Photography: Erik Holt Photography
Our Herbert St project is nestled on the hill overlooking Mills beach and Port Phillip Bay with reverse living to ensure the main living hubs take in the stunning views. Steve Taylor designed the home, pool and garden with relaxed, yet sophisticated living and entertaining with family and friends as the core driver. Reverse living creates a unique set of challenges with design as the main living hub is not directly connected to the garden so an upper floor balcony overlooking the funky round pool, swim up bar and spa provides this connection.
On the lower floor the front of the home boasts a tapestry of unique foliage, colour and texture with silver and grey “glauca” hues founding the garden to the concrete grey render of the home. Tall fastigiata birch mirror the form of the windows of the tower and give the garden vertical presence. The recycled clinker bricks feature on and in the home as well as the garden along with the black steel and timber highlights finish the architectural palette throughout. To the rear the main entertaining hub features seamless indoor outdoor integration from the rumpus to large undercover alfresco and loggia, pizza oven and fire pit area all surrounding the raised round pool and spa. A feature daybed and sun deck connect the alfresco to the pool zone with terraced lawns and repeated plantings from the front complete the rear garden space. A feature garden grown olive flanks the fire pit while the Miles choice Bay laurel hedge hugs the boundaries and creates a stunning evergreen backdrop to the space.