ESCAPE PLAN

A small courtyard garden in Sydney has become a quiet refuge for its owners, who love being behind their high walls and chilling out in the leafy east-meets-west design

WORDS CHRIS PEARSON

Hidden behind a rendered brick wall in Sydney’s inner south, this is a small garden that’s had a big impact, both visually and in the lives of its owners. Created by landscape designer Katy Svalbe of Svalbe & Co, the lush green oasis with offshoots of minimalist Zen has proven its restorative powers during the pandemic. “Compact spaces demand design solutions that engage with every nook and cranny, for an immersive experience,” says Katy of a haven that does exactly that, in spades. The garden’s journey began in 2016, when the owners asked architect Genevieve Murray of Future Method Studio to design a minimalist, Japanese-inspired two-storey addition to their Victorian sandstone worker’s cottage, with a wing bridging the two. Realising the importance of the courtyard at its core, they hired Katy…

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Inside Out (Digital) - 1 Issue, January 2021

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