Lifestyle

A recognisable design style can build a practice. It can also become a creative constraint. Secret Gardens founder Matthew Cantwell explains why the Sydney landscape studio begins each project by looking for the character of the client, rather than repeating its own.

Fast-growing plants can create an instant garden, but they can also leave homeowners pruning every six weeks. Secret Gardens founder Matthew Cantwell explains why the best landscapes are designed for what they will become, not simply how they look on completion.

Before construction begins on a Cobild Lux home, clients are welcomed onto the site for a Breaking of Ground ceremony. The client, their family and the team who will spend the coming years bringing the home to life gather together. A gold shovel breaks the first ground, before a loaf of challah is passed hand to hand around the circle, marking the beginning of the project to come.