How a contemporary home can connect us to nature

Many contemporary projects reflect a growing desire for beautiful landscape architecture that tempers their hard edges and provides breathing spaces for owners that are both beautiful and functional.

“Landscaping finishes a house off; it softens its corners, cools it down and encourages you to enjoy the outdoors; it makes a house a home,” says landscape designer Darrin Bryden, who has worked with Giorgi luxury home builders for thirteen years, creating high-end garden design. He says the importance of landscaping for custom, high-end builds has changed significantly over this time and we have moved away from the more traditional plant trends popular in the 1990s and early 2000s.

“Landscaping has shifted from mass groupings of plants to designs featuring more variety, and now it has come full circle, returning to mass groupings but with a greater emphasis on succulents and less reliance on hedges,” he explains. “Today’s custom outdoor spaces are designed to be low maintenance, focusing on feature plants. Instead of just one standout plant, there might be five or six. While they aren’t always the largest plants, they often showcase colourful foliage or striking flowers. Buxus balls are especially popular for larger homes.”

Darrin says WA designers are mixing different types of species with incredible results. “Our style is very contemporary, and Perth has become a global trendsetter,” he says. “We are seeing landscape designers in California using Australian plants such as kangaroo paws mixed with succulents and classic species for their custom outdoor spaces. Designers here are willing to experiment and express their unique styles.”

Due to their natural beauty, versatility, and ability to thrive in our climate, succulents are becoming the heroes of WA custom outdoor spaces and luxury residential gardens. “They don’t guzzle as much water as most plants, making them a practical choice for our environment,” says Darrin. “They also have a long lifespan and maintain their form and size; they are also a popular option for homeowners who want to create a low-maintenance garden.”

When Darrin designs custom outdoor spaces, he focuses on creating spaces that families love to use. “We want to encourage them to spend time outside and in the garden; that focus is a significant part of my process,” he says. “If there are kids, we like to include a lawn and as much shade as possible so they can enjoy the outdoors during the summer. If they like playing ball, the plants we choose can’t be too delicate, or they will get damaged.”

Designing gardens that integrate into daily life helps foster a love for gardening and more activity outdoors. “We encourage people to engage with their gardens by planting citrus trees and edible crops,” he explains. “Whenever possible, we like to include herbs near the kitchen or butler’s pantry that they can use when cooking.”

One of the most sought-after features in luxury, high-end builds is the seamless flow between indoor and outdoor spaces. In WA, there’s nothing we enjoy more than entertaining family and friends year-round, which means maximising our backyards. Connecting your indoor and outdoor areas is an effective way to enhance your space for both relaxation and entertaining.

“Indoor-outdoor flow is very important, and Giorgi luxury home builders always design bifold doors and windows in their homes to ensure a smooth transition to the outdoor area,” he says. “They often extend the kitchen countertops outside that becomes an outdoor bench.” Darrin incorporates plants along boundary walls to soften edges and promote a cohesive flow between indoor and outdoor environments.

“When I design, I focus on the layout of the house while being mindful of the location of windows and the function of each room,” he explains. “For a home office, we aim to create a space that invites interest, allowing you to feel a connection to the garden. Various colours and shapes of flowers bloom at different times, adding to the experience. In kitchens, we often incorporate a lot of windows or low butler pantry windows that overlook boundary fences. To enhance narrow spaces, we try to include raised planters or pots to create a green backdrop.”

Connecting with the natural landscape can be challenging and often impossible for those who live in apartment blocks. Fortunately, many new developments incorporate biophilic design elements into their architecture, allowing residents to connect with and live alongside nature. In many commercial spaces, rooftop gardens and plant-filled atriums are designed to bring nature indoors and blur the lines between home and garden.

“For a luxury Giorgi apartment build in South Perth, part of the development approval required a certain amount of greenery for its custom outdoor spaces,” he says. “It’s important to ensure that it is low maintenance, doesn’t block views, and that the plants have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years, rather than outgrowing themselves like many WA natives.” For this project, a large planter box with proper drainage cells was installed on the third floor to ensure the plants didn’t become waterlogged. “We also needed to include trees, so we chose magnolias and surrounded them with some small ornamental shrubs,” he adds.

With the significant shift towards landscape architecture being just as important as custom, high-end house design, we will continue to see new, creative and innovative ways they can be intertwined, making home and daily life a more elevated experience.