Landscaping to suit the complete restoration of a historic Upper Hunter Valley residence.

This home once belonged to the first major of Scone. Built in the late 1800s it features high ornate ceilings with fireplaces, timber sash windows and french doors and had a more recent, low-scale extension to the rear. When purchased it hadn't been lived in for over seven years, time stood still, with all furniture in position and pictures on the walls gathering dust. The exterior could barely be seen amongst the overgrown garden of crepe myrtle, banksia trees, grape vines and broken pergola. No perimeter fence existed and a carport crowded the rear of the dwelling.

After a huge demolition effort to clear out the house and garden back to the bare bones, the restoration of heritage features commenced and a modernisation of the rear of the property with new kitchen, bathroom, glazing and refinishing of flooring, walls and ceilings throughout, along with all joinery, lighting and fittings.

The landscaping was designed to relate to the orientation and purpose of that specific area. The front garden welcomes people from the street, through new entry gates and fencing along a new wide recycled blonde brick path, to newly white concrete rendered pillars either side of new sandstone treads on the steps up to the front door. Eames numerals from L.A. designate the house number. A new cacti garden provide a point of interest in front of the restored veranda. New circular brick planters in the front lawns enclose olive trees, lavender and other blue-grey hue plants to compliment the white of the house and provide a place to sit.

A new pergola replaces the old carport at the rear of the property. Orange Jasmine is climbing this structure to provide additional shade and a pleasant scent. A new Bismarckia Palm provides a feature tree inside a circular planter bed for the outdoor entertaining area to the rear with a fire pit nearby. Along the southern side of the house, a new wavey path leads you through a fern garden under the shade of the house and past a grasses garden along the new bamboo boundary fence. The path opens up to a seating area in the centre to enjoy the cooler garden in summer amongst the planted surroundings. The design carefully considers all of the site specific conditions in order to respond to the architecture and the needs of the people occupying this dwelling to make it an enjoyable place to live and experience.

Featured in 'Hunter & Coastal Lifestyle' Magazine Edition 99.