Gallic Flair

A EUROPEAN INFLUENCE SITS ELEGANTLY IN THIS COMPACT YET TRANQUIL GARDEN

- Kylie Jackes

Almost 10 years after buying their 1887 Victorian terrace, homeowners Helen and Joe decided it was time to make some big changes. With two young boys, Daniel, 11, and Dylan, eight, the family was in need of more space. They decided to build up, adding another level to the home and extending into the garden to create a family room and paved alfresco area.

“We knew that the build would take up a lot of the backyard, but space just wasn’t family-friendly or useable,” explains Helen. “The block sloped so the kids couldn’t play handball and there were lots of trees, so it was quite dark and uninviting out there.”

Keen to make the most of their remaining outdoor area, the couple enlisted landscaper Adam Robinson of Adam Robinson Design to create a beautiful green backdrop they could enjoy whether indoors or out. “We wanted quite a classic European feel and to incorporate the French influence we saw throughout Morocco, which was hard to explain,” says Helen, “but Adam got it and did an amazing job.”

The installation was rolled out in stages, with the hardscaping completed first. Travertine pavers were laid with generous spacing to resemble flagstone, limewashed cladding has installed either side of the courtyard to screen off neighbors and create a more intimate feel, and the boundary fence was spray-painted in Dulux Monument to make the surrounding greenery pop. It was a council requirement that a paperbark tree with exposed roots was protected. The solution? A dry-stacked sandstone wall that wrapped around the tree, which was then underplanted with ferns to form a layered feature. Alongside, recycled bricks provide another flat seating area.