A landscape designer could give you options to suit your house and budget. There are structural issues, and drainage issues with retaining walls.

Something different, Gabion wall

I'd go with stone too. A boulder wall?

Many thanks for all the suggestions & attached photos. Meeting with a landscaper on the weekend & now have a better idea of my options.

Love the stacked stone look

you can't go wrong with just replacing the wood and that is probably the quickest / cheapest but someone else bet me to my other recommendation with the pictures of the stones encased in mesh (above). This is a very modern look but I wonder will it be a weed collector in the future?

As you also plan to level your front lawn and build a second retaining wall, it'd be wise to consult a civil engineer and your Council. There will be issues of drainage (you don't want run-off going onto that footpath). And pressure of added earth and any plant roots against retaining structures will be significant.

Another vote here for sandstone. The boulders look great as does a dry stack.

I would check to see where front boundary actually is before going to far as it may or may not be where the existing wall is...... Also check local council regs for drainage requirements and check with engineer as it's usually any wall above 600mm needs to be engineered by a structural engineer. The landscaper will know all this but run it by them anyway. This is good looking house but landscaping will really make it a winner.

Lovely house @asquithoatley

Hi there,

Our RIDGI range concrete sleepers and steel posts would be ideal for your retaining wall needs. They are sold throughout Bunnings stores in Australia, and designed for walls 900mm high and below. They are cost effective and have a warranty of 15 years unlike timber. We have a range of different styles for you to choose from too! Check out ridgi.com.au or visit your local Bunnings store.

Structural concrete retaining walls that contain water are great for storage and in fire prone areas can be an effective landscape solution and a life and property saver, we will be using these shortly in our Westernport Bay home in Victoria

Do you have a link, Rob Eke?

The link is in the word landscape in green if that doesn't work for you , its ( www.landscapetanks.com.au ) ;-)

Thanks!

Had a look, Rob, great idea!

It looks like the bricks in the retaining wall match your house bricks?

Assuming the brick columns have adequate foundation, I would look at getting concrete sleeper/ planks painted the same colour as your trim to replace the timber. Make sure there is geotextile, bidim a34, wrapped around washed 14 mm aggregate or Pea gravel behind your wall. Anything more than a metre high will need a design. For the second tier, you want to have it at least a metre or more behind the first wall, once again with adequate drainage behind. Remember to have the gravel connected to a subsoil drain which should be connected to the stormwater/ drain to the kerb

I quite like the idea of concrete sleepers for your retaining wall. They keep the modern mood. Not sold on Ridgi's faux timber look, though. If your drainage profile would allow it, continuing the brick of the pillars would look quite good, too. For me, the biggest landscape issue is the almighty fight happening between the two different sides of the driveway. You have the stick-up-the-rear formality of the camellia hedge fighting the looseness of the grass and shrubs on the other side. You need to decide on a single mood and go with that. Really!!

I'd go, actually, with a loose boulder or gabion wall with a planting behind it similar to that on the left (narrower) side of the driveway. Have a think about what you actually use that front lawn for, and if it's only there to keep the dirt from showing, add some trees and shrubs and underplanting. Shout yourself a tame forest! This will take up a lot of water if your climate's a bit wet, and stabilise the slope, too.

If you are thinking Gabions, you can see examples of our work on www.houzz.com.au/pro/prospectcontractorsaus or visit our Website.

Gabions are perfect for retaining purposes. They are strong yet flexible, accomodating ground movement. That are also permeable eliminating water pressure building up behind the wall.

Gabion would be my suggestion ultimately. Plenty of nice stone colour options to work well with the original brickwork on the house. Baskets can be stepped easily down the driveway and you could end up with an improved level area or two. The demolition of existing brick retaining wall can be absorbed in the Gabion baskets out of sight.

Thanks Annie Cass Landscapes, I completely agree with you about the conflicting styles of planting & have told the landscaper that is one area I need to rectify. May I ask who supplies the concrete sleepers you are referring to as the Ridgi ones suggested, didn't appeal to me either.