Inside Out

Our Hilltop Retreat in Bellevue Hill was featured in the January 2018 issue of Inside Out, a low-maintenance modern oasis that makes the most of a steep eastern-suburbs block.

Samantha and Simon were renovating with architect Luigi Rosselli and wanted a better link between the upper terrace and pool and the lower garden, to make the whole space more usable and accessible. We came up with a curved fire-pit area with a built-in bench, sweeping stairs and tiered planter beds, turning dead space and a tired old lawn into another garden room.

A curved sandstone stairway now connects the pool terrace to the lower garden, its inner curve wrapping a fire-pit enclosure with a cantilevered spotted-gum bench. Stepped retaining terraces flank the stairs, planted so foliage reigns supreme, and vigorous Slender Weavers bamboo screens the boundary where an old conifer hedge once stood. Two Dragon’s Blood trees, the family’s favourites, stand boldly upright and, uplit at night, become a spectacular sight from the upper levels.

“We wanted a durable, low-maintenance garden with spaces where we could relax with friends,” says Samantha. “For a family like ours who spends a lot of time outside, the garden is a highlight and helps make our house a home.”