Urban Balcony Feature

House & Garden

Thank you, House & Garden Magazine, for the great double page spread on the Urban Balcony in their December issue.  We had the pleasure of collaborating with Harbour Outdoor to create a contemporary style.

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Outer Space. 

A well-designed balcony extends your living and breathing room.

With upstretched branches that look like a flamboyant candelabra, Euporbia ammak is an eye-catching plant.  Sitting in an oversized terracotta pot in the corner of this balcony garden, it is the perfect her piece, says designer and stylist Adam Robinson, who transformed this 5.5x3.5m space in inner-city Sydney as part of a collaboration with outdoor furniture specialist Harbour Outdoor.

Adam loves the challenge of creating balcony gardens.  “It’s about designing a lush and green environment to maximise a client’s home and lifestyle…. with the added challenge of not having any naturally occurring soil to plant into. Pots are everything!”

Utilising the entire length and breadth of the balcony, he has created both an outdoor dining zone and sitting area, using designer pieces that echo the sophistication and comfort of the home’s interiors.  For the dining area, he chose a compact round table teamed with light-framed chairs featuring lattice wicker back supports.  For the sitting area, he selected a sleek L-shaped sofa, featuring weather-resistant Sunbrella fabric cushions.

The crucial potted plants are placed in neat clusters around the furniture, helping to demarcate the two zones.  “We’ve used classic terracotta pots in traditional shapes but modernised them with contemporary-looking plants,” says Adam.  Being a north-facing balcony with no irrigation system, it was critical to select hardy, waterwise species. “They’re interesting, textural plants that are all intriguing to touch and observe,” he says. These include the Euphorbia ammak, jade tree (Crassula ovata), Sanservieria ‘Congo’ prickly pear (Opuntia), century plant (Agave Americana), Japanese box (Buxus japonica), and Kalanchoe beharensis.  Adam’s favourite element? “That oversized pot. It’s 120x60cm and contains the Euphorbia underplanted and softened with old-fashion rosemary. I love unusual plant combinations.

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Story Elizabeth Wilson
Photography Sue Stubbs

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