Claremont Garden
LANDSCAPE DESIGN Robert Finnie Design • INSTALLATION Empire Landscapes • PHOTOGRAPHY Jody D’Arcy • STORY Elizabeth Clarke
A central path tiled in Moroccan limestone runs down the main axial of the property’s original front entrance. A simple water feature is a central focal point with jets positioned to create a dramatic entrance that speaks to the spirit of the home.
Landscape design, Robert Finnie Design; landscape installation, Empire Landscapes; Garonne Moroccan limestone tiles (sandblasted + brushed), Eco Outdoor.
It is not always easy to find respite in an urban environment but left in the hands of landscape designer Robert Finnie you need never leave home to find nirvana.
A thoughtful and sophisticated garden creator, Robert's schemes are subtly informed by his passion for Mediterranean style gardens, like those found on private Californian properties.
Formerly a senior design manager at renowned Secret Gardens in Sydney, he has garnered a slew of national accolades and worked with the city's most prestigious architects on residential landscapes. "My time at Secret Gardens and the experience I gained has been invaluable," says Robert. "I learnt that form must follow function and the art of creating a well-balanced space."
Fine Romance. Wisteria climbs the home’s existing arbour, breaking into glorious scented white flowers through spring.
Ivy’s dark green tones alongside a mass planting of lomandra provide contrasting colour and leaf shapes.
Lush evergreen buxus spheres provide form and balance to the original front entrance and are a nod to the classic architecture.
Landscape design, Robert Finnie Design; landscape installation, Empire Landscapes; Garonne Moroccan limestone tiles (sandblasted + brushed), Eco Outdoor.
With its glossy green leaves, various cultivars of Crassula (Jade) species feature along the east side of the building. They hold their form throughout WA’s seasons, creating a lush contemporary vibe, a theme repeated in other zones throughout the garden.
Landscape design, Robert Finnie Design; landscape installation, Empire Landscapes; Garonne Moroccan limestone tiles (sandblasted + brushed), Eco Outdoor.
Creating gardens from small spaces in Sydney's Paddington to rolling country estates in Eagle Bay and Yallingup, Robert focuses on the site, considering its conditions and aspect and the home's architecture. "Finding a connection and cohesiveness between the two is crucial to good design," he says.
For this family home in Claremont, Robert imbued a coastal feel that is modern in style yet complements the home's classic design. Clearing the original garden entirely, Robert gave it a meticulous rethink resulting in an exciting reinvention. The flooring was his starting point, with the addition of natural limestone tiles providing a soft subtle palette that complements the home's original stone cladding.
The backdrop to the central water feature is a mixture of succulents and ornamentals, including Agave Desmettiana, Rosemary, and Trachelospermum Flat Mat. In time, the rear hedge will form a lush green wall.
The home’s original cobbled driveway contrasts with the Moroccan limestone flooring. The selection of green foliage tones and plant forms soften the material palette, acting like punctuation points against the architecture.
Landscape design, Robert Finnie Design; landscape installation, Empire Landscapes; Garonne Moroccan limestone tiles (sandblasted + brushed), Eco Outdoor.
A treasured sculpture granite piece, Trajectory of Winds by artist Keizo Ushio, was acquired from Sculpture by the Sea and sits nestled within the layered garden. The use of blue glaucus and succulent tones stand out within this plant composition.
Landscape design, Robert Finnie Design; landscape installation, Empire Landscapes; Garonne Moroccan limestone tiles (sandblasted + brushed), Eco Outdoor.
Soft leaf buffalo grass highlights a clean and considered landscape. The restrained use of silver tones within the plant palette highlights and plays against the stone flooring. The selected species and material palette compliment the home's original stone wall, a key feature of the property.
Landscape design, Robert Finnie Design; landscape installation, Empire Landscapes; Garonne Moroccan limestone tiles (sandblasted + brushed), Eco Outdoor.
A modern vernacular of lush hedging, succulents and ornamentals lends texture to wide-open ground, whilst swathes of perennials and shrubs soften the geometry. The home's classic frontage cedes to an expanse of soft leaf Palmetto buffalo lawn. Lush and robust in form, it is ideal for busy pets and regular foot traffic.
A central pathway leads from the home deep down into the garden. A circular water fountain creates an elegant arch of water, and a curved granite art piece acquired from Sculpture by the Sea provides shape and form.
A sculptural fan aloe creates drama to these existing serralunga large pots.
Stone pots, WG Outdoor Life.
The combination of Kalanchoe Copper Spoons used in a low handcrafted clay bowl from Atelier Vierkant provides texture and a modern touch. These bowls are crafted in Belgium and offer a sophisticated sculptural element.
The home’s private entrance faces north, bearing the full effect of the summer sun. Hardy species like Santolina chamaecyparissus, Pittosporum Miss Muffet, and Crassula ‘Blue Bird’ create a layered yet robust composition that merges effortlessly with the home’s modern black framed extension.
Blue the dog keeps his cool nestling into an existing viburnum hedge and foreground of lomandra.
An Indian Hawthorne hedge that runs along the boundary wall is layered with rosemary and deep green agave desmettiana and underplanted with vibrant Flat Mat Trachelospermum. Using plants of varying heights allows a sense of scale within the space. "It's also vital to consider a palette of plants and succulents that work well with our Mediterranean climate," he says. "Succulents thrive here and are incredibly versatile."
The home's north-facing front entrance is embraced by a robust garden designed to withstand harsh elements and full flush of the summer sun. A mix of cotton lavender and Miss Muffet imbue a sense of drama and complement the home's more modern black framed additions.
Along the side of the house, a rich viburnum hedge is underplanted with native lomandra grass. On the other, wisteria winds up and around the existing arbour, erupting in fragrant white flowers come spring. A dramatic backdrop of dark ivy provides drama to the scheme.
An original copper shower stands almost submerged in a wall of Boston Ivy.
An antler shaped hose reel by Garden Glory adds an element of whimsy to the space.
Hose reel, Garden Glory.
Black steel frames provide graphic detail whilst an Agave Potatorum adds curves, symmetry and texture.
The upgraded outdoor kitchen was designed and detailed by Mata Design to include a barbeque, sink, refrigerator, pizza oven and inky black cabinetry. The tiled splashback mirrors the pool’s aqua colour.
BBQ and pizza oven, Mata Design.
The soft grey Moroccan limestone features a sandblasted and brushed finish that feels comfortable underfoot in the middle of summer.
Pyrus calleryana chanticleer trees line the boundary. The underplanting includes classic buxus spheres with modern succulents and low ground cover. It is a scheme that ties in with the front garden creating restraint and uniformity throughout the property.
Robert's planting style is loose yet considered in a minimal palette of greens and silver tones repeated throughout the garden. "I like to plant using large drifts of species, peppering in various forms, foliage shapes and colour for contrast," he says. "I'm not keen on too many different species in one perspective. It's a common mistake home gardeners make that can look fussy."
Around the back of the property, the existing pool and al fresco area are offered shade from large ornamental pear trees, whilst a mix of succulents, buxus spheres and under plantings add softness. The upgraded outdoor kitchen includes a barbeque, sink, refrigerator, and pizza oven. The existing tiled splashback mirrors the pool's clear aqua water. Sculptural outdoor furniture designed by Patricia Urquiola provides a spot to relax, whilst an original copper shower is beautifully patinaed and camouflaged by a mass of Boston Ivy.
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