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The Queen Street heritage home in Woollahra set a clear tone from the outset, refined, enduring, and rich in detail. The garden was conceived as a natural extension of this language, reinforcing the connection between house and landscape. The aim was not to compete, but to complement, to create a setting that feels settled, generous, and intrinsically tied to the heritage architecture and the established landscape design in Woollahra.

Planting plays a central role in softening the formality of the home. There is a gentle romanticism to the palette, with looser, more naturalistic planting offsetting the structure of the built elements. This softness is balanced with moments of contrast, bolder gestures that bring depth and focus, resulting in a composition that feels both composed and relaxed, with a quiet sense of movement over time, reflecting a considered approach to landscape design.

The north east orientation provides a warm, consistent light, supporting a layered and textural planting approach. Existing Japanese maples were integral to the design, offering sculptural form and seasonal variation, while a mature gum tree on the nature strip extends the garden into the streetscape, grounding it within its wider heritage context and the established streets of Woollahra.

Working within an established framework called for a considered, restrained approach. Rather than reworking the site entirely, the design focuses on refinement, editing and enhancing what was already there. New planting has been carefully integrated to sit comfortably alongside the existing, creating a cohesive and resolved whole that reflects a thoughtful landscape design outcome.

The garden has been reimagined to feel more inviting and usable, with a clearer sense of flow throughout. Layered planting and subtle spatial definition guide movement, drawing you through the space while allowing moments to pause and unfold. There is an ease to how the garden is experienced, less about structure, more about rhythm and progression.

A sense of abundance underpins the planting, with full, textural garden beds that bring richness and variation. Edges have been softened, rigidity reduced, and the overall composition feels more fluid, responsive to light, season, and growth.

With the hardscape largely retained, the intervention focused on cohesion. A deep blue was introduced to the front fence and door, echoing the tones of the tessellated tiles at the entry. It is a subtle but defining gesture, tying the elements together and reinforcing a clear, unified identity.

The result is a garden that feels both grounded and expressive, an extension of the home that balances structure with softness, and permanence with change.

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