KAIHLA MCCONNELL

I believe many of the world’s challenges are problems of design. The built environment is always designed…either with empathy, enthusiasm and depth of thought, or without. Good design should be loved for generations.

 

I think design should be a memorable experience and a story in itself: the joy of cobbled European streets worn by thousands of footsteps, bold 70’s colour palettes and fearless patterns that set the tone for your day, or gardens planted a century ago by someone who imagined every colour, tree and flower.

 

As a designer, I strive to create work that leaves an impression - spaces that are practical, beautiful, and meaningful to the people who inhabit them. My work has found its rhythm in landscape design, where the practical knowledge I’ve grown through Yarrow meets the design training I completed at Griffith University.

 

I’ve loved creating gardens in the Northern Rivers that invite people outside into the sunshine with a morning cuppa, or gathered around a fire as the day winds down. These spaces aren’t just for looking at, but for living in: places that encourage homegrown produce, composting, and a slower, more circular way of life. Over time, I’ve become devoted to experimenting with plants - pairing native species with resilient perennials that can stand up to subtropical rains. Each season brings discoveries, and with them the joy of offering clients gardens that shift and surprise with colour year after year.

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love being outside in the garden as much as I love dreaming them up. Being able to watch the gardens I design grow, make edits where needed and stay connected to them and the clients provides me a unique vantage point from which to constantly improve my design work, and provides clients with reassurance. I genuinely celebrate every milestone in a garden’s life, even the joy of seeing a plant flower for the first time.