You should contact me at Secret Design Studio as I have been involved in quite a number of Pettit and Sevitt renovations where the owners have wanted to maintain the existing character.

Hi mluh You've obviously done your research on these products, so it's most likely going to come down to personal preference. As you've mentioned, a natural stone is going to come with an amount of maintenance but the beauty of Travertine is within its variation. Once sealed with a good quality sealer (I recommend Guard Industry), the maintenance is really quite low and most spills are lost within those natural variations. 99% of spills can be cleaned up without too much trouble. Porcelain, on the other hand, can be quite difficult to clean once it's been marked. That said, the external porcelains have a great non-slip texture and are very hardy when used as paving/tiles. I'm personally not a fan of using them as pool coping, but many people love it. Again, both have their advantages and disadvantages so I would recommend using the product that you're happy looking at for the next 10-20 years. - Jordan

Hi Louise, We are a company based in VIC that specialise in artificial vertical gardens and hedging. Have you considered that to be a possibility? We ship all across Australia and our product is very high quality and UV treated to ensure longevity! Below are some photos of jobs we have done poolside to give you an idea of what it may look like. If this is something you may be interested in, get in touch with us!

Thank you! Xanadus are my favourite plant, am going to do a planter box that forms part of the pool fence filled with them, much like your picture! 🙂 would a golden cane be ok in that size bed? also, The pool is pretty thick concrete, but no worry with the roots??