Urban Outback
Los Angeles, CA
This project was inspired by the Australian homeowner who longed for her native homeland and requested a simple farmhouse with trees and views that would remind her of an Aussie ranch, with allowances for a secondary love of Italian hillsides.
A gravel motorcourt planted with a grove of Australian Melaleuca trees is bordered by an allee of ancient Olives underplanted with Lavender leading to the front door. The allee reappears at the back of the house, negotiating a set of wide steps and terraces planted with Lavender and setting up a strong axial pedestrian route from one end of the site to the other.
The Olive axis culminates with an orchard of fruit trees and a Fruitless Mulberry arbor dining terrace with views back toward the house. An evergreen forest of Cypress, Cedar and Melaleuca trees screen views of neighboring homes and enclose the site in greenery.
The generous pool, outdoor kitchen with custom pizza oven, lounge seating, wide lawn with in-grade trampoline and rose garden are located at the center of the site, bordered on two sides by the L-shaped house.
Size
1.3 acres
Team
Kovac Design Studio (Architect)
Diamond Landscaping, Inc. (Landscape Contractor)
Photography
Caitlin Atkinson