As GOOD as NEW – Well, there you are.  You’ve bought a house. What an exciting moment. Desires, hopes, dreams and realities lie ahead. The view is great; the weather, obviously, is fantastic; and the dreams of living in a private paradise are slowly becoming a reality. Right now, though, remodelling, refurbishing, upgrading and modernizing are all words that probably spring to mind. One of the concepts of island living that you’ll come to embrace now that you have a home in this vibrant Eden is that we live outside.  We enjoy our days and our evenings outside, basking in the sun, the everlasting trade winds, the starlight and, once a month, the beaming full moon.  

The garden, the deck, the pool patio, or perhaps the spa and the barbecue island are your outdoor living areas.  The entertaining that you may provide for you and yours is likely to be at your most comfortable “nest,” a point in your home towards which you gravitate.  Here, though, the outside one has everlasting views to complement the everlasting memories it will be creating.

Whilst viewing the property that you have just bought, you’ve probably already had a few thoughts along the lines of,  “I can do this, here” and “I can make that a lot better…”  Well, yes, you can . . . you can turn that rectangular swimming pool into an absolute work of art or, perhaps, into the best lap pool ever. Maybe you wanted that special pizza oven or the barbecue with warming drawers and ice maker near your water shape.  Or perhaps your thoughts lean more towards a serene reflecting pool with occasional aerated jets. Or maybe your aspirations were even more elaborate, making extensive use of gorgeous tile and stone and moving water – a soothing flow of water slowly meandering down a few levels of basins to reach your back in the whirling heated spa; an array of colours thrown in through the use of energy efficient LED lights, perhaps?

Whatever you may have in mind or have seen or heard of, most of it is possible and even feasible to achieve using your existing facilities. With appropriate guidance from industry professionals you can turn that pool, garden, lanai or deck in to one very special playground. Perhaps the term “what you originally see is not exactly what you’ve got” is apposite.

Any good old home can be turned into that special place that you have always desired. Talk to your family, your friends and, most appropriately, your architects and designers to really achieve your dreams and aspirations.  If you’d like to incorporate elements that you have seen elsewhere, take pictures and a wish list to a dedicated industry professional and he or she is likely to embrace and embellish your desires to turn those dreams into a tangible form of reality.