Designing a Resort Style Backyard

Some backyards are designed for quiet moments. Others are designed for gathering.

This Doreen project sits firmly in the second category.

Set on a generous parcel of land north of Melbourne, homeowners Kristy and Mark approached Mint with a clear vision. They wanted a resort style backyard that reflected their love of entertaining while also creating spaces their family could enjoy every day.

The inspiration came from their travels. Having spent time in beautiful resort environments, Kristy and Mark loved the way those spaces naturally centred around the pool and outdoor living. Their brief was to recreate that same feeling at home.

The result is a landscape designed to support connection, relaxation and play. A resort style swimming pool with swim up bar, a generous alfresco entertaining area, a sculptural firepit setting and a basketball half court all come together to create a backyard that feels expansive yet welcoming.

For Mint Director Darin Bradbury, the success of the project came from understanding how the family wanted to live outdoors.

“When people talk about resort style design they often think about the visual elements first," Darin says. "But the real success comes from designing spaces that support how people gather, entertain and spend time together.”

A Resort Style Pool Designed as the Heart of the Garden

At the centre of the landscape sits the resort style swimming pool, designed as both a visual focal point and the social hub of the backyard.

Rather than treating the pool as a separate feature, Mint designed the surrounding landscape so that everything flows naturally towards it.

"The pool becomes the centre of gravity in a project like this," explains Darin. "It draws people in. When the pool is positioned and shaped correctly it anchors the entire outdoor living experience."

The inclusion of a swim up pool bar was a direct response to the clients’ travels and their love of entertaining. Submerged bar seating allows guests to sit comfortably in the water while sharing drinks and conversation.

This feature transforms the pool from a place for swimming into a space designed for social connection.

Surrounding the pool, generous paving areas allow for lounging, sunbathing and movement between the different entertaining zones.

Outdoor Entertaining Designed for Every Season

Just beyond the pool sits the covered alfresco entertaining pavilion, designed as an extension of the home’s interior living spaces.

The pavilion includes an outdoor kitchen, built in entertainment wall and fireplace, allowing the area to function comfortably throughout the year. This type of outdoor living zone has become a defining element of modern landscape design.

"Outdoor entertaining areas are now one of the most important parts of a home," Darin explains. "People want spaces where they can cook, relax and host friends without feeling like they are leaving the house."

The alfresco pavilion overlooks the pool, reinforcing the visual and functional connection between the different spaces.

Together they create a layered entertaining environment that works equally well for large gatherings or relaxed evenings with family.

A Sculptural Firepit Area for Slower Moments

While the pool and alfresco spaces form the social heart of the garden, the design also introduces quieter areas for relaxation. One of the most distinctive is the backyard firepit area, formed by a curved concrete seating wall that wraps around the fire feature.

The firepit zone creates a different atmosphere within the landscape. Where the pool area feels lively and energetic, the firepit setting invites slower conversation and relaxed evenings outdoors.

"One of the most effective ways to design a large backyard is to create different zones with their own character," says Darin. "The firepit area becomes a natural gathering point when the temperature drops and people want to sit together and talk."

Positioned within the wider garden, the firepit maintains visual connection with the rest of the backyard while offering a slightly more intimate setting.

Integrating a Backyard Basketball Court

A key element of the brief was creating space for the family’s child to stay active outdoors.

The solution was the inclusion of a basketball court area.

The court was sized to accommodate a three on three basketball game, ensuring it could be used by both children and adults.

For Kristy, one consideration was particularly important.

"I didn’t want the court to take away from the rest of the backyard that Darin designed," she explains. "So it was very important for us that it felt integrated with the garden."

Mint approached the design by positioning the court carefully within the landscape.

"Functional spaces like basketball courts can absolutely work within a garden design," Darin says. "The key is making sure they feel intentional and balanced within the broader landscape."

The court features a Goalrilla basketball system, selected for its durability and long term performance.

A Backyard That Gets Used

What makes this garden particularly satisfying is how easily it supports everyday life.

The different spaces allow the backyard to be used in multiple ways at once. Someone might be sitting at the firepit as the evening cools, others gathered around the swim up pool bar, while a quick basketball game unfolds across the court.

It was exactly the kind of layered, active garden Kristy and Mark had hoped for.

“For families, the most successful gardens are the ones that become part of the rhythm of daily life,” says Darin. “You want spaces that invite people outside without needing a special occasion.”

Here, the pool anchors the social energy of the garden, while the firepit and surrounding landscape offer quieter moments to pause and talk.

Bringing the Resort Feeling Home

The appeal of resort style backyard design is easy to understand.

People travel, experience beautifully designed outdoor environments, and return home wanting to recreate that same sense of ease and enjoyment in their own garden.

At this Doreen property, the combination of a resort style pool with swim up bar, outdoor entertaining pavilion, firepit lounge and basketball court brings that idea to life.

It is a backyard designed for entertaining, relaxing and spending time together outdoors.

And it may not be the final chapter…

Kristy and Mark have recently enquired about securing the neighbouring block, already imagining what could come next.

If the goal was to create a resort at home, the future possibilities are only expanding.

See more of the project here.