids play, the spaces around the pool are just as important as the water itself.
Poolside decks, shaded cabanas, daybeds, outdoor showers and beautifully connected alfresco spaces make it easy to settle in for the day. Together, they create the comfort and flexibility to move effortlessly between swimming, dining, entertaining and simply unwinding outdoors.
Let the Landscape Tell the Story
Done well, landscaping has the power to make you forget you’re in suburban Melbourne.
For some, that means lush tropical planting that recreates the feeling of a Balinese escape. Others are inspired by Mediterranean summers, pairing olive trees, limestone, lavender and warm natural textures. Coastal gardens might feature ornamental grasses and crisp white finishes, while contemporary landscapes embrace sculptural cacti, agaves and architectural planting for a refined, resort-style aesthetic.
The result is a backyard inspired by your favourite destinations, but with one important advantage: it’s yours to enjoy every day, not just once a year.
Create an Atmosphere That Lasts Into the Evening
Some of the most memorable holiday moments happen after the sun goes down. Sunset drinks turn into relaxed dinners under the stars, conversations continue well into the night and nobody is in a hurry to head back inside.
Thoughtfully placed lighting recreates that atmosphere, casting a soft glow across the water and surrounding landscape as day turns to night. It encourages people to linger outdoors a little longer, bringing some of your favourite holiday moments into everyday life.
The Little Details That Make the Difference
As with many things, it’s the finishing touches that make all the difference.
Oversized striped umbrellas inspired by Mediterranean beach clubs, a hammock swaying beneath a tree, plush towels beside the pool, outdoor speakers playing softly in the background or a tray of drinks waiting nearby all help complete the experience. The result is a backyard that feels every bit as inviting as your favourite holiday destination.
Perhaps that’s the greatest luxury of all: not recreating your favourite holiday, but creating a place where priceless family moments become part of everyday life.
(Feature Image: Designing for Melbourne staycations. Credit: Imágenes de jose carlos/Canva)
