This lavish Gold Coast landscape makes the most of its canal-side location
Winner Best Resort Landscape – Landscape of the Year Awards 2025
The very epitome of luxury resort-inspired living, La Scala is an expansive property claiming a prized canal-side location in the Isle of Capri, a Surfers Paradise neighbourhood. The opulent home, designed for extravagant entertaining, called for similarly lavish, tropical-style outdoor spaces.
“If we can’t go to Vegas, we want Vegas to come to us! That was the brief from the owners,” says Michael Creighton, Director of NEST Landscape Design. “They wanted a dynamic outdoor space for parties, family gatherings and functions, and they needed areas just for their young, growing family.”
In Michaels’ tropical resort-themed design, all outdoor living and entertaining spaces relate to the split-level swimming pool with its swim-up bar. This level change also serves to delineate the family living spaces from the wider entertaining terraces.
“The family hub is the barbecue pavilion, which features a custom benchtop and teppanyaki grill. An extensive water feature skirts the pavilion and the family lawn with its in-ground trampoline, terminating on the canal frontage,” says Michael. A stellar example of handcrafted rockwork, this is a cohesive, linking element — one that references the property’s waterfront setting.
Careful material selection ensured a seamless visual flow throughout. To begin with, the NEST construction team installed Millboard decking in various grain finishes. This low-maintenance decking is cool underfoot and offers a streamlined look due to the hidden fixings.
“Scala Latte travertine crazy paving was used for connecting paths and transition spaces,” adds Michael. “Limestone paving in a rectilinear format was used in the pavilions and for the main axis. This was then referenced in the Oslo limestone walling.”
The same richly textured stone was used in the elegantly designed space set aside for hot and cold plunge pools, along with an accompanying outdoor shower.
Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island date palms) assume a prominent role in the plantscape, acting as focal points and enhancing the resort ambience. “These were either moved on-site or reintroduced and became key nodes throughout the property. An existing mature Delonix regina (royal poinciana) was retained to provide privacy and scale to the frontage,” says Michael.
Other planting includes Waterhousea floribunda (weeping lilly pilly) for privacy, groundcovers such as Viola hederacea (native violet) and Trachelospermum asiaticum (Aisatic jasmine), and Calathea lutea (Cuban cigar) in the shaded areas.
Extensive outdoor lighting to all garden beds and water features, as well as the pool waterfalls and troughs, paints a night-time picture of sheer opulence that sets the perfect backdrop for evening entertaining.
Although the construction challenges were significant, with extreme level changes and tight street access requiring the mature trees to be craned in by barge, each was expertly resolved to create the perfect Queensland resort-style retreat.
Contact Details
Landscape Design & Construction: Nest Landscape Design
Phone (07) 5560 8702
