Wahroonga

Inspired Exteriors was brought into this project at the end of an internal renovation. The property lacked street appeal and was a blank patch of heavy clay. We devised a formal entrance that set the tone for the internal finishes. A formal lawn, to one side of the oversized stepping stones, was balanced by Crepe Myrtles and a simple reflective water feature. The driveway was a textural mix of cobblestone and decorative gravel with custom gates finishing the scene.

In the rear garden, the swimming pool was relocated and made deeper to allow for a diving board. This created space to allow for a large undercover entertaining space, open lawn and a cabana to watch tennis on the existing court. Formal planting helped tie the front garden to this entertainer’s delight in the rear.

Maroubra

The brief for this garden was to create a private but useable oasis for this young family. Off the back of the house an alfresco dining space flows with ease from the internal lounge moving toward a small but practical lawn. Steppingstones take you to a fully tiled, heated magnesium pool with a depth of 1.8meters.

Being overlooked from the back getting the correct orientation of the cabana was vital for privacy, it has ample space for lounging and enjoying an infrared sauna whilst looking out over the layered planting. This space has a roof top garden to soften the structure and to enhance the feeling of an urban refuge.

The planting is a layered sculptural mix of succulents, olives and other drought hardy shrubs giving year-round interest and colour. Although the owner, a keen gardener, low maintenance plants allow the family to enjoy the garden without being a slave to the upkeep.

Ravenswood School for Girls

The lower North Shore’s prestigious Ravenswood School for Girls asked Inspired Exteriors to develop their Old Girls’ Courtyard to create a space that was attractive, fun for the girls and a space they could learn and create memories in. With fond memories of his own school grounds, Charlie cherished working on this project, taking influences from his own school and travels through Asia.

The previous courtyard was traditionally designed with a central access way which leads to a water feature and was bordered by Box hedging. Whilst being neat in its design it did not accommodate the growing needs of the school or encourage interaction of the students with the environment. Further to this, the school was hoping to provide a sophisticated area in which outdoor lessons and events could take place. This meant an interesting space was needing to be created, allowing for areas of pause, play and interaction.

This garden was awarded a Gold Medal for Educational/ Institutional/Play Space at the Australian Institute for Landscape Designers and Managers 2018 awards as well as a gold medal for Commercial and Civil Construction $250,000 – $750,000 by the Mater Landscapers of NSW and ACT in their 2018 Awards of Excellence.