As we settle down to the post Covid world there has been some shifts in just about every aspect of our lives. Some are a bit tiresome, but others are good. Really good. One of the shifts of note has been new design areas taking shape away from the main roads and usual hubs.
The design enclave at Woollahra in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs has to some extent always been there with antique stores and auction houses a staple of Queen Street. The arrival of Parterre in 1985 expanded the repertoire to garden, while Robyn Cosgrove added her gorgeous rugs to the mix in 2005.
What has changed, and changed dramatically is the focus, with a decided shift to contemporary. That said, the new design houses making their mark and making this area a design destination are not the usual suspects, and it is this difference that is shaping the area. Indeed, 2022 saw the Boyac, Indesign Media and The Wood Room join, Lo & Co Interiors, Studio ALM and The English Tapware Company.
Complimenting this assortment of design houses is the remarkable Terrace Outdoor Living. Sitting across store and design house typologies, Terrace offers an extraordinary level of sophisticated design expertise for either the outdoors or greening an interior. The brain child of Bianca Moore and Paul Joseph Hopper, Terrace brings together everything you need in the way of adding plants to a space or creating an outdoor retreat. From bespoke designs and styling tips to pot, plant, pairing selections, the duo works with clients to create manageable plant solutions for urban living.
Honing their expertise to the niche market they work within, each plant is selected across criteria ranging from light and shade and watering needs, to will it grow too much or will it grow too little. The pots are likewise well considered with sculptural form a key differentiator. Granted, the large pots make for spectacular sculptural statements of the architectural ilk, but it is the table top pots that woo the heart. Here, colour and form is realised in beautiful pieces such as the Geran Stoneware flowerpot that offers pinches of white frosted brown ceramic in a regular though lumpy form.
Specialising in small spaces, balconies, backyards and makeovers, their design process is very much dependant on the scale of the project, but generally starts with an initial on-site consultation. “From there we can either be involved in individual elements of your project or manage the entire process from design through to installation, planting and ongoing maintenance” they say.
Moreover, Terrace work alongside businesses and interior designers to create a true biophilic connection to nature. In this instance the team works with the business or designer from the first consultation through to design, installation and maintenance. Effectively managing the project into the future to ensure the plants remain an asset within the scheme.
Almost 13 years ago when Moore and Hopper first presented their idea at a pop-up, the focus was outdoor furniture, and this remains an integral part of the Terrace offering with an exceptional range on hand. Varying from fine and elegant to robust and sculptural the selection is specific to the urban outdoors with scale a well-considered factor. Their outdoor shower for example, comprises an elegant copper silhouette over a solid block plinth. Effectively this means it does not need to be permanently installed to remain stable, making it a fabulous addition to a balcony. As is the entirely fabulous Garden Glory range with pink hoses, gold antlers (for hanging hoses on) and all sorts of fabulous goodies: “Garden Glory is the Scandinavian design brand bringing glamour, style and often a touch of camp that blurs the line between interior & garden design, art, and fashion” they say.
It is however their plant curation that sets them apart. With an encyclopaedic understanding of plants between them, Moore and Hopper are able to find the right plant or plant combination for any space or spatial requirement. This last is an element many home plant displays get wrong with too many small plants, plants that are too big for a space and repeated plants that are too small to carry the rhythm of the repetition. Other plant crimes include inconsistency or lack of visual compatibility between plants, just plain wrong plants for air/light conditions and sin of all sins – sick plants.
Effectively, Terrace takes all these worries away with fabulous plants in perfect containers, stands and hanging baskets, while keeping them looking fresh and fabulous all year round.
Terrace Outdoor Living
terraceoutdoorliving.com.au
Photography: Courtesy Terrace Outdoor Living
