Life-Stage Transition, Cooranbong
Project Overview
This Cooranbong home is a country-meets-Hamptons new build, owned by clients entering a new life stage with children finishing school or already moved on. Rather than opting for the standard, low-cost estate landscape package, the clients chose to invest in a bespoke front garden that would be built properly, last well, and genuinely reflect how they wanted to live in the space.
The brief was clear: no shortcuts, no “cheap and cheerful” solutions, and no lawn-heavy maintenance. They wanted a garden that felt creative, immersive and lived-in, not just decorative.
The Challenge
The clients came to Looking Up Landscapes with an early landscape concept that wasn’t quite right. The design needed refinement and confidence, particularly given the corner block layout where most of the usable outdoor space sits at the front and side of the home rather than the rear.
Key considerations included:
- Creating a no-lawn residential landscape that still felt generous and welcoming
- Making the front garden the primary living space without it feeling exposed
- Managing an embankment naturally without harsh retaining walls
- Designing practical service areas without compromising the overall aesthetic
- Delivering a garden that would mature beautifully over time, not just look good on day one
Our Approach
We adapted and strengthened the base design, shifting the focus to sweeping, whimsical gardens that invite you to move through and spend time in them.
The rear and narrow side areas of the house were designed as functional service zones, incorporating a discreet pathway, clothesline, and a concrete pad suitable for basketball practice and a potential future spa.
The front and side of the property became the heart of the landscape. Two creative crazy-pave sandstone patios were introduced, linked by free-form sandstone stepper pathways. Large split-stone sandstone slab steps lead visitors from the street up to the front veranda, creating a strong but natural sense of arrival.
A key design detail was the use of ‘loose edges’ on the crazy paving, allowing groundcovers to gradually encroach into the hardscape. Over time, this gives the impression that the garden is gently reclaiming the stone, softening the structure and enhancing the lived-in feel.
All sandstone used on site was locally sourced and split onsite, ensuring a completely unique, one-of-a-kind finish that cannot be replicated.
Planting & Natural Retention
The planting design, created by Peppy Possum Design, echoes the client’s vision for a white, whimsical garden palette. Reliable anchor plants such as lomandra and westringia provide structure and resilience, while feature plantings including white proteas and waratahs add drama and seasonal interest.
A diverse selection of flowering groundcovers has been used to stabilise the embankment naturally. As these plants establish deep, broad root systems, they will retain the slope without the need for expensive or visually heavy retaining walls.
Free-form sandstone boulders are strategically placed throughout the garden to support the embankment and create the illusion that the stone is emerging organically from the landscape.
The Outcome
The result is a front-focused residential landscape that feels immersive, creative and completely bespoke. Rather than a garden you simply look at, this is a garden you move through, sit within and live alongside every day.
Once established, the garden will continue to soften and evolve, with planting and stone working together to create a timeless, low-maintenance landscape that suits the clients’ current life stage while remaining adaptable for the years ahead.
A pergola is planned for one of the sitting areas as a future addition, creating a shaded green nook for quiet mornings and relaxed afternoons spent surrounded by the garden.
Project Highlights
- Bespoke no-lawn residential landscape
- Locally sourced, hand-split sandstone throughout
- Crazy-pave patios with softened, garden-led edges
- Natural embankment retention using planting and boulders
- Front-yard focused design for a corner block
- Collaborative planting design with Peppy Possum Design
Thinking Beyond the Standard Estate Landscape?
If you’re building or renovating and want a landscape that feels considered, personal and built to last, our team would love to collaborate with you.
"*" indicates required fields