Mastering the Acreage: Solving Drainage & Level Challenges in a Hunter Valley Landscape Design
- Kairos
- Apr 21
- 5 min read
The Genesis of a Dream: A Hunter Valley Landscape Design Integrating a Pool on Sloping Land
A young family, drawn to the spacious lifestyle of their Hunter Valley acreage, envisioned a stunning swimming pool as the centerpiece of their outdoor living. However, the completion of their dream pool revealed a significant challenge: the existing house and the new pool sat awkwardly, with mismatched elevations creating a disjointed feel. Recognizing the importance of a seamless indoor-outdoor flow, they made a bold decision – to demolish their existing home and build a new, perfectly oriented to their cherished pool and the surrounding landscape.
The Emerging Challenges: Level Discrepancies and Drainage Concerns on the New Build
As the foundation for their new dream home took shape, a new set of complexities emerged. The lack of a pre-existing comprehensive outdoor plan highlighted potential level discrepancies between the interior of the new house and the pool area, as well as between future outdoor living spaces and the pool. Furthermore, drainage concerns began to surface, threatening the functionality and aesthetic of their envisioned Hunter Valley acreage landscape.
Our Approach: Understanding the Client's Vision for a Harmonious Outdoor Oasis- Expert Hunter Valley Landscape Design for a Unique Acreage
Recognizing the need for expert landscape design guidance, the family sought our expertise to seamlessly integrate their new home with their existing dream pool and cultivate a harmonious and functional outdoor environment. Our initial site visit to their Hunter Valley property focused on understanding their budget, their priorities for a fluid indoor-outdoor lifestyle, a safe and engaging play area for their children, practical solutions for the sloping terrain, and a welcoming front yard that reflected their unique style.
During our on-site discussions, a subtle yet significant detail hinted at their openness to embracing bolder and more unique design ideas. This, combined with their appreciation for dry garden planting and the emerging modern style of their new home, inspired a landscape design concept that beautifully blended contemporary elegance with the iconic charm of mid-century Palm Springs.
Crafting the Arrival Experience: A Welcoming Front Garden
Elegant Boundaries and Architectural Accents
Our design unfolded thoughtfully, starting with the arrival experience. We envisioned elegant dry stone walls paired with a timber-framed fence featuring mesh, creating a natural yet defined boundary. Upon entering, guests are greeted by two striking feature cacti, showcased in corten steel ring planters, adding immediate architectural interest and a touch of modern flair.
Floating Pathways and Lush Planting
Leading to the front door, polished concrete floating steps with integrated lighting create a sleek and modern pathway, enhancing the mid-century vibe and providing subtle evening ambiance. Lush, carefully selected feature planting along the walkway adds an inviting touch and softens the hardscape.
A Stylish Screen for Utilities
On the side of the house, a triangular corten steel garden bed, planted with drought-tolerant dwarf date palms, serves as a stylish focal point while cleverly concealing necessary utilities, ensuring a clean and aesthetically pleasing view.
Mid-Century Inspired Water Tank Concealment
Near the future pool house, a large water tank is artfully screened by a three-walled structure crafted from white hollow decorative bricks, a clear nod to mid-century design aesthetics. Planting nestled within the brickwork softens the structure and adds a layer of visual appeal, seamlessly blending functionality with style.
Practical and Permeable Driveway Solutions
The long, sloping driveway presented a unique challenge in this Hunter Valley landscape design. We addressed this with a semi-permeable surface featuring irregular-shaped concrete slabs and pebble-resin infill. This choice not only offers a unique visual texture but also effectively manages stormwater runoff, crucial for the Hunter Valley climate, and mitigates the risk of concrete cracking on the incline.
Sustainable Retaining Walls: Integrating Natural Boulders
Adjacent to the driveway, instead of traditional retaining walls, we opted for strategically placed limestone boulders with integrated planting. This bold move creates a natural and textured feature that perfectly aligns with the Palm Springs aesthetic and the home's architecture, while also aiding in drainage and subtly diverting attention from other necessary elements on the acreage.
Creating the Outdoor Living Hub: Seamless Transitions and Entertaining Spaces
Warmth and Low Maintenance: Timber-Look Tiles for Busy Family
Just outside the living area, we designed a spacious concrete slab tiled with high-quality timber-look porcelain tiles. This provides the desired warmth and texture reminiscent of decking, with the superior low maintenance preferred by a busy family. A clever cutout for a feature tree creates a natural focal point and a shaded retreat, transforming this area into a perfect play space.
Defining Relaxation Zones with Natural Elements
Moving towards the pool house, a dedicated resting area is defined by a striking wall of firewood, framed by corten steel and flanked by lush greenery. This same wall cleverly serves as the backdrop for the fireplace in the main outdoor entertaining area, creating a visual connection between the two zones and adding a touch of rustic charm.
The Heart of the Outdoors: An Entertainer's Dream
The main outdoor entertaining area features a modern fireplace with integrated bench seating and ample firewood storage. This space flows effortlessly from the indoor kitchen to the covered alfresco dining area and then to the open seating around the fireplace, creating an ideal setting for social gatherings and family enjoyment.
Seamless Pathways and Practical Storage
Thoughtful pathways, created with individual cobblestone steppers interspersed with planting, gracefully navigate the level changes between the indoor kitchen and the pool, and the alfresco and the pool. These steppers also beautifully tie in the existing stone pavers around the pool with the new materials used in the alfresco. Finally, discreetly integrated storage for pool toys ensures that practicality is seamlessly woven into the overall design.
Client Success: A Hunter Valley Acreage Transformed
What began as a simple pool dream evolved into a comprehensive landscape transformation, perfectly tailored to their lifestyle and the unique characteristics of their Hunter Valley property. By creatively addressing the challenges of the sloping site and embracing their personal style, we crafted a cohesive, functional, and breathtaking outdoor haven for them to enjoy for years to come. This project stands as a testament to effective a Hunter Valley landscape design.
Which part of this landscape design gives you the inspiration for your own garden? Reach out today to find out how we can work with you to master your acreage and create your dream outdoor space.
Watch the full transformation story on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/JBsOdreNARI
Follow us on Instagram for more landscape inspiration: https://www.instagram.com/parcconcepts/
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