The Northern Rivers House - Landscape

This house in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales has been part of my family for many years. Since moving here in late 2018, I have gradually planned and updated both the interiors and the landscape, refining the spaces to reflect a calmer, more contemporary approach to living in the subtropical climate. Instead of a single renovation, the house represents an evolving design process—a series of thoughtful changes that respond to how we live in the house today.

The garden has developed over time through both intention and circumstance. Previous landscaping was severely impacted by the 2022 floods; it is now in a process of recovery and renewal. What exists today is not a finished landscape, but one that continues to adapt—layered, resilient and still unfolding.


Master Plan & Photography: Kate St James

The landscape has been reimagined as a series of outdoor rooms, designed to be experienced throughout the day and into the evening. Planting combines both native and exotic species suited to the subtropical climate, creating layers of texture, shade and seasonal variation. Paths and defined edges bring a sense of structure, while lighting extends the garden’s presence beyond daylight hours, keeping it an integral part of the house.

Spaces for sitting and dining are woven throughout the garden, encouraging a slower, more relaxed way of living. The intention is to create a landscape that feels both considered and effortless—one that continues to evolve over time rather than reach a fixed endpoint.

It is a place shaped as much by experience as by design.

A future addition—a small garden pavilion—will further extend this idea of outdoor living, offering a place to pause within the landscape. I like to call this “Kate’s Folly”…