WORDS Mina Phillips LANDSCAPING Ian Baker Gardens PHOTOGRAPHY Claire Takacs

 

This stunning Melbourne property was designed with family in mind. Already featuring social areas and a tennis court, the homeowners wanted to provide a family getaway for their extended relatives. Their project brief included areas for children to play (such as a cubby house and open spaces), a large swimming pool, a veggie garden and improving the appearance of the tennis court. Overall, they wanted to create an attractive and welcoming landscape that would put multiple enjoyable features on display.

The expectation was that landscaping company Ian Baker Gardens would create a modern design that would blend in well with the heritage home.

“It’s a real balancing act, blending the old with the new, but when done well it can be breathtaking”, says the company’s director Ian Baker. 

A collaboration between Ian’s team and the homeowners meant that every area of the property’s potential social areas were brought to life. Perennials added colour throughout the property, while the garden was worked on in sections, with Ian’s team focusing particularly on the entrance, side lawn and rear of the property. Each space needed to be unique yet complement the architectural design of the home. 

“Given the size of the project we were able to have fun creating distinct pockets in the garden that were entirely different from each other. The challenge, however, was to make sure all elements came together to form a cohesive landscape.”

Ian ensured the social areas were hardscaped in a way which has resulted in a continuous flow between spaces. Bluestone pavers were used in the elevated areas while polished concrete flooring was installed in the outdoor lounge area. A large outdoor pizza oven is central to the social aspect of the design, as is the infinity-style swimming pool. The final result is a social setting that has something to offer everyone.

Despite his achievement, Ian hands most of the credit over to his clients.

“We see trust as two-sided”, tells Ian. “When the designer and the client trust each other amazing things can happen...Our clients were brilliant– they put their complete trust in us and allowed us to really immerse ourselves in the design.”

 This article was featured in Issue 30 of Renovate Magazine.