Seamless Fusion

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This reﬁned landscape combines contemporary elegance with timeless appeal to offer the ultimate harbourside lifestyle

Set on a steeply sloping site that overlooks Clifton Gardens and Sydney Harbour, this reimagined landscape encompasses a swimming pool, cabana, barbecue and entertaining areas, luxuriant lawns, and layered gardens. A Total Concept provided detailed speciﬁcations, recommended and tendered builders and contractors, and oversaw the entire project, delivering a flawless outcome with complete peace of mind for the clients.

“The design brief called for a style that was contemporary yet respectful of the home’s traditional character,” says John Storch, landscape architect and director of A Total Concept. “The result is a conﬁdent balance of old and new, where clean geometric forms are softened by traditional materials and planting, ensuring the new works feel both reﬁned and enduring.”

Elements such as sandstone paving, iron fencing, painted rendered walls, traditional planting, and carefully selected pool tiles give the space a classic foundation. These materials are then reinterpreted in a modern way, creating a design that feels current while remaining timeless.

“Spherical plantings of Japanese box, angled rendered walls, minimalist fencing, individually-laid sandstone pavers, and a striking contemporary pool tile colour all contribute to a cutting-edge modern outcome,” says John.

The pool features a bespoke teal ceramic tile, chosen to shift between blue and green tones, mirroring the ever-changing colours of the sky and harbour. This subtle colour play allows the pool to visually integrate with the adjacent Zoysia lawn, unifying hardscape and landscape.

By day, the pool reflects surrounding gardens and bushland; by night, it mirrors the harbour, garden lighting, and home creating a stunning focal point from every angle. Sandstone terraces and the elevated cabana provide relaxed spaces for entertaining, supervising children in the pool, or simply enjoying the view.

Thoughtful planting has ensured an effortless connection between the garden, home, and wider landscape. “Traditional plantings, including buxus, gardenias, Chinese jasmine, pine hedges, camellias, clivia, and hydrangeas anchor the design near the residence, complementing the home’s architectural style,” says John.

“Toward the rear, spiny-head mat-rush, coastal rosemary, grevilleas, and bottlebrush create a visual and ecological link to the surrounding bushland and harbour landscape, blending seamlessly with native Angophoras beyond.

“An understated cabana nestled beneath the home’s undercroft, paired with a feature barbecue and sandstone stepping-stone paving inﬁlled with native violets, creates versatile, terraced entertaining spaces. These connect beautifully to the home’s upper verandas, forming a series of inviting levels perfect for summer evenings.

“Already, the lush garden has hosted weddings, cocktail parties, many a family gathering, and countless poolside celebrations, proving that great design is ultimately about enhancing life.”

A project of this scale is a signiﬁcant investment and getting it right the ﬁrst time is essential. With vision, experience, and meticulous attention to detail, A Total Concept transformed the clients’ dreams into reality, delivering a bold yet elegant statement that elevates both the home and the lifestyle it supports.

With over 35 years of experience, A Total Concept brings together a highly skilled team of building and interior designers, landscape architects, and horticulturists to create exceptional and bespoke residential transformations. Renowned for designing sophisticated home renovations, pools, cabanas, and gardens, A Total Concept delivers a seamless fusion of architecture and landscape, each project tailored entirely to meet the client’s individual needs, now and well into the future.

“We’re flexible in the services we offer and support our clients as much or as little as they need,” says John. “In this instance, our clients had been referred to us by several friends years before engaging us. From concept to completion, we managed every aspect of this complex project.

“By bridging the gap between indoors and outdoors, we were able to deliver a seamless fusion of home and garden, enhancing the clients’ lifestyle while adding lasting value to their property.”