From the first phone call to the season after handover — here's how a Studio Serene garden comes together.
We start with a phone call to understand your project and make sure we're the right fit. If so, Odile will visit your property for a no-obligation site meeting — to walk the space, talk through how you want to live in it, and get an understanding of your budget. Don't worry if you're unsure on numbers — we use it as a guide, not a rule.
Following the site meeting, we prepare a reverse brief and fee proposal for your approval. Once confirmed, we develop an initial concept — presented face to face so we can walk through the design intent, the planting and material palettes, and how the garden will feel when it's lived in.
With the concept approved, if required we can also develop full construction documentation, CDC/DA documentation. Depending on the scope of your project, this stage can also include irrigation design, lighting plans and drainage plans to ensure your landscaper has everything they need to bring the vision to life.
Studio Serene offers a plant supply and set-out service, placing every plant in accordance with the planting plan — an important step, because the fine-tuning that happens on site is where a good garden becomes a great one. We work with the best landscaping contractors in the Newcastle region and take pride in every garden we hand over.
A garden is never truly finished — it grows, evolves, and responds to the seasons. We enjoy staying connected with our clients long after handover, offering seasonal guidance and horticultural advice to help the garden reach its full potential over time.
We have relationships with Newcastle's best architects, interior designers and residential builders. These connections mean we're often brought in early — which is when great garden design starts. A garden that's considered from the beginning of a project always feels more intentional.
Studio Serene designs residential gardens across Newcastle, the Hunter Valley, Port Stephens, Nelson Bay and the Central Coast. Recent projects include gardens in Shoal Bay, Merewether, Hamilton, The Junction, Maryville and Budgewoi. If you are outside of this area, feel free to get in touch — for a small number of projects, we can travel further afield.
We start with a phone call to understand your project, then a no-obligation site visit. From there we prepare a reverse brief and fee proposal. An initial face to face concept presentation includes a design philosophy, layout plan and plant and materials palette. From here further planting and construction documentation can be produced if required, along with any CDC or DA applications.
Most residential garden designs take 6 to 10 weeks from site visit to final documentation, depending on the size and complexity of the site. There is usually about a three month wait list.
Each site and brief is unique, so to make sure we're fair with our pricing we provide a tailored quote based on your project's needs. Packages start from $2,500 for smaller, single level gardens.
Yes. Depending on the scope of your project we can develop full construction documentation including CDC and DA landscape plans, irrigation design, lighting plans and drainage plans.
Studio Serene offers a plant supply and set-out service, placing every plant in accordance with the planting plan. The fine-tuning that happens on site is where a good garden becomes a great one. We also work with established landscaping contractors across the Newcastle region.
Yes. Odile has grown up in the construction industry and has great relationships with trades and builders across Newcastle. Ideally we like to be connected early on, as this is where forward planning for the garden can avoid costly amendments later. Landscape designers see construction from another angle and can often advise on how to adjust a design or ground works to accommodate a more significant tree or garden. Studio Serene has worked alongside Built By Eli, Lexar Construction, Anthrocite Architecture, Curious Practice, OVDA Studio, SDA and Studio Ferguson. A garden considered from the beginning of a project always feels more intentional.
For a set number of projects each year, Studio Serene will see that your plan is implemented without the stress and uncertainty of contacting and coordinating your own trades. Ask us about our project management services.
Whether you're at the early planning stages or have a brief ready to go, we'd love to hear what you have in mind.
Get in touch