Parkside paradise

Turns out the grass is greener on both sides of the road

- KYLIE BARACZ

When you have the beauty of nature just footsteps away from your home, you want to harness that magic for yourself. That is exactly what these homeowners did after they built their contemporary grand design, with architects Allied Office, across from the iconic Centennial Park.

“The clients were seeking a design that complemented the extensive natural bushland directly across the road in Centennial Park, while also visually softening the architecture of the new build and creating an inviting garden space,” says Mark Bell, creative director at Bell Landscapes.

Entering through the home’s front gate, the lush front garden is abundant, featuring a wide assortment of native shrubs, grasses, ground covers and feature trees, all connecting to the natural landscape but also attracting native birds and wildlife from the park. Yet this space is a far cry from what it originally looked like — a barren wasteland full of sand and dry dirt.