FEATURED PROJECT | Merricks

Luxury on acreage isn’t created by adding more, it’s achieved through restraint, proportion and an appreciation of place.
For this contemporary farmhouse in Merricks, our brief was to design a landscape that would soften the bold architectural forms while embracing the character of the Mornington Peninsula. The result is a garden that feels as though it always belonged to the site: calm, understated and effortlessly luxurious.

From the winding compacted toppings driveway, visitors arrive through layers of sculptural planting before entering a series of carefully composed outdoor rooms. Burnished concrete floating steps and seating introduce a refined material palette that is balanced by the warmth of timber, tumbled cobblestones and soft planting.

Throughout the garden, mature olive trees pruned into cloud forms become living sculptures, while clipped hedging, ornamental grasses and mixed perennial planting provide texture and movement across the seasons. Every element has been selected to complement the surrounding rural landscape rather than compete with it.

Beyond the home, the landscape transitions seamlessly into spaces designed for everyday living. A productive garden, pergola and outdoor dining area with pizza oven encourage long afternoons shared with family and friends, while the infinity-edge pool and spa appear to dissolve into the surrounding countryside, enclosed by a custom curved weathering steel fence that quietly disappears into the landscape.

Rather than imposing itself on the site, the garden works with it. The result is a landscape that feels luxurious not because it is extravagant, but because it is timeless, beautifully resolved and completely at home in its setting.

If you’re planning a luxury rural or coastal home and want a landscape that feels timeless, considered and uniquely connected to its setting, we’d love to hear from you.