The compact backyard of this North Bondi semi was nothing but grass yet now boasts a pool and a vibe that could not be more different to what it started with!
The home belongs to Jennifer Jones, founder of colourful ceramics brand Jones & Co, who had a very clear vision: “We’ve spent many summers holidaying in Italy and I love the undone relaxed style of their gardens there where plants grow over the footpaths and lavender jostles with rosemary. Our brief was to create an Italian style garden with a soft terracotta palette and a focus on plants that flower in shades of violet.”
The front yard and facade got a makeover too, and now everything blends together beautifully. The home is on a quiet street, 15 minutes’ walk from the beach. Although they purchased it in 2020, Jennifer, husband Stefan and daughter Teddie have lived in the immediate area for more than a decade.
“The house has got a happy colourful vibe with a lot of things I’ve collected over the years (mostly artwork and ceramics!) and all my favourite Jones & Co pieces,” Jennifer says.
The front and rear gardens were previously not much more than grass. “Aside from a frangipani in front of the house, there wasn’t any landscaping or plants. It was functional and easy to maintain but didn’t have any real direction.”
They thought long and hard about whether to add a second storey before instead deciding to invest in the garden and a pool. “We’re a small family and we like sharing space so thought more rooms in the house would just isolate us from each other. With the garden, we were essentially making the most of the footprint of the house as well as creating another zone to entertain and live in.”
She added: “I’ve always wanted a pool as the summers in Sydney are so warm and long and it just creates a resort style feeling at home. The space was a challenge and the pool is on the small side but it makes up for it by being exceptionally deep. It’s not a big garden but the size of it creates intimacy, almost like a little secret slice of paradise!”
The backyard features crazy paving in a rose-hued stone, a curved pool with a black steel fence (which had to be shaped by hand in situ!) and a circular seating area. The tiles around the pool are antique terracotta Italian roof tiles and the planting is all based around an Italian theme – olive trees, rosemary, lavender, lemon trees and ivy.
They spoke to several landscapers but only one, Landart, came back with a brief that showed they fully understood their vision. “Once we had a shared vision, it unfolded naturally.”
They now entertain at home much more and love sharing the new space with friends and family. “It’s so much more relaxed and the day easily flows into the night where we then light the fire pit and sit around roasting marshmallows. I love to read under the olive tree by the pool on a quiet day when I am home alone. And when summer arrives and we slide the back door open and the house flows all the way to the garden, well that’s just magic.”
