Garden Atelier

Rear garden with pool, glass fencing, concrete steps and eclectic cactus planting beside a contemporary glazed home
Garden Atelier sits on a uniquely proportioned 700-square-metre site, with a long, narrow footprint just 9 metres wide. Designed for a family of five, including three young adults, the garden was conceived as an extension of the home — blurring boundaries between indoor and outdoor living at every opportunity.
The initial design integrated key lifestyle elements such as entertaining areas and a swimming pool, while carefully addressing the need for privacy and summer shade. Seasonal light was also a key consideration, with the garden orientated to harness the gentle warmth of the northern sun during winter.
Twelve years after our original involvement, a major renovation to both house and garden prompted a bold reimagining of the outdoor space. Lawns were removed entirely in favour of a more sustainable, low-maintenance design. An eclectic mix of native species, succulents, and cacti brings year-round structure, colour, and interest.

Location

Randwick

Completion

2022

Service

Landscape Architecture, Construction, Horticultural Services

Architect

Spicer Architecture

Interiors

Form Follows Function

Builder

Pride and Passion

Gravel garden path with stepping stones, yucca, agave and columnar cacti leading up to a pool with glass fencing
Dense desert-style planting of columnar cacti, yucca, spiky succulents and pink-flowering perennials over gravel mulch, Sydney
Raised pool with dark tiled wall rising behind a cactus garden of candelabra euphorbia, kangaroo paw and columnar cacti, Sydney
Gravel garden with large-format concrete stepping pavers, black wire chairs, silver-leaved groundcovers and fuzzy columnar cacti beneath a mature tree, Sydney
Pool terrace with white sun lounger and wire chair beside a contemporary pavilion, framed by a tall palm and candelabra cactus, Sydney
“Designing our garden was about connection with family, friends and ourselves. A place to entertain, retreat and relax.”
Matthew
Owner & Creative Director
Outdoor dining terrace with round white table and wire chairs beside a cactus garden, potted cactus and glass pool fence, Sydney
“Every room in the house connects to a garden, with private courtyards off each bedroom providing a green outlook, connection to the outdoors, and an abundance of natural light.”
Rochelle
Owner
Feathery ornamental grasses in round white planters on gravel in front of a white brick pavilion and mature gum tree, Sydney
Framed view from a timber deck into an enclosed cactus courtyard with sandstone boulder and vertical timber batten screen, Sydney
Front entry with a sculptural yucca, white fluted planter, bamboo and tropical foliage against a white brick façade
Square stone firepit with two timber and woven armchairs in a secluded garden room enclosed by bamboo and lush foliage, Sydney
Concrete stepping pavers through gravel beside a mature olive tree, columnar cacti and pink-flowering perennials leading to a contemporary home, Sydney
Stepping-stone gravel path curving past a dark tiled raised pool to a timber garden seat screened by bamboo and cacti, Sydney
Black wire armchairs in a gravel clearing among silvery groundcovers, pink flowers and fuzzy columnar cacti in dappled shade, Sydney
Front driveway with irregular stone paving, vertical timber battened gate, bamboo screening, yucca and Alocasia beneath a white rendered upper storey, Sydney
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