Newport 2

The owners of this property had carried out a renovation that transformed a small beachside fibro cottage into a contemporary timber and stone beach house – and needed a garden to match. Given the location right next to the beach, it was important this garden not only provide a wonderful entrance to the home, but provide plenty of space for entertaining and enhance the already inspiring coastal views. In many ways, this was a quintessentially Australian project and, as such, we used a selection of classic products that formed a timeless aesthetic and coastal palette. We started with a must for any coastal home – timber decking, created with Australian tallowwood and matched by a classic tallowwood feature post at the entry. After including a feature Sydney sandstone wall, we built a matching sandstone path, leading to sandstone steps and a prominent Chinese Elm at the entrance to ensure privacy – and provide shade, all complemented with classic cast bronze light fittings. Given the site’s salty winds and northerly aspect it was important our plant selection included hardy species, such as hedges of Murraya and Buxus, feature plantings of Camellia sasanqua and infill plantings of Gardenia, Trachelospermum, Stephanotis and Clivea. The end result is a beautiful Mediterranean garden nestled within a classic Australian setting.