The way our gardens and outdoor spaces interact with the interiors of our homes is such a big part of Australian style and the way we live. So it’s always interesting to see how a landscape designer – who is so steeped in planning green spaces, outdoor areas and experiential backyards – approaches the renovation of their own home.
For Mark Bell, a dedicated lifelong garden guy and award-winning landscape designer, his love of landscapes is only matched by his love of design. “I’ve always had a huge passion for architecture,” he says. “When I started landscaping nearly 30 years ago, I loved working on these beautifully designed homes. I found it a real inspiration and it would always guide the landscape.”
Cladding stained Porter’s Paints Palm Beach Black. Joinery in oak veneer, George Fethers & Co. Dining table, Trit House. Chairs, SLH Furniture. Curtains in James Dunlop ‘Kyoto’ linen, Kolong Interiors. Flos pendant lights, Living Edge. Island bench in Super White dolomite, Euro Marble. (Photography: Jason Busch | Styling: Holly Irvine)
Although they had planned their dream home on paper for years, Mark and his wife, Vanessa, had to lock down the right house for transformation. Their criteria was strict, which was probably why the search took two years.
Mark and Vanessa with Riley, 6, and Hudson, 10. (Photography: Fiona Susanto)
For anyone who grew up seaside with saltwater in their ears on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, like Mark, or any other surf-devoted coastal community, they would know that for children of the beach, proximity to water is a non-negotiable. But looking for a house in Sydney’s Inner West meant that even though the local cottages were drop-dead charming, it posed a tedious trek through the city back to the beaches for their dose of water.
“I was like, ‘Okay, I will stay in Balmain, but we have to have a pool’.” That set the first criteria – a house with space for a pool. It also had to be north-facing, on a level block over 200sqm and the building had to have potential to renovate. What they found was a three-bedroom freestanding worker’s cottage with a cluster of soaring eucalyptus on a neighbouring property, which suggested bushland, in a secluded, quiet street – the last of the Balmain unicorns.
‘Hot Mesh’ outdoor chair, Blu Dot. (Photography: Jason Busch | Styling: Holly Irvine)
They decided to call on friends and colleagues to kickstart the renovation. Architecture firm CplusC created a floorplan that introduced an innovative internal courtyard, the ideal placement of the pool and helped get Mark and Vanessa through the initial DA stage. Then, for finishes and detail they turned to their friend Lena Teo of Teolam Architects to bring the comfort. “She’s just got this beautiful eye for detail and a very warm palette, which was very important to Vanessa,” says Mark.
Walls and island joinery stained Porter’s Paints Palm Beach Black. Joinery bench and kitchen island benchtop in Super White dolomite, Euro Marble. Fireplace, Escea. Miele ovens, Winnings. Sofa and armchair, both Franka. Artwork by Mitchell Cheesman. Rug, The Rug Establishment. Flooring, Havwoods. Outdoor chairs, Blu Dot. (Photography: Jason Busch | Styling: Holly Irvine)
“I’m used to working collaboratively with architects, but it was much more fun doing our own place.”
MARK BELL, OWNER
The open-plan kitchen is a great space for family time for Vanessa and Mark, with Hudson and Riley. (Photography:Fiona Susanto)
The brief was to have the architecture and design push the envelope a bit, but as it’s a family home, keep the textures and colours warm. They had spent seven or eight years planning this project, dreaming, chatting and making sketches – and the sketches always featured recurring themes. “We’ve always loved black cladding,” he says. Louvred windows featured again and again, and crazy paving – a favourite feature in Mark’s landscaping jobs – kept turning up in their plans.
Base joinery in oak veneer, George Fethers & Co. Overhead joinery painted Dulux Lexicon Quarter. Benchtop in Dekton Domoos, Cosentino. Island benchtop in Super White dolomite, Euro Marble, and base in Tasmanian oak half-round dowels stained Porter’s Paints Palm Beach Black. Miele ovens, Winnings. Flos pendant lights, Living Edge. Dining table, Trit House. Dining chairs, SLH Furniture. Sofa, Franka. Rug, The Rug Establishment. (Photography: Jason Busch | Styling: Holly Irvine)
Lena was keen to work closely with Mark. “Because she’s a friend, we were both deep in it and wanted to think of the design as one package,” says Mark. “We agreed to just make this whole house and garden integrate.”
Artwork by Mitchell Cheesman, Curatorial+Co. Shelf in Super White dolomite, Euro Marble. Armchair, Franka. Side table, Trit House. Rug, The Rug Establishment. (Photography: Jason Busch | Styling: Holly Irvine)
“We like to sit in the internal courtyard in summer. That space is a lovely little sun-trap.”
MARK BELL, OWNER
Wall lights, EST Lighting. Cladding stained Porter’s Paints Palm Beach Black. Shelf in Super White dolomite, Euro Marble. Chair, Franka. Side table, Trit House. Tall sculpture by Karlien van Rooyen, Curatorial+Co. (Photography: Jason Busch | Styling: Holly Irvine)
The materials selection was intentionally kept to a classic palette with lovely selections such as Super White dolomite, oak floors and joinery, and then a black feature wall to add a bit of drama. The colour, Porter’s Paints Palm Beach Black, is continued on the exterior cladding, although heritage rules required the front facade to remain white, but that works too. “It’s a real contrast when you walk in the door,” he says.
Curtains in James Dunlop ‘Kyoto’ linen, Kolong Interiors. Pendant Light, Hay. Bed linen, In Bed Store. (Photography: Jason Busch | Styling: Holly Irvine)
The house may have been a rare find, but there were still hurdles to overcome. The original plans called for an extension to the second storey to go full height, lifting the roof one metre to allow for a generous rumpus room for the kids, besides the three bedrooms. In one of those inexplicably inconsistent council decisions, the proposal was knocked back, even though the neighbours on both sides had been approved for the exact same extension. But that’s just how it goes when you’re playing DA roulette – you win some, you lose some. “The upside is that it creates a great space for some sensational family storage,” concedes Mark.
Wainscoting in Classic VJ panels, Laminex. Bedhead, Heatherly Design. Bedside tables, Mark Tuckey. Wall lights, Viabizzuno. (Photography: Jason Busch | Styling: Holly Irvine)
Kayoborder ‘87286’ ceiling tiles, Academy Tiles. Wall and floor tiles, all Surface Gallery. Joinery in oak veneer, George Fethers & Co. Basins, Studio Bagno. City Stik mixer in Statue Bronze, Brodware. (Photography: Jason Busch | Styling: Holly Irvine)
Multiple places for entertaining was always part of the brief, and was very deliberate from the start. “We were very intentional about the zoning in the house. The internal central courtyard is where we like to sit in the summer and that space is great for four adults, a lovely little sun-trap for a glass of wine,” says Mark. The next entertaining space is the island bench in the kitchen – always the hub. “That’s where we tend to meet and gather when people first arrive.”
And that leads to the most enjoyable space to entertain guests – the backyard – where the kids can lounge in the pool and the coffee table converts into a fire pit, encouraging the family to linger outdoors into the night.
Landscaping by Bell Landscapes. Tropical plants, such as Heliconia ‘Kawauchi’, frame the pool. (Photography: Jason Busch | Styling: Holly Irvine)
“The backyard was definitely the selling point for us.”
MARK BELL, OWNER
Mark designed the outdoor cantilevered concrete seating. Side tables, Mamagreen. (Photography: Jason Busch | Styling: Holly Irvine)
But if you’re lucky enough to have a great backyard in Sydney – you’re going to want to be utilising every last bit of space. It was Vanessa – a fan of throwing a long lunch – who instigated the latest addition to the backyard: a long, curved concrete bench. It works as a day bed for lolling in the sun with an eye on the kids, but also transforms into a generous seating solution for up to 10 people for shared meals and celebrations when the couple pulls up a dining table to eat.
The seating zones in the house have also been put to the test at a family function with 50 guests, celebrating Vanessa’s father’s 85th birthday. During the planning and design process he wasn’t sure that people would naturally interact with the house the way he meant it to be used. “Were they going to instinctively gravitate towards the areas we’d created? And they did – it was great. It was like, ‘Oh, it works, the house works!’”
Considering the heritage listing of the neighbourhood, owner Mark Bell stayed true to the original exterior colour palette when updating his home. Guests enjoy a sense of drama upon entering the traditional-looking worker’s cottage, discovering a striking modern redesign inside. Front hedge, Podocarpus falcatus. (Photography: Jason Busch | Styling: Holly Irvine)
The Design Team
CplusC & Teolam Architects: teolam.com.au, @teolam_architects
Don Gee Building: @dongeebuilding
Bell Landscapes: belllandscapes.com.au
Mark Bell’s favourite things
Landscape designer Mark Bell shares a few of his favourite things. (Photography: Fiona Susanto)
I love to cook eggs and barbecues are my specialties.
My favourite space for entertaining is outdoors by the pool. I love the water and enjoy having other families over so that all the kids and adults can play in the pool and enjoy great conversation.
The plants I have always loved are succulents and cacti for their funky shapes and the way they break the rules – being spiky and unruly, but looking so darn cool. I limit their use in our designs because most of our gardens need to be ‘family focused’ with no spiky bits! My favourite plants [indoors] would be fiddle-leaf figs (Ficus lyrata) devil’s ivy, snake plant (Sansevieria) and some indoor cacti.
I’m inspired by the design work of numerous industry professionals, past and present. To be honest I don’t have a favourite, it’s more a project-by-project thing. Great design evokes emotion and connection, so to me it’s more about how a project ‘feels’ as opposed to just the aesthetic. Many of the architects we work with offer great inspiration and wonderful canvases for us to work with. I have a great passion for both architecture and landscaping, which I feel is why we’ve had so much success with architects, because we love to draw inspiration from both the built form and natural elements to form a truly cohesive result for the clients.
“To me, it’s more about how a project ‘feels‘ as opposed to just the aesthetic.”
MARK BELL, OWNER
Flowers in a vase for my beautiful wife are never a bad idea.
My go-to restaurant is The Apollo in Sydney’s Potts Point. It is hard to beat for a quiet date night.
My favourite drink, while I rarely drink, a glass of prosecco or lager would refresh.
The next purchase I’m planning for my home: We completely rebuilt our home three years ago and after we moved in I ‘finished’ the garden. Then recently I got the itch, excavated it all and rebuilt it – so I have almost finished it again! Since I’m not on the tools like I used to be, I get restless and create projects for myself. We have just installed a huge off-form concrete bench seat, which has been on my shopping list for years, so that’s a nice milestone.
My fashion essentials are Jeans and white shoes.
I can’t live without my family. I’m very blessed with the abundant love in my life.
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Eliza O’Hare
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