Woollahra Courtyard Garden

The brief

Our clients live in a classic Woollahra terrace. They wanted an outdoor space that was organised around a conversation at the table. Their plant brief was a more classic style to match the suburb.

We designed a sculptural curved seating space as the main feature of the garden. With a matching right-hand curved garden bed, becomes the main seating and planting feature of the garden.

The stone herringbone paved flooring provides a grand sense of scale. Behind the table, clipped greenery conceals the boundary and provides a deep green backdrop to the pale stone and upholstery.

Furniture

The banquette is the piece that makes the courtyard. Its soft curve draws people towards the table, while the tiled base follows the paving’s natural colour palette. Individual seat cushions and loose cushions in oatmeal, ivory and muted olive keep the long seat comfortable without obscuring its shape. 

Two teak-framed chairs with woven backs sit opposite, enhancing the organic feel of the space without adding visual weight.

A substantial round stone table, with a ribbed pedestal base anchors the setting. With a presence to complement the curve of the banquette, yet the chairs have the flexibility be pulled back into the open paving.

Plants

The planting is classic in style. 

Dense, clipped westringia balls create a sculptural feel, while established Magnolias create privacy along the boundary. 

Slender palm trunks rise through the lower planting providing an opportunity for impactful uplighting.

White agapanthus flowers help soften the architectural balls. While Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’ spills over the tiled edge in repeated sections to soften the tiled garden beds.