Sam shows real restraint when it comes to landscape design. That's actually quite a rare commodity in the current market, and the quiet sense of innovation he’s able to inject your design will have you seeing your 'garden' in ways you never really thought possible.

And that’s because Sam often gets on the tools himself ( in fact, he damn enjoys it ) to ensure each construction meets design seamlessly. Of course he has his own construction team, because De Vries Designs is a design and build operation, but he’s not a desk designer. He gets out into the trenches and gets the job done alongside his crew at ground level.

De Vries Designs is a busy practice to run; and alongside his trusted trades ( and insanely HUGE sidekick ‘Wittaker Coco-puff’ his Burmese mountain dog ), it’s the ‘leading from the front’ that has created huge momentum for this #perthlandscapedesigner, who now takes his place as one of WA’s most trusted garden go-to’s. ( and we adopted Russell Crowe, so fittingly, we have now adopted Sammy ).

I wanted to show those of you reading at home, that these beautiful projects also take time and a considerable amount of hard work. To do that I took a little tour at Sam’s Shenton Park project for the home of Siba Interiors so that I could walk you through it as a work in progress.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO HIRE A LANDSCAPE DESIGNER?

You are also probably wondering what the costs are for a project such as this. As I say in my post, that’s a bit like me asking you how much you earn, but I would like to offer some ballpark suggestions for those you wondering what the investment might look like. Here’s a very simple breakdown :

PAST PROJECTS

I feel you can get a good handle on what it might cost all up by taking into account the designers past projects. The general rule of thumb is that you would expect to invest between 5-10% of the value of your home on the landscaping. You could even afford to go higher around 12-15% to give yourself a good buffer because in this market, the costs of goods are at a premium!

Look at ‘where’ their projects are being built, assess the local Perth real estate market for a guideline on the value of the housing and there you have a pretty solid indication of what it might cost.

CONSULTATION

Most designers have a consultation fee, ‘generally’ around the $250-$350 mark. This is to visit your site and get a real understanding of what you require. No designer can quote on a design they haven’t designed yet based on a property they’ve spent no time at with a client whose brief they haven’t heard yet.

DESIGN FEE

Again, skill level is what will determine cost. For a designer of Sam’s calibre, expect to pay a design fee starting from $6000. Sure, some of the bigger companies sometimes don’t charge for the design ‘up front’ but trust me, it’s in there, as an added layer of fat in the overall cost. The design is the whole foundation. It’s not something to avoid rather it’s something to invest in.

CONSTRUCTION

Well this is a scope of works discussion really, so let’s do that.

Are you including an above ground concrete pool in the design? A firepit? A built in pizza oven or bbq? Would you like a breakout area for the kids, perhaps an alfresco integrated with your home to create an ‘inside-outside’ design? How long is a piece a string would sit here nicely.

Again, using the percentage as a yardstick, a lot of final construction costs in 2021 are also a little unpredictable but still within the realm of manageability. The issues don’t sit with a designer charging more or inflating scope, and typically it’s a case of shortages of both supply and trade that see projects reaching their limits.

But the main understanding you should take on board, is the more changes you make to the design and scope, the greater it can impact your bottom line, so be wise, listen and trust your designer on this as they are across the budget as part of the day to day.

Sam holds a Bachelor of Design, Majoring in Industrial Design from Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand which I guess explains his love of construction, and the build form. It might also be why he’s obsessed with pool design, and what a climate to indulge that obsession. #perthpools for the win!

Pool design has come such a long way in recent years as we steadily move away from the fiberglass versions of old and into more contemporary territory, and what you can achieve even in the smallest spaces is again testament to the skills of the designer.

No matter what shape or size your outdoor space is, a garden designer like Sam will be able to realise it’s potential and ensure you have a beautiful backyard that gets used frequently and with total joy.