Garden Designer Projects

A total concept landscape architects has provided quality solutions that work for many challenging sites. This swimming pool on Avalon Beach is no exception.

The design of the pool itself was reasonably easy, fitting snuggly within a large existing entertaining deck area with an infinity edge orientated towards the views of Pittwater. This met the clients brief, that being a desire to entertain in numbers.

Obtaining an approval to build a pool within a pocket of remnant rainforest with Koala feed trees, in a geotechnical slip area, over a main sewer, substantially elevated and and designing the pool in such a way that it could be built was the true challenge.

Ground level of the site was very steep, falling away from the home more vertically than horizontally. And the level of the pool was around 5 metres above ground. Much of the steeling and forming of the pool was undertaken by tradesmen secured in safety harnesses. The pool itself sits on a raft of concrete piers that had to be relocated and adjusted as the holes were dug due to poor founding materials beneath.

The triangular shape of the pool is set parallel to the views of Pittwater and the inside lines mirrors the shape of the existing timber entertaining deck with a large steel understructure that would have been prohibitively costly to alter. When you stand in the pool facing the view, you get a feeling of being on the edge of the world. 

The project met our client’s brief of wanting to entertain large numbers too well! They recently sold the property and relocated quietly nearby to Clareville where we are currently designing another pool on a similar site with an integrated cabana and entertaining deck.

Balmoral Project

The second project for the same clients.

Many of our clients return to us again and again. The first home we did for these clients was a semi-detached home from when they first met. The property featured here is the second Mosman home we have helped them with as their family grew. They have since sold this property, making a suburb record when sold. Their children have left home, and they have now downsized to a smaller property which we also have designed for them with level walking to the town centre.

The home itself needed a light renovation, but the external spaces had not been touched in over a century ago and required major upgrading.

The best way to describe the external areas in real estate agent terms would be ‘in an original state’ which effectively gave us free reign as the clients knew our work from their previous project and trusted our judgement. 

There were to be four very distinct external areas to be developed, one a formal lawn pedestrian entry area and period style driveway, two, a tennis court in the lower area of the property, three, an elevated pool and poolside entertaining area and fourthly extensive sloped garden areas to the sides.

The driveway was originally designed for horse drawn carriages leading to stables and the front of the house sloped quickly up you the roadway so that the home had no presence to the street. We designed and then excavated out over 100 m3 of material to achieve a formal gated pedestrian entry area with sandstone based dressed timber boundary fencing, a formal lawn together with a sandstone & special brick paved driveway.

Traditional garden plants were used in the formal lawn suitable for the homes style, including formal hedges of Buxus japonica (Japanese box), Magnolia 'Little Gem' (Gem Magnolia) and Buxus sempervirens (English box) plus Artemesia 'Powis Castle' (Artemesia), Salvia 'Mystic Spires' (Mystic Salvia), Salvia Pink Spires' (Pink Salvia), Clivea miniata (Clivea), Gardenia florida (Florists Gardenia), Michelia figo (port wine magnolia), Agapanthus orientalis (Nile Lily) and Juniperus conferta (Shore Juniper.

An old lawn tennis court was pre-existing on the property that evoked visions of ladies in lace, parasols, garden parties and cucumber sandwiches. The lawn was replaced with a modern artificial turf and the existing chain-link fence replaced and reduced in length. Garden sculpture was placed in a sea of ivy and a tennis house designed and installed. Vegetation surrounding the court was replanted using a hedge of Elaeagnus macrophylla (Elaeagnus) with Juniperus x media 'Pfitzeriana' (Pfitzer Juniperus), Hederacea canariensis (Canary Island Ivy) and Rhodendron 'Pink Pearl' (Pink Rhododendrum).

The old pool had structurally failed and was replaced with a new pool in a more traditional shape. The fully tiled light blue pool and uniform coloured sandstone surrounds create a peaceful and relaxing area in which to take a dip or sit under the flowering Jacarandas ensuring that the external spaces are in keeping with the stately. New low plantings between court and pool include clipped spherical Teucrium fruticans (Bush Germander) and Rhapiolepsis 'Oriental Pearl' (Dwarf Hawthorn) plus Juniperus Horizontalis 'Douglassi '(Waukegan Juniperus), other plants include the unusual Hydrangea quercifolia (Oak Leaf Hydrangea), rarely used Corylus avellana 'Purpurea' (Red Hazel) and Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'.

The extensive sloped garden areas to three sides of the residence create a series of rooms, each with a different planting style. One area with existing endemic Angophora costata (Sydney Redwood) suggested the use of native such as Grevillea servicea (Spider Grevillea), Hakea teretifolia (Hakea), Doryanthes excelsior (Gymea Lily), Actinotus helianthi (Flannel flower), Banksia ericifolia (Heath Banksia), Correa reflexa (Common Correa), Elaeocarpus reticulatus (Blueberry Ash), Grevillea speciosa ssp. speciosa (Red Spidery Flower) and Callistemon citrinus (Crimson Bottlebrush).

A dry creek bed with assorted sized rounded river pebbles through which runs a water drainage easement that occasionally floods has been developed through another part of the garden. Here native plants such as Viola hederacea (Native Violets), Dendrobium speciossum (King Rock Orchid) and Blechnum nudum (Fishbone Waterfern) have been used and are in keeping with an adjacent bush reserve.

At nighttime the tennis court is lit with spotlights for night-time play, the poolside entertaining areas are well lit with LED down lighting for functional purposes which, together with energy efficient LED lighting in the swimming pool, creates mood effects with washes of light and dancing shadows. All gardens are heavily lit with lighting for highlights and accents.

A total concept landscape architects provides quality solutions on very different sites. 

This new home built on a partially cleared block in the middle of a Blue Mountains Forest required careful planning to obtain an approval through council. Planting had to be fire tolerant species for the property in a fire zone as did all materials that we selected.

For the front of the property, we selected a grey broom finished concrete for the driveway and front entry path, where immediately adjacent to the home we utilized predominantly fleshy plant species with a high-water content that would be fire retardant if required. Plants such as strelitzia, cordyline, Gymea lily, native hibiscus and liriope were selected to aid in fire retardation.

A fire protection zone was developed at the rear of the property with inclusion of an exotic lawn species and removal of all trees within a 15-metre distance to the home then further out trees were removed to ensure canopies did not touch each other. This then blended back into native forest. Existing natural mulch, ground covers and shrubs were removed all together in these zones to ensure any fires would be retarded at this point.

Planting to the rear was typically with species endemic to the lower Blue Mountains, including waratah, purple flag, banksias, leptospermums, hakea, melaleucas and pea flowers.

The design of the pool itself was reasonably easy, fitting snuggly within a large niche of the house with large windows from the living areas viewing onto the pool plus an infinity edge orientated towards the views of bushland. Within the filter box a fire pump was linked direct to the pool for use if ever needed.

The pool is set parallel to the large timber deck immediately adjacent to the home itself designed for entertaining purposes with numerous large benches and daybeds built into the deck. All timber is a high-quality grade and species that is fires retardant. 

The result of the work designed by A Total Concept Landscape Architects has created a relaxed lifestyle and entertaining complex for the owners of this property. 

This modern, elegant space flows seamlessly from the indoors out, creating one large, cohesive entertaining area

Wanting to transform the courtyard of their stylish Cammeray terrace into an outdoor entertaining area, the homeowners contacted A Total Concept Landscape Architects. A detailed brief of needs and wants was basis to create for them a design both as practical as it is beautiful.

We saw the potential to create a strong statement, a private oasis, integrating the pool area and garden space with the rest of the house and rear lane accessible garage. We maximised the relationship between the indoor living and dining area and the outdoor courtyard, offering the owners a more cohesive integration of the interior and exterior and a more efficient use of the limited space.

The kitchen and living areas now open directly to entertaining area. Combining the two spaces, inside and out had the effect of doubling the available space for entertaining which together with a retractable roof allowing for use in all seasons.

The narrow width of the property required consideration to be able to meet the clients brief of pool, usable lawn and screen planting. This was mostly resolved by keeping the gardens narrow to maximise the space available for pool and lawn.

Screening to neighbours’ properties is provided by the use of Trachelospermum jasminioides (star jasmine) growing on stainless steel framing wire over masonry boundary walls. Gardenia florida (florists gardenia) within the pool area and to the house end of the pool is provided to add detail and interest.

The narrow lap pool is a visual feature daytime and night with lighting and incorporates a terminating feature water wall which hides the functional garage behind. The clear frameless glass pool fence helps to visually integrate all areas by not creating a visual barrier.

The lawn area is approximately 2.5 metres wide and extends over 16 metres in length. No good for football but great for cricket!

This flawless design establishes an effortless flow between home and garden 

This project, involved a home extension and the creation of a series of outdoor rooms, delivered just what the homeowners wanted – and more. 

The house had no real connection to the rear garden and the slope of the site meant much of the space was unusable. To better unify the home and garden, we extended the house with a kids’ rumpus room that opens to the back of the house. By doing this, and creating level external areas, we were able to encourage greater use of the outdoors.

To further open the rear of the house, we changed sliding doors to concertinaed doors and built a large timber entertaining deck. The deck was set at the same level as the house to create a seamless indoor-outdoor flow. Half of the deck is undercover for wet-weather entertaining; the other half is shaded, as needed, with a large umbrella. 

A Total Concept also incorporated a swimming pool and poolside entertaining area for the children with generous stairs linking the house to pool.

The steeply sloping site meant the project could only be designed with a substantially elevated pool, in direct conflict with council planning codes. We negotiated with council for more than a year to get the project approved in the form our clients desired rather than compromise on a design that would not work as well.
The surrounds of this beautiful contemporary swimming pool are paved in a select grade travertine. The poolside entertaining area has a large downturn to the edge that creates a floating island effect. The pool interior is clad in shimmering translucent deep blue glass tile. So the children can play ball games, the pool has a deep middle and is shallow at both ends.
All components of the design were further linked by our use of a similar planting theme throughout. We adopted an intentionally simple palette of red kangaroo paw, lillypilly, Shore juniper, coast rosemary, liriope, brown flax and agave. 

The result is an elegantly simple outdoor design with an easy flow that delivers a total concept and adds immeasurable value to the property. 

We were primarily engaged by the owners of this property for our specialised knowledge in swimming pool design and our ability to gain approvals for controversial projects. 

Our commission involved working as a team with one of Australia’s leading architectural practices who was designing the waterfront home. We undertook the conceptual pool design integrating it with the architectural design then obtained building approvals, provided detailed specifications for swimming pool and hard and soft landscape elements of the project, recommended and organised both the pool builder and landscape contractor as nominated subcontractors of the home builder.

‘Gaining approval for such an extensive and detailed project was extremely complex and we worked in close conjunction with the architects to negotiate with local council, Sydney Waterways Authority and Sydney (Sewer) Water to resolve the many design and legal issues to gain approval for construction. Once the approval process was over, construction itself posed complex issues with access for excavation works on the site being entirely by the water. A large fifteen tonne machine was delivered to Northbridge boatramp, loaded then craned into the site from a barge for excavation purposes and thousands of tonnes of spoil were removed from the site during the eight-month construction period,’ Recalls John Storch director of a total concept.

Construction was difficult because surrounding trees had to be retained together with a natural sandstone cliff-face above the level of the pool. A sewer easement required careful consideration during construction to ensure that damage did not occur to the aged cast iron sewer pipes servicing Castlecrag. During construction a flowing subterranean creek was uncovered requiring redesign of structural components to ensure the stability of the pool and adjacent entertaining areas.

Our clients wanted a statement, something different that would sit well and work in well with the new residence and the environment into which it was to be placed. We delivered!

This steep harbourside property fell over 12 metres from street to harbour so level space was at a premium. Considered design integration was essential to make the outside areas work. The street front entry courtyard was small and needed a tall strong focal feature to integrate the upper and lower levels and to detract one’s mind from the number of stairs to be climbed from home to street. A Brachychiton rupestris (Queensland Bottle Tree) solved the dilemma and made an otherwise uninteresting space into a statement. 

The clean lined monolithic shape of the 15-metre lap pool complements and is well incorporated with the residence. The pool finishes with a large feature wall disguising a boatshed beyond and the other end includes a timber entertaining deck set over an integrated filter equipment room. A sandstone paved walkway and family entertaining area cantilevers over the swimming pool to one side and incorporates a large wood burning fireplace together with a huge external TV screen.

The strong geometric rectangular shapes of the pool, spa, infinity edge and entertaining area create a unique architectural juxtaposition with the visual softness of harbour and the surrounding native bushland. The infinity edge and unusual pool colour created by a specially blended mix of coloured glass tiles beautifully reflects pool and home lights at night and duplicates the natural colour of Sydney’s Middle Harbour during the day to create an attractive backdrop. 

Minimal native plantings, sandstone paving and cladding together with timber decking complement both the colour and texture of the surrounding natural sandstone cliff-faces and showcase the stylishly contemporary home. Water cascading over the infinity edge and sandstone cladding lands in rounded river pebbles that trap and direct the water to a subterranean balance tank, all designed by a total concept.

The result of this project with its many design innovations are two a bold design statements showcasing this home.

On this Sydney lower north shore property A Total Concept have created an outdoor room incorporating a simple and stylish cabana and swimming pool set within contemporary gardens.

The cabana has been designed to sit into an existing undercroft area beneath an elevated driveway and garage, the level of which set the adjacent level of the pool to allow a fusion of the two areas.  Simple clean lines and large full width opening concertinaed doors totally integrate the cabana with the swimming pool. With young children, the cabana provides the perfect shaded entertaining area adjacent to the swimming pool where adults can relax with their friends while ensuring complete supervision of their children in the swimming pool. 

The cabana has a waterproof membrane to all walls, floor and ceiling so that wet feet and water fights are fine. The waterproofing also resolves the issue of water penetration from the overhead concrete driveway, from rising damp and from existing rear retaining walls that act as the cabana walls. 

The cabana incorporates a wet drinks bar, barbecue and kitchenette with built-in cabinetry, a fully appointed bathroom and shower to the rear plus an all-weather lounge setting.

We revisited the site recently, and as the children are older, the cabana now doubles for sleepovers and as a rumpus room for the children. It now incorporates a large flat screen television, stereo system and air hockey table to entertain their friends and to make it the hub of socialising for the neighbourhood children (so mum knows what’s happening all the time)!

At nighttime the outdoor room is well lit with both lamps and LED lighting in the ceiling for functional purposes which, together with energy efficient LED lighting throughout the garden areas, creates interesting dancing shadows and mood effects with washes of light.

This design by A Total Concept also includes a beautiful overflow pool with shimmering vibrant blue coloured water, contrasting elegantly with the blond cabana flooring and poolside paving and surrounding gardens.

The pool steps and underwater bench double as informal seats within the plunge pool and with heated spa jets incorporated in the backrest provide the perfect warm place for parents to chat. The underwater bench also acts as a haven for young children within the pool. 

The north-west aspect of the property provides sun all day and shelter from strong southerly storms and allows a contemporary native tropical garden to flourish. The garden contains an eclectic mix of coastal rosemary, gazanias, grevilleas, beschenarias, red cordylines, frangipanis, cannas, ginger and philodendrons.

This property was owned by a stone and paver supplier which allowed for an eclectic use of great products to create this tropical resort style home in Clontarf.

The existing studio located at the rear of the property was unsightly when viewed from the open style living and kitchen areas of the property and foreshortened the large lawn area leading immediately from the home. It was decided to turn a negative aspect to as positive by placing the tropical style plunge pool forward of the studio with a 2400mm high stone feature wall to the ear of the pool to screen the studio and all filtration equipment reached by a hardwood timber walkway. 

The pool itself was designed in a simplistic geometric shape with an innovative recessed area in the pool with around 200mm of water cover. This area is wide enough to allow lounge chairs and daybeds to be positioned in the pool allowing guests to drape a hand in the water to cool off without having to move an inch.

The vertical edge of pool coping is approximately 120mm deep with a 25mm shadow line beneath which makes the pool have a floating style appearance. To the boundary side of the pool an elevated stone clad garden area was constructed to restrict young children from running around the pool and to visually extend and ground the stone feature wall to the rear.

A green-grey interior tile was used to create a tropical feel and to ‘soften’ the water colour. The appearance of the pool changes from green to blue to grey to black depending on the time of day and the appearance of the sky.

An internal bathroom in the house was extended outside to provide a resort style feel with the inclusion of a large stone-like bath and stone wall with feature spouts, all set over random sized stepping stones interlaced with pebble that extend outwards from the home itself. This area is made very private with the inclusion of Himalayan Weeping Bamboo to the perimeter.

The original sloping lawn area was made level with a surrounding sandstone wall which allowed some of the pool excavation to be utilised on site and created a large lawn area for barefoot child play.

Throughout the property large existing trees such as Blackbean and glossy leafed Camellias were kept complimenting the new tropical style planting.

The entry garden to the property has been designed in a similar tropical style utilising large artifact pots and urns and all the same materials as the rear to unify the whole and create ‘a total concept’.

Homeowners are increasingly looking for professional assistance to look after their entire projects. A Total Concept Landscape Architects provides this service. 

With higher density living, private exterior spaces are becoming smaller than before, this together with an increasing trend to use the garden space as a fusion for indoor and outdoor entertainment has led to a rise in popularity of Plunge Pools.

Immediately adjacent to the front door of their beautiful period style terrace in Clovelly, the owners of this property had only one small outdoor space. This space was immediately adjacent to the front door of their beautiful period style terrace in Clovelly and their three teenage daughters really wanted a pool to entertain their friends!

We discussed with our clients that the size of the pool is not the most important feature for the average family. ‘When children are young, say up to the age of six, they tend to be limited to the pool steps and pool benches or on mum or dad’s lap. Adults and families with teenage children tend to use a pool by lying around in summer, socialising and warming up, then jumping in and cooling off or for sitting and socialising on pool seats and benches. So, the size of the pool is often irrelevant.

It was important to design this 1.8 x 2.2 metre pool sympathetically for the small courtyard. The design of the gardens and spaces around were as important to ensure the pool visually fit the space. It is always more involved and complex to design smaller spaces than large spaces because bad design is more obvious.

This plunge pool is used all year round and treated as a giant spa, heated so that the three teenage daughters can comfortably sit in the pool and entertain their friends.

The pool is immediately adjacent to the pedestrian entry to the home, so visually we treated the pool as a water feature. The teal colour of the pools’ interior comes from glass mosaic tiles, the colour being a unique combination of blues and greens that includes a gold fleck mirroring the colours and moods of the sky. The surrounds include a period style marble tessellated tile detail pattern. LED lights that change colour create dramatic effects at night for guests passing this water feature pool.

The surrounding space includes a small sun deck made of manufactured timber, planters and pots filled with tropical style plants that include Mandavillea, Draceana, Snake Plant, Aloe Vera, Purple Flag and Purple peacock sit the pool within the space to make a visual link between the period style residence, plunge pool and pedestrian entry court to create A TOTAL CONCEPT. 

The rear garden had tall hedges creating privacy and it was imperative they be kept for the owners of this traditional home.

The brief for this property was to retain the existing privacy hedges whilst getting the largest hydrotherapy pool and a small entertaining area into the space.

The mature Cupressocyparis Leighton Green (green cypress) hedge blocked out a 3-story nursing home to one side and a mature Viburnum odoratissimum (sweet viburnum) hedge a 2-story home to the rear creating privacy. The hedges were elevated around 900mm from ground level.

A Total Concept designed a temporary shoring system allowing for the existing walls holding up the hedges to be removed while retaining the hedges. The shoring was designed to be left insitu whilst the large pool was excavated and then concrete poured.

Access to the site was along an old defunct driveway that was also incorporated into the final design as a front off street parking area and a covered and screened utility area. Excavation and removal of spoil was easy with this access. The house itself needed shoring as the excavation proceeded because digging in sand and kept running, threatening to undermine the house.

The traditional house had large doors opening onto the rear area so a large podium area with an uninterrupted view was designed looking towards a large sandstone clad feature wall to the rear of the pool. This wall was designed as an extension of the pool itself, limiting access along one side and end.

Glass fencing by itself was too contemporary for the home so wrought iron top rail and posts were designed to contain the glass and together with the blond sandstone cladding and paving provide a more traditional feel.

An old shed was demolished at the end of the original driveway and to unify the entire space and it was decided to continue the elevated perimeter planting to encapsulate this area. This in turn enabled built in seating to be constructed to create an entertaining area at one end of the pool which in turn was balance by creating an ornate water feature at the opposite end of the swimming pool. 

We decided to change planting style around the entertaining area to reinforce it as a separate area and to add more detailed planting for interest. Plants included Spathiphyllum wallisii 'sensation' (large leaf peace lily), trachelospermum ‘jasminioides (Chinese star jasmine), Crinum asiaticum (spider lily) plus a mature Plumeria rubra (frangipanni).

This design showcases A Total Concepts ability to think outside the square enabling the owners to retain their ever-important hedges and meet their budget and brief.

We create beautiful spaces and integrate them with your home. Often, we are requested and undertake the design of the home renovation as well.

The scope of this project by A Total Concept included the design, approvals and project management for the major alterations to the residence and external areas for resale.

The Home: Originally constructed early 1900s, it had been in the one family for over fifty years, was very dilapidated and had progressively been renovated piecemeal by the owner who was a builder and then by his son. A great challenge!

The existing ground floor had 2100mm headroom was separated from the first floor and a separate entry. A mess of small rooms with a dorm style bathroom including several showers and toilet cubicles (the home had been used for long term guest accommodation). We removed most of the internal walls to create a 15 x 5 metre open plan living teenagers’ games room and excavated over 300mm to gain 2600mm headroom. This involved some serious engineering to temporarily jack the house above up and some inventive construction by the builder.

Work on the first floor included reconfiguration of internal spaces and joining together and relocation of the kitchen and living areas from the south side of the home to the northern side then opening up to viewing decks on the north and western elevations with large, concertinaed doors. This took advantage of the extensive Middle Harbour views. We redesigned and relocated three bathrooms, infiled a covered pergola to create a large second main bedroom, lifted an existing skillion roof along the rear of the residence from 2.4 metre to over 3 metre to achieve high ceilings equal to the rest of the home. Work also included reinstatement of an open style veranda, painted brick piers, sandstone capping and timber posts.

We designed new entry steps with matching period style balustrade, a traditional box window to the front bedrooms’ elevation, removed all aluminium windows and installed timber windows, doors and traditional bargeboard and fascia timbers throughout which all helped return the home to a more traditional style.

Finishing touches included replacing all cypress pine floors with new grey ironbark timber flooring and building a grey ironbark staircase to connect the two floor levels which effectively doubled the floor space. Shelving niches were installed in the bathrooms and look great with LED lighting and the fireplaces converted back from gas to timber.

The front garden area was redesigned in a style to compliment the residence. The dilapidated front wall was rebuilt using recovered sandstone with a pedestrian entrance rather than having guests enter on the driveway only. Local sandstone paving was installed throughout. The existing pink concrete driveway was bought back to life with a heavily textured onyx resin guaranteed to last for years.

Cremorne is a very hilly suburb in Sydney, north facing and runs down to Middle Harbour. A level lawn area is a rare and cherished commodity for young families looking to buy into the suburb. The original pool on this property was dilapidated and took up the entire area to the rear of the residence and lacked any usable lawn as a result. We knew that this was a major detraction from the potential resale of the property, so we cut the pool in half, adding pool seats for entertaining purposes and realigned the sides of the pool to simplify the shape to focus on the lawn rather than the pool. We extended an existing deck to create a family entertaining area linking the pool directly to the living areas of the home and installed glass fencing to ensure a strong visual link between the home, deck and pool.

Reducing the size of the pool gave us the level usable lawn area that we wanted for resale value!

In the gardens we used quick growing minimal maintenance plants to achieve a quick effect for resale. The plant selection was chosen to reflect period planting and to complement the colour scheme of the house. This included retention of several large palms and camellias plus planting a ‘cottage garden’ using Convolvulus mauritanicus (Dwarf Morning Glory), Osteospermum Sp; (African Daisy), several mature Plumeria rubra (Frangipanni), Beschorneria yuccoides (Mexican Lily), Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’, Salvia curviflora (Hot Pink Salvia) Agapanthus orientalis, Doryanthes excelsior, Westringia fruticosa and Tradescantia pallida ‘purpurea’. Screen planting to rear boundaries included Syzygium ‘Cascade’ (Cascading Lillypilly).

A Total Concept succeeded in redesigning the entire property to create a stunning family home with a very specific brief of maximizing the spend for resale. This home has since been sold for a figure far beyond the owners’ expectations, greatly because of the striking design by A Total Concept, multi-award designers.

A Total Concept Designers and Consultants have over thirty years of experience and have ongoing involvement with many prestigious rural properties, Australia wide.

Many of our rural and acreage properties projects have modest understated entries that intentionally belie the quality of the property within. Most many of our clients are private and request confidentially as a condition for us to work on their homes. You won’t see their projects displayed on our websites.

Current projects range from several a large garden estate in Katoomba, hobby farms in Matcham, Robertson, Lue and on Nowra Mountain, a heritage estate in Goulburn, an acreage in Kellyville, farms in Gippsland and Kangaloon, a Wagyu farm in Oberon, stables in Oxford Falls and Duffys Forest, a 50 room day spa in Wisemans Ferry, a boutique resort in the Noosa Hinterland to refurbishment of a bespoke winery in the Watagan Mountains.

We have also designed many private secure acreage estates throughout Sydney!

This property had an existing pool, a beautiful home and nothing else. We commenced work with a master plan. The masterplan is a broad stroke approach, providing the general layout of all the components, in this project that included entry statement, driveway and pathway layouts, formal turning area. Paddocks and stables, ponds, the home environs, vegetable gardens, citrus grove, dam and tennis court.

Cost, sustainability and ongoing maintenance are always key considerations on large properties. Different design skills are required to ensure a project is designed in a manner that it is affordable to a client and often is broken into a series of stages to be implemented as finances become available. The use of products creatively and selecting plants requiring minimal maintenance can ensue an economically viable design.

A master plan also ensures the original brief is retained throughout the development of a large property. Key factors important on this project included the scale of property, the contours of the land as well as essential environment considerations. While a property may be large in scale, it is essential to design intimate spaces that allow people to connect with one another while appreciating the environment that surrounds them. The spaces require attention to detail to create highly polished, functioning spaces that are a pleasure to be within.

Following development of the master plan on this project our brief was to concentrate on the areas immediately around the home itself, including the driveway and entrance. These areas have now been designed and implemented, broad tree planting along the newly constructed drive, larger screen plant that require minimal maintenance to the perimeter at the front of the property and a more detailed planting palette to the gardens around the home.

Our involvement in this and many other projects create long term relationships with the owners developing their properties over time.

A Total Concept Landscape Architects was commissioned to work on the entirety of this project including street frontage areas and the extensive external entertaining areas incorporating an outdoor room, swimming pool and garden areas. 

The location of the outdoor entertaining room runs the full width of the property and is designed as a broad sunken area adjacent to the home’s indoor lounge and kitchen. 

This Outdoor Room has been developed for a large family that entertains large numbers and includes a large fireplace, dining and lounge area. By relocating the furniture from the everyday position, the space can easily accommodate over one hundred people and does so many times a year for corporate entertaining.

The Outdoor Room also incorporates a wall mounted LCD television, fans and kitchenette, several louvered roofs that can be automatically opened and retracted when desired. The gas fireplace is a strong visual statement with sandstone cladding and wide steps leading from the lawn area provide overflow seating for children and visually replicate the floating timber daybeds within the outdoor room.

The contemporary kitchenette is positioned out of the way opposite the fireplace with a detailed timber screen behind that is designed to swivel on a hinge to provide access to a side garden area. The kitchenette incorporates intricate built-in timber cabinetry, off-form concrete splashback and benchtop with waterfall edges, under-mounted sink, stainless steel fridge, dishwasher, barbecue and wok burner. 

An existing granny flat at the rear of the property was renovated as rumpus room for children and is far enough away so that when the new steel framed doors are closed, loud music and electronic games are not heard in the main home. 

The central space between the residence and Cabana incorporates the swimming pool and lawn areas that together with similar materials utilised throughout the project tie back to the home to ensure that new and old is well integrated, and although built at different times all appears as one. 

At nighttime LED down lighting in the cabana ceiling and eaves of the home provide for functionality, which, together with step lights, lights in the swimming pool and energy efficient LED lighting throughout the paving, lawn and garden areas, create mood effects with washes of light and dancing shadows.

Electrical items of the project such as lights, irrigation, swimming pool heater, pool lights and spa are all linked to a two-way electrical switching system.

The sparkling water of the royal blue glass tile used in the geometrically shaped swimming pool and spa contrast beautifully with the sandstone patterned porcelain tile that has been used in the external paved areas, the recycled timber posts, pergolas and decking and with the natural rock faced sandstone walling itself. All have been designed to blend with the rich greens of the lawns and plants.

The surrounding gardens contain an eclectic contemporary selection of plant species including bromeliads, string of pearls, silver falls, cupressus, ficus topiaries, Walking Iris, Senecio ‘Chalk Sticks’, Phormium and Pig Face. There is also an edible wall garden feature full of herbs to be plucked for use with the barbecue.

“We want to create a total concept, a contemporary resort, a garden incorporating a cabana and pool.”

On this Five Dock property A Total Concept has created a space for the owners to incorporate everything a family could want for both day to day living and weekend socialising.

The rear of the property had no outlook and little privacy from neighbours, so we bounded the entire area with formal hedge garden. This has created a concealed garden in which we were able to develop our design and achieves a stunning outlook from the home, day and night.

Adjacent to the home itself is a contemporary elevated timber deck with privacy screens and a lovers lounge located on a podium area of the deck. This area is covered by a unique pyramid shaped steel framed material roof which allows light into the home and a high ceiling for airflow aided by roof fans. The timber deck leads outward to a large lawn area with paving edge that visually ties back to other areas of the property, integrating the whole.

The cabana is located to service the pool users of the family and incorporates a paved area for drying off after a swim. With young children it was agreed that it was important to incorporate the open style cabana as the poolside sitting area rather than expose young skin to the sun.

The cabana has been designed in a contemporary style with simple clean lines to totally integrate the home, replacing an old defunct garage. The roof of the poolside cabana has been designed flat and hides solar panels behind a corbel allowing for very high ceilings to visually increase the size of the cabana with fans to keep temperatures cool in summer. Painted rendered masonry of the residence plus blond travertine paving of the pool have been used in cabana to create a seamless link. 

A large wall mounted LCD television, intricate built-in cabinetry incorporating, glass splashbacks, Caesar-stone benchtop with waterfall sides, under-mounted sink, stainless steel fridge, dishwasher, bar plus generous lounge and daybeds were designed to ensure every whim is catered for.

The large pool steps and extensive underwater benches view back into the garden and both act as a haven for young children and as informal seats with heated spa jets provide the perfect warm place for chatting parents to supervise their children. 

The aspect of the property provides sun most of the day and shelter from winds allowing the contemporary simplistic gardens containing a limited palette of Cupressus, Salvia, Quandong, Gardenias and Convolvulus to flourish. 

A feature visible across the large child friendly lawn from the rear of the home is the soft planter steps. Beautifully detailed and including a dwarf honeysuckle.

With its simplistic design and high-quality materials, this Sydney property epitomises the perfect family retreat

The relaxed vibe of this Five Dock backyard retreat was created by A Total Concept and includes swimming pool, entertaining deck and gardens of this Sydney property. 

The brightly coloured tiles used in the geometric-shaped swimming pool contrast beautifully with the blonde sandstone paving of the external paved areas, while the timber poolside seating and filter box floor is a perfect match for the decking of the main entertaining area.

A feature of the project is the stepping stone walkway through lawn to create a visual link from pool to covered entertaining area.

The entertaining area is covered with a retractable awning allowing the space to be used in all weather.

The hard components of this architectural design of this backyard retreat were designed to be simplistic and understated to create a wholistic blend softened with the dappled and shaded greens of the gardens and lawns. The gardens were designed and planted simply with Bamboo, agave and Lillipilly.

A Total Concept Landscape Architects was commissioned to design the external entertaining areas of this Brisbane acreage property integrating a cabana, swimming pool and tennis. 

The location of the tennis court was set on the level area of the property running east west, which in turn suggested the location of the cabana and swimming pool. Positioning the pool so to take advantage of the change in level from the court to the home enabled us to utilise the outside of the pool weir as the pool safety fence and provide a visual feature from the home.

The cabana is located between the swimming pool and the tennis court to act as a central entertainment hub. Surrounded by a large paved entertaining area with a wood fired pizza oven and barbecue for entertaining purposes, the cabana is set within lawn areas dotted with existing tall gum trees.

The style of the poolside cabana ensures that the overall project is in keeping with the home. The roof of the cabana has been designed with a hip that links to the roof of the residence and allows for very high ceilings and skylights that are great for airflow and to visually increase the size of the cabana. Similar brickwork of the residence has been matched and used extensively in cabana and external barbecue areas to further unify the spaces. 

A large wall mounted LCD television, intricate built-in cabinetry incorporating glass splashbacks, Caesar-stone benchtop, under-mounted sink, stainless steel fridge, dishwasher and bar and a fully furnished bathroom facility with shower, WC and basin were designed to ensure a fully self-contained space. Beneath the cabana we incorporated a completely equipped gym with running and rowing machines, free weights and benches plus a second shower.

A quality internal, external and in-pool sound system together with all electrical components such as lights, irrigation plus swimming pool heater, lights and swim jets are all linked to the cabanas and residence’s switching system.

The sparkling blue water of the understated glass tile used in the geometrically shaped swimming pool contrasts beautifully with the cross-cut half-filled caramel paving of the external entertaining areas and cabana floor have been selected to be sympathetic with the dappled and shaded greens of the gardens and lawns.

Wherever viable, numerous large gum trees were retained to take centre stage and be showcased in the acreage property.

The result of the work designed by A Total Concept Landscape Architects is a beautifully integrated lifestyle and entertaining complex for the owners of this property. 

Many companies present projects designed by A Total Concept on their websites as their own. When you have as much ability and experience as we do, we see it as a high form of flattery when less capable companies use our projects in this manner.

Our wholistic approach that extends to the home itself is the envy of many. Award winning A Total Concept creates beautiful spaces. We have 30+ years of experience & specialise in the design & integration of pools, gardens. cabanas, outdoor rooms & home alterations.

The Home: Originally was extended and opened out to the rear to create an integrated living area of kitchen, family and living areas by TW Architects. To the rear of the home, we designed to have a large timber deck entertaining area with barbecue and kitchenette facilities incorporated under a retractable roof allowing for all weather use linking both the home and outdoor areas.

The Front Space: Was redesigned in a style to compliment the residence. The dilapidated front wall was rebuilt using traditional brick and timber fencing, sandstone walling was installed to create a more level lawn area and enhance the presentation of the home to the street and a new tessellated pathway joined home to footpath.

The front gardens plant selection was chosen to reflect period planting and to complement the colour scheme of the house. This included several Plumeria rubra (Frangipanni), Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’ (salvia), Rosmarinius mauritanicus (rosemary), Viburnum odoratissimum (glossy viburnum), Erigeron karvinskianus (Mexican daisy), Buxus ‘japonica (Jananese box) and Gaura lindheimeri (Pink Butterfly Bush).

The Rear Space: Was designed by A Total Concept to incorporate a family swimming pool and swimming pool cabana. When viewed from the covered entertaining area, the tranquil feel of the outdoor space and the aural privacy provided by the hedging, fencing and rear stone feature wall creates an intimate setting where one feels far removed from the outside world.

Materials, colours and detailing were selected to create an aesthetic that draws to mind a peaceful water feature. This allows it to be enjoyed year-round as a beautiful component of the outdoor space. The pool, feature wall and water feature together create a strong focal point of the design. Alluring black glass tiles were used for the pool’s interior finish and contrast beautifully with the grey paving and random prismatic stone of the feature wall. A timber shower and timber sitting area at one end of the pool visually ties back to the timber deck, posts and fascia of the entertaining area at the rear of the home.

“The cabana was set adjacent to the pool at the rear of the property to visually maximise the lawn and garden,” says John Storch, director of A Total Concept. Inside the cabana a sitting area for lunching and supervising children in the pool is incorporated as well as a large flat screen TV for watching sports on the weekend. The cabana has been designed with a fully appointed bathroom for both cabana and pool users with all colours tying back to the home itself.

The rear gardens feature quick growing minimal maintenance plants including screen planting to boundaries including Ficus ‘Flash’ (hedging fig), Magnolia ‘Little Gem’ (little gem magnolia), Syzygium ‘Cascade’ (Cascading Lillypilly) and Trachelospermum jasminioides (star jasmine).

A Total Concept succeeded in redesigning this property to create a stunning family home in Haberfield. 

We craft striking, cost effective, functional spaces looking after all aspects for you, from consultations, selections & approvals to the total management of the construction. If you want to deal with a design practice that is a cut above the rest for a superior design solution, contact us, Australia wide.

Contemporary through to traditional, from small inner-city courtyards to large country estates A Total Concept Landscape architects and Swimming Pool Designers can help with any design project anywhere in Australia.

The outdoor spaces for this project were designed in a formal style that complements the residence. Numerous external rooms we developed on this +3000m2 property all linked with traditional plantings and traditional large blond sandstone throughout the project.

The front garden areas are developed with a circular through driveway designed in a formal style with header course brick border, period like exposed aggregate driveway and central water feature. The driveway sandstone piers and front sandstone wall incorporates traditional wrought iron fencing and automatic opening gates and intercom system.

To the rear and immediately adjacent to the home we located an elevated large paved entertaining area with barbecue facilities and broad steps leading down to visually link a formal lawn, swimming pool, pool cabana and tennis court.

The cabana opens immediately onto the stylish geometric swimming pool and holds all the necessary recreation features to service the swimming pool including kitchen, bathroom facilities, day bed and television and is a wonderful place to entertain or sit and supervise the children.

Behind the cabana is a large utility area incorporating filtration equipment, compost bins, a keeper’s cottage, onsite nursery, clothesline area and golf nets.

The pool has been designed with a deep middle and shallow ends for safety purposes and to be heated to spa temperatures and has seating bays adjacent to the steps with spa jets and blowers for relaxing and entertaining purposes.

This beautiful flowing formal swimming pool has translucent turquoise glass tiles. From the paved entertaining terrace adjacent to the house the views towards the swimming pool and tennis court are kept stunning and maximised with the use of a frameless glass pool fencing and retractable tennis court fencing. 

The swimming pool, tennis court and cabana are set within landscaped gardens brimming with an extensive palette of traditional hedging plants, borders, specimen trees, vines, shrubs and groundcovers all complemented with statuary that is uplit at night. The formal fescue lawn is left to grow through winter and early spring to allow the thousands of bulbs planted throughout the lawn to flower.

A formal French box garden with period water feature set immediately next to the formal dance hall and music room allows for nighttime garden strolling and sitting during dance events. This garden leads off to the rear of the property along a pathway with formal avenue tree planting past a formal reflective pond with surrounding seating. The central spaces within the box gardens allow for herbs and vegetables to be grown for the kitchen.

 On a property this large, maintenance is critical and can be costly. To ensure the plants viability we incorporated composting, heavy mulching and a water-wise fully automatic drip irrigation system linked to large water storage tanks.

The apparent flowing simplicity of design and discrete use of the best quality materials visually unifies the overall project adding immeasurable value to the property and showcases the design skills of A Total Concept Landscape Architects.

“We want to create an entertaining space incorporating a cabana, pool and gardens and upgrade the rear elevations of the home.”

The rear of the property looked onto a bushland reserve but had little privacy from adjacent neighbours, so we bounded the entire area with formal hedge to create a concealed space in which to work our magic.

The cabana is located to service the pool users and incorporates a secluded paved entertaining area for drying off, for relaxing and enjoying sports on a wall mounted LCD television.

The skillion roof of the cabana allows for very high ceilings to increase its visual size and provides for cooling fans, ceiling speakers and LED gimble lighting. Seasoned second hand bridge timbers were used in the construction of the cabana and upgrading of the home external elevation together with a sandstone patterned porcelain paving to poolside areas, cabana and the veranda of the home to create a seamless link between. 

The owners are great entertainers and love cooking. The elaborate cabana kitchen includes built-in cabinetry, mirrored splashbacks, Caesar-stone benchtop with waterfall sides, under-mounted sink, stainless steel fridges, dishwasher, eight burner barbecue and wok.

The poolside cabana is well lit with both concealed strip lighting and LED down lighting for functional purposes that together with energy efficient LED lights in the swimming pool, lawn and garden areas, creates mood effects with washes of light and dancing shadows.

A quality underwater sound system is linked and switched with all electrical components including garden lights, irrigation, swimming pool heater and lights with two ways switching to the cabana and residence.

The large pool steps and extensive underwater benches act as a safe haven for younger children and double as informal seats within the pool and with a heated spa provide the perfect warm place for parents to chat and their children to play, especially with the three pool waterspouts. 

The property provides sun most of the day and shelter from winds allowing the contemporary simplistic gardens containing a limited palette of Viburnum, Gardenias and Box to flourish. 

This overall project designed and project managed by A Total Concept, integrates the home, cabana, pool, lawn and gardens seamlessly together to create a stunning space that ensures the ambience of a holiday at home for family fun, entertaining and a private retreat for escaping the stresses of work at the end of the day.

This elegant Sydney lower north shore estate boasts exquisitely landscaped grounds 

Both federation home and garden of this estate property on Sydney’s Lower North Shore needed extensive renovations. Our commission involved working as a team with a leading architectural practice who was redesigning the home of this property. The owners wanted a new swimming pool, tennis court and courtyards, all set within traditional lawns and gardens – a task entrusted to A Total Concept.

The external areas were very dilapidated and had several large trees that we were able to retain, otherwise we started the project from scratch. We designed and integrated the pool, court, formal lawn, informal lawn, timber entertaining decks, entry pathway and drive with the architect-designed residence.

The main external area consisting of pool, entertaining area and lawn tennis court and is used for entertaining friends and business associates – also for exercising. The traditional style gardens and use of traditional materials ensures that the overall project is in keeping with the federation home.

Lighting is key to the success of this project. The tennis court is lit with spotlights for night-time play, which, together with pool lights and energy efficient LED lighting in garden areas and formal lighting to the front entry, creates a mix of functional lighting and mood effects with washes of light and dancing shadows.

The sparkling water of the pool, its interior surface finished in blue Italian glass tiles, contrasts beautifully with the surrounding select grade white sandstone paving. 

The formal lawn areas create a soft transition from the residence to the tennis court and pool. Children play football, cricket or hide and seek on the informal lawn linked to the formal lawn by circular feature steps. 

Traditional garden plants suitable for the Australian environment have been used throughout to develop a series of outdoor rooms all formal in nature. The main entry lawns and gardens includes Camellia sasanqua ‘Shishigashira’ (bright sasanqua), espaliers of Camellia japonica ‘Tiny Princess’ (dwarf soft pink sasanqua), Camellia sasanqua ‘Little Lianne’ (dwarf white sasanqua), Buxus ‘japonica’ (Japanese Box), Agapanthus ‘Blue Peter’ (blue nile lily), Lavenda dentata (Lavender) plus Ophiopogon ‘mimina’ (minature mondo grass), Magnolia ‘Exmouth’ (small tree magnolia)

The formal lawn area includes Gardenia florida (florists gardenia), Buxus sempervirens (English Box), Michelia figo (port wine magnolia standards), Cupressus torulosa (Italian cypress), Cerastium tomentosum (Snow in summer), Clivea miniate and Malus ‘Ioensis Plena’.

A Total Concept is an established, award-winning practice specialising in the design of beautiful, functional and seamlessly integrated pools, gardens and cabanas. Domestic projects include simple family homes through to elaborate residential estate properties. 

A Total Concept Landscape was commissioned to work on the external areas of this stunning property that includes two very separate areas.

The northern ocean side space includes a swimming pool and entertaining area located to take advantage of the beach views 

A second more secluded summer entertaining area located to the rear of the property to take advantage of the cooling shade and hide from the predominant strong north easterly winds. 

The location of the secluded entertaining area is set next to the indoor gym, with a strong visual link to the pool at the opposite side of the home. This space is surrounded by hardy coastal native plantings. Designed as a broad sunken area incorporating hardwood timber palisade walls that act as informal seating and matching hardwood timber decking and stairs, developed for the family’s entertaining out of the sun in summer and with a fire-pit for nighttime use.

Wide timber steps are well lit with concealed strip lighting at night and lead down from the lawn areas and garage to provide overflow seating and are visually connected with the outdoor room by continued use of hardwood timber decking.

The existing swimming pool located at the front of the property was demolished and a new more formal shaped pool with infinity edge was designed and built in its place to tie in with the contemporary home. This space included a large entertaining area surrounded by simplistic style garden areas that together with similar toned paving materials utilised inside the home ensure that new and old spaces are well integrated. The intent of the design is to create an easy flow between the home to the outdoor areas, front and back, with clean lined understated design, so as not to detract from the main feature, that being the views of Manly and Shelly Beaches.

The swimming pool is lit with energy efficient LED lighting to create mood effects with washes of coloured light and dancing shadows achieving a strong visual feature at nighttime when the beaches become a muted feature. All electrical items of the project such as garden lights, irrigation, swimming pool heater and lights are all linked and controlled by the home’s smart switching system.

The sparkling water of the dappled blue glass tiles used in the geometrically shaped swimming pool contrast beautifully with the soft greys of the limestone used in the entertaining area and the grey foliage of coastal plants.

The gardens contain an eclectic selection of native and exotic coastal plant species including the many shades of grey of bromeliads, string of pearls, silver falls, Senecio ‘Chalk Sticks’, Carpobrotus glaucescens, Yucca elephantipes variegata ‘Silver Spears’, Crassula ovata 'Blue Bird', Senecio serpens, Kalanchoe thrysiflora, Rhaphiolepis 'Snow Maiden'. 
The visual simplicity of design and subtle use of quality materials unifies the internal and external spacers of the project to provide ‘Two for One’. The end is a beautifully integrated lifestyle and entertaining complex for the owners of this property. 

The second project for the same clients.

Our clients return to us again and again. This property is the second home we have developed for these clients. They have since sold this property, purchased within the same street, have designed the third property which is currently under construction and we are now designing the sisters’ property.

Both the home and external areas of this project required major redesign and renovation work. The external areas were totally overgrown and had no structural fabric which effectively gave us free reign to design grand entry stairs through terraced gardens and a large lawn area with perimeter plantings to the front garden. An upper terrace area, together with a rear garden with entertaining area, a fire pit, swimming pool and spa that both viewed across Sydney Harbour towards Rose Bay, Double Bay and beyond to the city skyline.
The entry stairs fall over 3.5 metres and to integrate street level with lawn level have been constructed over are over 2.2 metres wide with generous landings through sandstone terraced gardens with colourful avenue plantings of Japanese Maple and Japanese Coral Bark Maple underplanted with Acanthus mollis (Oyster plant), Plectranthus argentatus (Silver shield), Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snowflake’ (hydrangea), Mandevilla sanderi (Mandavillea), Camellia japonica 'Black Magic' (deep red camellia), Buxus japonica ‘Topiary Balls’, Parthenocissus tricuspidate (Boston Ivy), Cymbidium Sweet devon 'Honey Bunny' (sweety orchid), Pieris japonica 'Mountain Fire (Pieris), Dietes iridioides (flag), Viola odorata (English violets) and Beaumontia grandiflora (Heralds trumpet). These terraced gardens lead to a large lawn area with perimeter screen plantings of Magnolia x alba (White magnolia) underplanted with Trachelospermum asiaticum (Asian jasmine). 
To the rear of the property, the existing topography dropped from the two adjoining properties over 5 metres to create a ravine through the centre of our property. This required us to raise the swimming pool and spa out of ground by over 5 metres to achieve the same level to the paved entertaining area adjacent to the home itself. A challenge to gain an approval because council planning codes stipulated a maximum 1.5 metres above natural ground.
Our brief for the rear area was for a plunge pool and a large firepit with seating around to take advantage of the nighttime lights of the city skyline and the views from the pool across Sydney Harbour. Both the pool and firepit area were designed around semi circles to reflect the large circular bay in the home and the circular shape of Mosman Bay. From the pool we stepped down to the rear boundary in one metre increments with terraced gardens to hide the undercroft of the pool.
Traditional garden plants were used in this area to develop a theme suitable for the home and trees including Plumeria rubra (frangipanni) and Buckinghamia celsissima (Ivory Curl Tree) were kept to a minimum to ensure views were not compromised from the home nor neighbours’ properties.

The third project for the same clients.

Many of our clients return to us for our expertise again and again as they change properties as their families grow. Some return as they downsize as children leave home.

Each property that we have designed for these clients was different and had very different requirements. The first was a semi-detached home for a young family, the second a large suburban acreage implacably detailed with entertaining a teenage family in mind and ther third property was for themselves, downsizing empty nesters, with possible grandchildren one day.

This is the downsized home project! 

The relaxed vibe of this Mosman rear garden retreat was created to include extending the kitchen and family areas towards the rear, removal of internal walls to amalgamate and enlarge the living areas of the home, opening the home up at the back to integrate the inside and out of this Sydney property. 

The home was addressed first by infilling a superfluous niche to gain an over a metre in depth across the back of the home, extending the kitchen, dining and lounge rooms. We engaged with a consultant to redesign the kitchen, widened the opening and installed contemporary folding steel and glass doors to visually update the façade and provide a better integration between inside and out.

As an extension to the home, we increased the size of the elevated entertaining area towards the swimming pool and replaced the pool fence at a lower position to minimise the visual impact. We added a floating barbecue with a retractable weatherproof pergola style structure over with heating and sound systems to increase usability of the area and repaved all in a clean contemporary porcelain tile.

To enable the elevated entertaining area to be increased in size, we infilled the pool’s swim out (which had the added benefit of creating a nice geometric shape) and installed new steps and a long bench within the pool for access and safety for grandchildren. In addition, we created a poolside entertaining area to the rear of the pool and retiled the pool’s interior with a contemporary black pearlescent tile. The same paving material used on the upper entertaining area was used poolside to further create unity.

We raised the rear lawn area by over a metre to better integrate it with the rest of the property so that grandchildren could be viewed easily from the home. This enabled a garden shed to be installed and concealed to the rear of the lawn.

The rear spaces had little privacy from neighbours, so we bounded the entire area with tall planting integrating and pruned the existing unruly Murraya hedge. This has created a concealed garden and achieved a stunning outlook from the kitchen and living areas of the home, day and night.

The rear aspect of the property provides a mix of sun and shade which allowed for a complex palette of planting including Trachelospermum, Salvia, Quandong, Gardenias, Iris, Clivea, Hippeastrum and Convolvulus to flourish. 

The design for the front of the property was simple, all about presentation to the street, creating a stunning entry path, fence, gate and an enviable visually soft garden with lots of colour and contrasting plant foliage. we removed the 1980’s terracotta tile on the veranda and brick pathway and replaced them with shot sawn sandstone, a more traditional finish in keeping with the style of home. Sliding screens were designed for the entry veranda to provide the right balance of privacy and sunlight. 

At nighttime the rear areas and front path are well lit with LED lighting for both aesthetic and functional purposes which together with energy efficient LED lights in the swimming pool creates mood effects with washes of light and dancing shadows.

A Total Concept Landscape Architects & Pool Designers designed, gained approval for, specified and project managed this project that integrates the home and external areas seamlessly to create a stunning entertaining and a private retreat for the owners of this property.

You are doing something right when you are asked back four times for ongoing development on a client’s property and to also work on their investment properties.

Our first introduction to them was to provide a traditional planting plan for the front of the property incorporating a driveway, gates, front fence and pedestrian walkway together with an atrium area between the traditional home and its newly designed extension.

Second time around we developed the timber entertaining deck and swimming pool to the rear of the property.

The unconventionally shaped pool is a focal point of the design. Alluring glass tiles were used for the pool’s interior finish and contrast beautifully with the blond sandstone used for the pool coping and through pool stepping-stone walkway. Unlike generic stepping-stone walkways, each stone was individually cut to a radial contour, reflecting the unusual shape of the end of the pool.

The elevated timber deck is attached to the home with BBQ facilities and a servery to the kitchen. Broad timber stairs led downwards to a sandstone landing and then to a large lawn area. A filter room was excavated out beneath the timber deck and is accessible by hydraulic controlled lifting steps. An existing feature of the back garden area was an existing Canary Island Date Palm which provided privacy to the pool area.

“The third time we were invited back was to develop a double garage and cabana above. The cabana was set adjacent to the pool at the rear of the property to visually maximise the lawn and garden,” says John Storch, director of A Total Concept. “This, in turn, allowed us to take advantage of the level changes on the grounds and use the underside of the cabana as an extensive workshop and double-car garage with rear lane access.” As the family aged, the cabana was used for sleepovers, a study, a cabana for entertaining, a bedroom for their son and lastly for guest accommodation.

The cabana has a fully appointed kitchen and bathroom, a floating timber floor to visually tie back to the timber entertaining deck and incorporates architectural features to integrate with the design of the home.

The fourth time we were involved on this project was to replace the decking timbers and take the opportunity to remodel and enlarge the timber entertaining deck and install a 35,000-litre water tank beneath the lawn area. A large retractable awning and a wood burning fireplace was constructed in conjunction with the remodelling which together with new outdoor lounges, seating and daybeds selected by us creates an adults’ entertaining area. 
The gardens, redesigned and replanted to provide a more tropical feel, now include mature bamboo, bromeliads, Moses in the Cradle, string of pearls, cycads, temple blood grass, frangipannis, lillypillies and kentia palms. A mix of heady perfumed flowers adds a splash of colour at various times throughout the year.

Recently the owners sold this property, downscaled and purchased a coastal property near Nowra which we have been asked to help with.

Secluded from the street this spectacular waterfront family home holds a wide harbour frontage and direct access to the turquoise blue waters of Chinamans Beach. Privately positioned from its neighbours, this class estate graces 1473sqm, of award-winning designed gardens cascading down to a very rare, private lawn and patio sitting on the tranquil shores of Middle Harbour.

When we first looked at this estate, we knew it had amazing potential. The first home was built in the early 1900’s with the current home constructed around 1970 and ready to receive an extensive upgrade when we viewed the site. The home and existing small boatshed dictated connections for linkage points in the landscape, otherwise the grounds had not been attended to since the first home was built on this northerly aspect block.

We commenced conceptual design work for the external areas in conjunction with a leading architect who was redeveloping the home. This property on a secluded street with only three other homes (two of which we have designed the external spaces for). The large automatic vehicular and pedestrian entry gates have security cameras, fingerprint scanners linked to full home automation. Once inside you are greeted with mature large (Brachychiton rupestris) bottle trees and cross a basaltic stepping stone pathway across an opalescent coloured tiled pond with to the front door. We designed an infloor swimming pool cleaning system to ensure the pond was self-cleaning.

This property includes a large water tank, fully automatic irrigation system, outdoor heating and garden lighting throughout, all designed by A Total Concept.

A fully equipped gymnasium with kitchenette was designed for the lowest level of the home and our brief was to allow the gym to open directly onto the poolside entertaining area and pool. This allowed for the sublime views to Chinamans Beach and across to Clontarf to be captured from the poolside area and gym.

The style and shape of the pool and paved surrounds were designed by A Total Concept to be concentric to the shape of the gym with the large format 1500 x 900mm travertine individually cut and radiating outward so that when leaning against the pools infinity edge or viewing from the gym across the paving flush water lone is taken by the outlook with the sweeping harbour vistas instilling a sense of seamless extension from the home. 

The translucent blue glass tiles within the pool cause the water to shimmer and sparkle and complement the nearby harbour waters. These tiles also contrast beautifully with the surrounding blond travertine paving which harmonises with terraced sandstone walls and natural adjacent sandstone outcrops. The stainless-steel wire terrace balustrading and shower together with the bow-like shape of the pool reinforce the nautical feel of the site and its location.

We designed sandstone flagging pathways winding between terraced rock faced sandstone walls and natural rock outcrops linking downwards to the Boatshed and a very rare, private lawn and paved entertaining area developed by us sitting on the tranquil shores of Middle Harbour. We obtained approval to substantially increase the size of the working boatshed (a feat in itself) including a matriculating toilet, electronic security doors, bunks and slipway. 
The harbourside paved entertaining area was developed on land reclaimed by us that was tidal and had high salinity complications. We resolved these issues by raising garden soil areas above mean high tide level, constructing a raised sea wall to protect the area from boat wake waves and designed a self-draining and flushing system to the gardens to minimise salinity.
The harbourside paved entertaining area is developed against the backdrop of a large stunning natural outcrop that is uplit at night and is surrounded by mature tropical plantings of kentia palms, pandanus, and frangipanis that were delivered to the property by helicopter and barge. The tropical plantings are underplanted with Convolvulus mauritanicus (dwarf morning glory), philodendron Xanadu (philodendron), New Guinea impatiens, Monsteria deliciosa (fruit salad plant), Dracaena trifasciata (mother in laws tongue), Phoenix roebelenii (Dwarf Date Palm).
The gardens along sandstone flagging pathways, include plantings of Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’ (banksia). Buxus japonica (Japanese box), Osteospermum sp. (African daisys), Beschorneria yuccoides (Mexican Lily), Anigozanthos sp. (kangaroo paw), Alternanthera Dentata ‘Little Ruby™’ (Alternanthera) and Rhagodia Aussie Flat Bush (saltbush). The rock outcrops are support naturalised Adianthum sp. (maidenhair fern) and several Dendrobium sp. (Rock orchid).

The properties privacy from the street linked with secretive short stroll access to Rosherville Reserve & Chinamans Beach creates a secluded property. The flowing sympathetic design and discrete use of the best quality materials by A Total Concept creates a superior project. 

A well-considered design has given this quality property a new lease on life.

New or refurbishment, A Total Concept Landscape Architects can help with any design project anywhere in Australia.

We look at a property as “a total concept”, which is just what we did when redesigning this Sydney Harbour property. We created a contemporary cabana, swimming pool and gardens incorporating several thematic courtyards. In the process, we maximised the potential of this quality home.

Of the pool redesign, John says: “We removed the semi-circles at either end and increased the length of the pool to provide a more contemporary, clean lined design to better suit the home and to provide a longer pool for exercise purposes.”

We developed a spacious pool cabana and games room to the lower level of the home together with a wide, attached paved entertaining area which flows up to the swimming pool and a new elevated timber deck with barbecue and kitchenette facilities for entertaining purposes.

All furniture including daybeds, lounges, tables and chairs and soft furnishings were also selected by A Total Concept.

The existing pool lining was replaced with stunning cobalt blue Italian glass mosaic interior tiles to contrast with the blond travertine paving used throughout the property, the lush green of the lawn, the formally hedged gardens and the richly coloured timber deck to create a breathtaking effect. 

The gardens were extensively replanted and redesigned to incorporate a level lawn area for the owners’ children.  These gorgeous gardens include formal hedge plantings of Japanese box (Buxus microphylla var. japonica), port wine magnolia (Michelia figo), lilly pilly (Syzygium paniculatum ‘Elite’), star gardenia (Gardenia grandiflora ‘Star’) and border plantings of snow-in-summer (Cerastium tomentosum), clivia (Clivia miniata) and begonia (Begonia semperflorens).

The front of the property had a utility courtyard used for bins and storage that was highly visible from the front entry bridge, so we repurposed it as a feature courtyard incorporating an eye-catching water feature, topiary plantings and pattens made by travertine stepping stones interspersed with miniature mondo grass. The carport was repaved in a shot blasted basalt and the entry path repaved using travertine to visually delineate the two. 

We developed a tool and binstore cupboard adjacent to the carport and provided security to both the carport and pedestrian entry bridge with the inclusion of a front boundary fence painted and rendered to tie back to the home and with the implementation of a steel panel-lift garage door, fence and steel entry gate with intercom video system.

A Total Concept has succeeded in creating a beautiful environment for the owners of this home that reflects the practice’s philosophy of “a total concept” and adds immeasurably to the amenity and value of the property.

The owners of this recently renovated family home engaged us to address the external spaces.

The owners wanted a safe swimming pool and lawn area for their young children and the front of the property to be designed in a traditional manner in keeping with the architecture of the home.  

On the initial consultation we saw a further opportunity!

The house had no real space for an entertaining area at the rear but did have a large setback from the north side boundary with a large window viewing onto this location. By replacing the windows with period style concertinaed doors and incorporating a retractable shade structure we could create a side entertaining courtyard which was well integrated with the rear garden of the home. With the introduction of a built-in barbecue, benches and daybeds it would be an ideal area for adult entertaining and supervising children playing on the adjacent lawn area.

We provided privacy with the inclusion of a 2-metre-high dressed timber lapped and capped fence and hedge planting of Syzygium ‘cascade’ (cascading lillypilly).

The main pedestrian entrance to the property was set on two levels and mostly paved. We removed the paving, developed one level to incorporate a lawn area with period planting around and a traditional sandstone pathway central to the opening of the residence bisected with secondary paths leading to the sides of the home. We designed a period style timber fence and entry gate. 

The rear garden area was designed as a large level lawn that wrapped around the home to link to the entertainment area.

The garage of the home protruded into the original rear lawn area creating a large niche at an upper level. We dropped this level to relate to the lawn and designed the swimming pool into this area. The levels change was resolved with the inclusion of a feature stone wall at the back of the swimming pool with traditional waterspouts along its length.

The sparkling water of the pool, with blue waterline tiles and a blue marble interior finish contrasts beautifully with the surrounding select grade white sandstone paving with a sunning area and shower at one end. Privacy has been created by Cupressocyparis Leighton Green (green cypress) and completes the creation a traditional home.

Not all cabanas need be adjacent to pools! 

A Total Concept Landscape Architects was commissioned to incorporate a cabana on this North Shore Sydney property for relaxing and socialising for the owners, their children and friends. 

This cabana was set separate and elevated from the pool to take advantage of magnificent district views and to the rear of the property to visually maximise the lawn and garden between the Residence and outdoor room. 

The cabana doubles as a study and a game and sleepover room for children, far enough away so that music and electronic games are not heard in the home but still close enough for parents to know that their teenagers are safe. The Cabana has a very private large timber entertaining deck set within native garden areas which were also designed by A Total Concept.

It was decided to design the cabana in a contemporary Australian style to create a contrast from the 1950’s home and is peppered with minor features such as the 900 x 900 sandstone stepping stones, polished concrete floor and automatic operated windows. The roof of the cabana has been designed with iron sheeting and the raked timber ceilings link to the existing roof of the residence allowing for a very high space that is great for airflow and visually increases the size of the cabana. A well-equipped work shed and separate bathroom have also been incorporated into the design.

A large wall mounted LCD television, built-in cabinetry (to hide the Play Station), large comfortable lounge and pool table were integrated to ensure family fun is well catered for. Ceiling fans and radiant heaters have been used to keep the children comfortable in all weather.

The surrounding gardens contain Australian native plant species, some of which include Grass Trees, spiky rush, Spider Lily, Ti-Tree, Dianella, Coastal Rosemary, Gymea Lily, Bush Orchids and King Orchids together with some old favourites like Lavender and Frangipani. The gardens also provide a mix of heady perfumed flowers together with designated vegetable gardens to add interest to the project.

This cabana has created a beautifully relaxed lifestyle and entertaining complex for the owners of this property. 

We were engaged by the owners of this property to design then manage the integrated pool, boatshed, gardens and outdoor living areas.

We designed, obtained building approval, provided detailed specifications for all aspects of the project, recommended and organised the contractors. We then undertook the management of the construction of the project for our clients.’

This small space belies the complexity of the construction of the project. Being a waterfront, the homes only access was by inclinator or water. Excavation work was by hand and by use of a small machine delivered by barge. Over 60m3 of spoil, including an old pool that was hidden under the ground, was excavated. Due to site constraint, there was no room for stockpiling fill materials allowing room for construction so spoil was removed by barge and once all structures were built, 30m3 of fill was then bought back by barge to backfill spaces. 

The swimming pool has been constructed without any internal curves and the concrete was poured rather than sprayed, in a manner not usual for Pool Builders. We specified this to allow installation of large 1200 x 600 mm format interior tiles for the swimming pool to provide a very different look. The tiles are a dark grey product with a black epoxy grout and were selected to change from black to blue to green to grey to mirror the colours and moods of the sky and nearby Pittwater depending upon the prevalent weather conditions. 

The surrounding paving is a complementary ash coloured large 1200 x 600 mm format stone that is used on and sets off the contemporary shapes of the swimming pool, entertaining area, poolside paved area, inbuilt lounges and fire pit immediately adjacent to the renovated boatshed. Glass fencing has been kept to a minimum to not obstruct the water views by the creative design of a moat between the pool and elevated home and attached entertaining area.

The extensive faux infinity edge of the heated swimming pool provides the perfect place for leaning against to daydream while looking towards Lion Island. The surrounding partially shaded poolside entertaining area features inbuilt lounges, gas flame torches and a gas fire pit. 

A second entertaining area is located immediately adjacent to the home, designed for evening family meals and as an elevated area for adults to get away from teenage children that entertain in the poolside area in summer and around the fire pit in winter.

The gardens are planted with numerous water-wise native and succulent plants, the shapes, textures and grey colours all contrast and soften the sharp angles of the contemporary design and act as an attractive backdrop to the swimming pool. 

Together the outdoor living areas, pool and gardens make a bold design statement that showcase the stylish contemporary home to create A TOTAL CONCEPT.
 

On this Palm Beach property, a leading Sydney architect, Sue Connor entrusted A Total Concept to design the external oceanside areas of the home of her client.

Whilst Sue concentrated on a major renovation for the home, we created an external space for the owners incorporating everything a family could want for day to day living and weekend socialising.

The ocean views of the property would always be the main feature. We designed a complimentary understated pool, undercover entertaining area and lawn ensuring new work did not detract from the main feature.

The covered entertaining area is located to service the pool users of the family and incorporates a paved area for drying off after a swim. A solid timber wall faces the northern side of the property to block predominant northeasterly winds through summer and doubles for grounding integrated timber daybeds that double for seating around the large family table. The daybeds also conceal storage beneath for pool toys and large in pool benches and a paved area on the house side of the pool allows for lying around viewing oceanward over the infinity edge of the pool.

The project has been designed in a style with simple clean lines to totally integrate the home with the pool, shade structure, lawn and gardens. The roof of the poolside covered area has been designed flat to visually minimise intrusion on the view from the home. Painted rendered masonry of the residence is replicated in the elevated planters around the pool that ensures adequate soil depth for gardens to flourish. Blond sandstone paving has been used in cabana, pool and stepping stones through the lawn area to create a seamless link between the home and pool. 

At nighttime the pool, lawn, gardens and covered entertaining area are well lit with lighting for both aesthetic and functional purposes which creates mood effects with swaying shadows for when the ocean becomes invisible.

Heated spa jets incorporated in the backrest of the pool seats provide the perfect warm place for parents and their children to chat. The underwater bench also acts as a haven for younger children to play within the pool. 

The aspect of the property provides sun most of the day allowing the contemporary simplistic gardens containing a limited palette of salt tolerant Strelitzia juncea (pointed bird of paradise), Westringia ‘Jervis Bay’ (Coastal Rosemary), Leucophyta brownii (cushion bush) and Convolvulus mauritanicus (dwarf morning glory) to flourish. 

A Total Concept has succeeded in creating a beautiful environment for the owners of this abode that reflects the practice’s philosophy of “A Total Concept” and adds immeasurably to the lifestyle amenity and value of the property.

Homeowners are increasingly looking for professional assistance to look after their entire external project.

A Total Concept Landscape Architects provides a total service and are flexible in the extent of the service that they provide, being willing to help as much or as little as their clients want. 

We were engaged by the owners of this property to jointly design then manage the pool renovation, entertaining deck and garden areas in conjunction with Action Plans who were addressing renovations of the home.

We undertook the designs, provided construction documentation including material selections, recommended and organised the pool and landscape contractors who undertook the complex renovation required for the external areas.

The external pool edge was cut off and a balance tank poured together with reconfiguration of the internal pool layout to construct a large swimout area which together with the extensive wet edge provides perfect places for leaning or sitting to daydream outwardly over Pittwater. 

The pools perimeter garden areas were created in conjunction with higher fences to screen the poolside neighbours.

The paved poolside entertaining areas were extended and paved in a sandstone paving and the interior of the pool was tiled in Italian mottled blue and black tiles with a gold fleck that mirrors the colours and moods of the sky and nearby waters of Pittwater depending upon the prevalent weather conditions. The tiles also reflect the surrounding trees and house lights at night. Together the pool and gardens make a bold design statement that showcase the stylish newly renovated home and views.

A large permanent shade structure was designed for over an existing upper timber entertaining deck that was reconfigured and paved in sandstone to include an extensive kitchenette with stainless steel drinks fridge, barbecue, wok burner, sink and tap. The splashback has been designed using the same tiles as the pool’s interior to better integrate the two areas.

The shade structure in conjunction with the kitchenette and existing hedge adequately screen the adjacent neighbours.

The gardens are mass planted with numerous exotic shrubs and native palms creating a very low maintenance garden which when mature will create a tropical feel. 

Colours, textures and shapes all go together to integrate the contemporary style residence, pool facilities and entertaining areas to create A Total Renovation.

A miner’s cottage in Pymble required an understated design and soft touch for its upgrade to incorporate clean traditional lines and detailing.

The main pedestrian entrance doubled as the driveway so to keep it visually soft and yet functional it was decided to pave using an organic material – sandstone flagging and to embrace the informality afforded by its use. Immediately adjacent to the home dressed sandstone was used to create shallow steps formalised by period pots set either side of the path.

Gardens we installed featuring simple planting of white azaleas and white gardenias with an alyssum border and azalea ‘White Bouquet’ topiaries.

The home had both an east facing rear garden with elevated timber deck and a north facing side garden where the pool was located to take advantage of the day long sun available. An elevated side veranda can be utilised for adult supervision of children and for shade and glass fencing green steel fencing to ensure a minimal visual barrier.

A simple geometric pool was renovated to include a simple black border tile (to match highlights on the home) and a white glass and pebble interior to soften its overall appearance rather than use a strong colour that would make the pool a bold statement. A dated ladder was removed and steps and a long bench installed internally.

Privacy to the pool was created from the neighbouring property using a simple vertical screen covered in Trachelospermum jasminiodes (star jasmine). This in turn provided a ‘soft’ screen with a backdrop of viburnum, large native trees and a blue flowering Jacaranda.

To the eastern end of the pool, and adjacent to the existing rear garden’s timber deck, a smaller matching timber deck was designed incorporating a large day bed (with pool toy storage under) for use with the swimming pool. The decision was made to use timber and utilise sandstone around the pool as paving better integrates the old and new components of the property.

Poolside gardens include Buxus japonica (Japanese Box) low pruned hedges to frame the garden with Gardenia florida (florists gardenia), Ophiopogan japonicum ‘miniata’ (miniature mondo grass), Agapanthus orientalis ‘alba’ (White Nile Lily) and Trachelospermum jasminiodes (star jasmine) - all white flowering plants to create an understated space!
The simplicity of design and colours of this project and discrete use of the quality materials visually unifies and creates and understated garden in harmony with the simple clean lines of the traditional home.

The home needed nothing, but the external spaces had not been touched in a long time and required upgrading.

The rear external areas of this property had been terraced to create vegetable gardens using sandstone blocks to create the retaining walls. Great for vegetables but not suitable for the new owner’s young family.

much of the original material which effectively gave us free reign to do as we pleased as the clients knew our work from their previous project and trusted our judgement. 

There were to be three distinct areas to be designed and developed, the side area which bordered onto a main road with little privacy, the second area was the main entrance and driveway to the property and the third being the rear garden areas.

The side area which bordered onto a main road, and we created the desired privacy with the inclusion of a 2-metre-high dressed timber lapped and capped fence and supplementary hedge planting. Sandstone blocks removed from the terraced vegetable gardens and dilapidated driveway were utilised together with a period brick border to create a reflective court. We truncated the length of the space as it appeared disproportionally long by creating a traditionally fenced utility area and at the other end wrapping the rear lawn area around the home.

 The reflective court was surrounded by traditional plantings of Buxus japonica (Japanese box), Magnolia 'Little Gem' (Gem Magnolia) and Buxus sempervirens (English box), Salvia 'Mystic Spires' (Mystic Salvia), Salvia Pink Spires' (Pink Salvia), Clivea miniata (Clivea), Gardenia florida (Florists Gardenia), Cupressus ‘skyrocket nana’ (Dwarf Cupressus) and numerous topiaries.

The main pedestrian entrance to the property was originally via the driveway. We separated the two areas, removed the dilapidated sandstone block driveway and reinstated it with a recessive concrete paved area. The pedestrian path we redirected to the street designed a period fence and gated entry and created distance between the two areas with sculptural planting and pebble much. We reinstated a traditional balustrade to the perimeter of the front veranda to further delineate the two areas and utilised the sandstone recovered from the driveway as paving in the reflective court.

We continued the traditional white pebbled mulch to the front of the residence to connect to the traditionally fenced utility area.

The rear garden area had been designed as terraced vegetable gardens using sandstone blocks as the retaining walls. We removed the sandstone for later use and created a level lawn that wrapped around the home to link to the reflective court with the use of wide generous steps.

We stepped the other end of the lawn area at a strategic position along the line of a studio apartment using stockpiled sandstone blocks. This had the effect of reducing the length which in turn visually extended the width of the lawn. A secondary lawn area was developed at a level to relate to the studio apartment.

The external areas upgraded according to designs prepared by A Total Concept helped create a suburb record sale when recently marketed.

A Total Concept Landscape Architects was commissioned to design swimming pool, pool cabana, covered outdoor entertaining room and gardens for this lower north shore Sydney property for the owners, a family of four. 

The location of the cabana was set adjacent to the swimming pool to the rear of the property to visually maximise the lawn and garden and to allow views from the cabana backward towards the home and covered outdoor entertaining room. This in turn took advantage of the level changes across the property to develop an elevated lawn area adjacent to the residence to create transitional zones between the home and rear spaces, adding interest to the design.

An existing covered entertaining area previously built by our client was too small for entertaining purposes. Our client decided to ‘bite the bullet’ and rebuild both the entertaining area and the roofed covering with more substantial dimensions and generous steps leading to the lawn to create a more usable area.

The cabana is located adjacent to the pool to service the swimmers of the family and allow parents to closely supervise their children. It is designed so that as the children get older it can double as a rumpus and sleepover room for children far enough away so that music and electronic games are not heard in the main home but still close enough for parents to keep a watchful eye on teenagers. 

The cabana has feature mirrored wing walls to either side that hides a utility area on one side and a pool filter and storage area on the other. Wisteria sinensis (Wisteria) is draped around the feature mirrors that reflect the blue of the pool and the greens of the gardens to integrate and seat the height of the cabana into the garden.

The traditional style and colours of the poolside cabana and outdoor entertaining area tie back to the design of the home to ensure that the overall project is in keeping with the residence. The skillion roof of the outdoor entertaining room and poolside cabana have been designed with skylights and a high ceiling, great for light, airflow and to visually increase the size of each. 

The outdoor entertaining room incorporates a large kitchen allowing for large extended family entertaining during festive seasons. The built-in cabinetry incorporating Caesar-stone benchtop, under-mounted sink, stainless steel fridge, dishwasher and barbecue were all designed together with adjustable louvred windows to allow light into the outdoor entertaining room and to create privacy to the adjoining property.

The water of the understated geometrically shaped swimming pool contrasts beautifully with the surrounding blond limestone paving, the timber floors, gardens and lawns. The outdoor entertaining room flows seamlessly out from the matching timber flooring of the home through large generous door openings. 

The surrounding gardens include formal hedges of Syzygium ‘Cascade’ (Lilly Pilly), Buxus sempervirens (English box), Agapanthus orientalis ‘Blue’ (blue agapanthus), Cerastium tomentosum (snow-insummer), Gardenia ‘Florida’ (Florists Gardenia), Clivea miniata (Clivea), Magnolia ‘Little Gem’ (Rusty Magnolia) and potted Fortunella hindsi (Hong Kong kumquat) together with formal tree planting of Magnolia ‘Exmouth’ (Magnolia) provides a mix of perfumed flowers at various times of the year to add interest to the project.

The visual simplicity of design unifies the project and sets the components well into the surrounding landscaped gardens to create ‘Two Rooms for One’.

This contemporary, simplistic space flows seamlessly from the indoors out, to create a large, cohesive entertaining area

Wanting to transform the unused side garden of their stylish St.Ives home into an outdoor entertaining area, the homeowners provided a brief which was used to create for them a design both as practical as it is beautiful.

Integrating the pool area, covered entertaining area and garden space with the newly painted and renovated home maximised the relationship between the indoor living and dining area and the outdoor courtyard, offering the owners a more cohesive integration and a more efficient use of the limited space.

The kitchen and living areas now open onto entertaining area. Combining the two spaces, inside and out by utilising the same flooring materials, had the effect of doubling the available space for entertaining which together with a solid roof allowing for use in all weather conditions.

The black waterline tiles together with a midnight-coloured interior of the swimming pool creates a visual feature daytime and night with ambient lighting spilling outward from the home itself and internal pool lights.

The clear frameless glass pool fence further helps to visually integrate all areas.

A large entertaining nook that was developed inside the pool for a haven for the family’s young children and for adults to sit and chat in a heated section of the pool adds to the overall functionality of the space. 

We were introduced to the owners of this project by an architect who was commissioned for a total refurbishment of the stately home and gardens but recognised our skill with this style of project and thought it beneficial to get us involved early in the process. 

The outdoor spaces for this formal project were designed in a simplistic formal style that complements the beautiful heritage residence using only quality materials. 

Immediately adjacent to the home we located an elevated covered travertine paved entertaining terrace with barbecue facilities with steps broad leading to link formal lawns and swimming pool.

We renovated the shape of the swimming pool removing dated step extensions and rounded corners to create a formal rectangular shape more in keeping with the home and specified translucent turquoise glass tiles that cause the water to shimmer and sparkle. The pool has been designed to include a long seating bench for relaxation purposes and is long enough to swim laps.

The views towards the swimming pool from the elevated entertaining terrace are maximised with the use of a frameless glass fencing and incorporate sandstone capped rendered masonry walls to give a more traditional appearance and to tie back to the foundations of the home itself. 

The main lawn areas terminate in a period cabana which acts as a strong focal point to the lawns. The swimming pool and lawns are set within extensive landscaped gardens brimming with a traditional palette of border and hedging plants that do not detract from the main features of the home itself. 

Arbours and the Cabana have wire trellises covered in flowering vines which delineate each lawn within the garden areas and an existing red bougainvillea was retained and trained onto the rear facade of the home to provide reflection across the swimming pool.

Wide generous steps painted and rendered sandstone capped walls are utilised to address levels changes and further reinforce the individual lawn rooms.

We retained existing hedging plants where possible and the viability of all gardens are ensured by composting, heavy mulching and a water-wise fully automatic drip irrigation system linked to large water storage tanks. We incorporated topiary clouding of plants next to the home at a secondary entertaining area for added interest and a new circular timber bench seat was underplanted with colourful busy-lizzys for strong visual interest.

The apparent flowing simplicity of design and discrete use of the best quality materials visually unifies the overall project and adds immeasurable value to the property, to create A TOTAL CONCEPT.

Brief: We love our Sunshine Coast hinterland retreat with its views to Mount Coolum, the quiet countryside, the cane fields, green bush and the native birds and animals. All we lack is a pool to escape the intense summer heat and to entertain our friends. We need help with locating and designing the swimming pool and surrounding gardens. We want everything right the first time.

A Total Concept does a lot of work interstate either completely remotely or by visiting the site. On this project we commenced design work by visiting our clients on site and pacing out suitable locations for our clients to view. The style and shape of the pool and surrounds was determined on our first visit to ensure the overall project was complementary to the architecturally designed home and enhanced the natural beauty and took advantage of the views of the area.

We designed a beautiful contemporary pool with bold infinity edges and an adjacent entertaining area all set within extensive native gardens. The simplicity of design and limited variation of materials used, including the blond sandstone paving, contrasts beautifully with the vibrant cobalt coloured water and invite all to enjoy this tranquil entertaining family pool area.

The native gardens, including mat rush, coastal rosemary and lomandra have ensured that the local animals and birds are still made to feel at home on this acreage property. Regularly, the visiting kangaroos, rosellas and ducks share the pool areas with the owners, their guests and the perfume of planted boronias.

The hinterland retreat with pool and surrounding gardens is now complete and evening meals next to the swimming pool with our client’s city friends whilst watching dusk turn to evening is truly an experience to cherish.

FACT FILE
Material and equipment selections all by A Total Concept
Pool: Reinforced concrete 12.5 x 4.75 metres
Filtration: 900-micron sand filter & Wisperflow pumps
Heating: Hurlcon 450 gas heater
Sanitation: Digital fully automatic salt chlorinator and semi-automatic acid dispenser
Cleaning: Jet Vac Automatic Pool Vacuum with separate pump
Interior Finishes: Cobalt blue ceramic tiles and royal blue interior render
Exterior finish: Sandstone paving, glass fencing
Lights: Aqua-Star Aquaquip pool lights

“We love our home, but the court and house don’t work together, we are thinking of selling and buying on a level block. What’s best?”

We looked at financial costs for our clients, selling and paying all the fees and charges required to move, or renovating and making the property work. After running costs on each option - to sell or stay - the most cost-effective option was to stay and renovate with less upheaval and stress for the owners.

A Total Concept Landscape Architects, an established award-winning design and management practice, proposed to make the tennis court more appealing by designing a cabana for entertaining and developing and creating a better link between the home and court.

When the existing tennis court was built the excavated sandstone rock was stacked to create the surrounding retaining walls. The access between home and court was a narrow precarious goat track with little appeal to be used. A decision was made to widen the track and construct nice broad steps to link the two areas. To ensure an understated finish was achieved, the steps and path were paved using sandstone flagging which helped to create a soft garden solution rather than a new stark architectural one.

The court had no drainage an acted as a giant dam, discolouring the court and collecting leaves and debris. We designed a drainage system with a debris collection pit so to rectify this issue ensuring the court could be used in all weather and stayed in pristine condition. 

The sandstone flagging used on the steps and path contrasts beautifully with the green of the tennis court and surrounding gardens and complement the selected porcelain tile of the cabana.

The tennis cabana is made into a destination and incorporates two entertaining spaces, the internal space with large comfortable lounges and a wall mounted LCD television adding further value for relaxing and enjoying the football on a Saturday afternoon away from the house. The second area is an undercover outdoor entertaining area for drinks and lunches after a game of tennis. 

Within the cabana, fans keep temperatures cool in summer and incorporates speakers and ceiling gimble lighting. Simple construction techniques and cost-effective material selection such as Colorbond roofing and FC sheet timber stud walls ensures that the build was undertaken as economically as possible, and with a simple chic design!

The owners are great entertainers and a small room adjacent to the lounge area incorporates a basic kitchenette with fridges for drinks plus oven and microwave for heating meals previously prepared in the main kitchen of the home. A dishwasher allows all glass and cutlery to be cleaned and kept in the cabana to save carrying everything back and forwards.

A small bathroom beautifully detailed by A Total Concept with toilet, basin and shower also saves the commute to the main house after tennis or after enjoying a few drinks.

At nighttime the pathway between court and home is well lit with energy efficient LED lights and the tennis court itself is lit enough to play but not with too much light as to disturb the neighbours.

A quality sound system and all other electrical components such as lights, irrigation, swimming pool equipment and cabana lights are all linked to the properties smart electrical switching system for ease of use.

The surrounding sandstone rock retaining walls originally appeared stark and posed an inhospitable environment for planting, we added soils and incorporated low water use, rockery style plants which has flourished due to sunshine being available through most of the day. 

This overall project was designed and managed by A Total Concept Landscape Architects, who specialise in integrating the home and external areas seamlessly to create spaces that allows the feeling of a holiday at home for family entertaining. A private retreat for escaping the stresses of work at the end of the day.

The design by A Total Concept Landscape Architects very much with economics in mind enabled the owners to remain in their home and renovate for substantially less than it would have cost to move to a new home.

A challenging project results in a beautifully integrated swimming pool, garden and cabana.

A Total Concept was commissioned to design the external areas of this harbour side property to incorporate a large swimming pool and spa into a total entertaining area including gardens and a pool cabana with kitchen, barbecue, shower, toilet and changing facilities.

Gaining approvals for such an extensive and detailed project was extremely complex and John Storch worked closely with local council, waterways authority and waterboard to resolve the many design and construction issues.

Once the approval process was over, construction management posed complex issues with access for excavation works on the site being entirely by the harbour. Large seven tonne machines were craned upwards of 10 metres from barges at water level for excavation. Hundreds of tonnes of spoil were removed from the site during the eight-month construction period.

This pool and landscape development have been designed to provide everything a family could require. Set against the background views of the Sydney skyline through to Gladesville bridge, the swimming pool and attached spa visually cascade to the waters below. The spa, cabana and paved entertaining areas are accessed from the residence down cantilevered stairs, across stepping stones within the pool with an adjacent book leaf slate water. 

The white sandstone paving contrasts beautifully with the vibrant blue water and beautiful gardens containing formal plantings of buxus, camellias, port wine magnolias, star jasmine, invite all to get wet and enjoy this complex.