Renowned interior designer, all-around aesthete and longstanding judge on The Block, Darren Palmer, lives with his husband, son, and two dogs in Bondi. He recently embarked upon an ambitious renovation and development of his block, building a house from scratch and transforming two-thirds of his existing home. Recognised for his unmistakeable “laid-back luxury” design aesthetic paired with a keen commercial eye, it was no surprise that Darren chose ModularWalls to provide the ultimate premium retaining wall and fencing solution as a backdrop to showcase the very best of Bondi living.
Bringing a Bondi oasis to life
Darren Palmer’s Bondi Beach renovation merges modern aesthetics with functionality, with a touch of luxury. The home epitomises the Bondi oasis, with four bedrooms, a study, two lounge areas, a pool, and multiple indoor-outdoor zones. The design for the front yard and entryway transformed previously unusable space into a striking poolside alfresco entertaining area framed by ModularWalls TrendWall, extensive glass and abundant, lush landscaping.
“It’s a rather large project on a very difficult block here in Bondi Beach. It’s a beautiful location. And we’ve created something that is modern, contemporary, and I think really beautiful.”
Style and performance: the ModularWalls difference
During his tenure on The Block, Darren had experienced firsthand the efficient installation, premium aesthetics, and acoustic attenuation that ModularWalls provides.
Additionally, Darren’s friends Barry Du Bois and Shaynna Blaze had both used ModularWalls and couldn’t have been more thrilled with the results.
“With ModularWalls being a favourite on The Block, and having been used by several of my friends in their backyards, I knew it was a great solution for my project. In specifying ModularWalls, I was looking for a really specific solution.”
With a challenging site and neighbouring homes just metres away, Darren needed a solution offering easy installation, retaining capabilities, acoustic attenuation and aesthetic beauty. ModularWalls’ TrendWall® fit the brief, delivering an outcome that not only complemented Darren’s home aesthetically, but also offered outstanding practical benefits and efficiency in its installation.
“I needed specifically to have a retaining system, I needed privacy and acoustic privacy, and really needed a cost-effective solution that looked good. And ModularWalls provided everything – and delivered far more than I could have expected.”
ModularWalls: the premium fencing solution
Darren had chosen timber paling fencing for previous projects. However, the significant retaining requirements of his renovation made such a solution impractical and costly.
ModularWalls offered a more aesthetically pleasing and seamless alternative, addressing the project’s functional and visual needs while remaining cost-effective.
“The only other fencing solution that I’ve ever put into any of my homes is timber paling. Given the fact we had to retain so much, we would have had quite thick areas of concrete upturns and then we would have had a different fencing solution above that. Aesthetically, that wouldn’t have worked for me -and cost-wise, that would have been really expensive.”
Not to mention, the proven acoustic attenuation of ModularWalls provides visual and acoustic privacy for Darren and family to enjoy their new outdoor space uninterrupted.
“The ModularWalls system creates acoustic and visual privacy and it just gives me this sense of being in my own private little bubble away from the world. The hustle and bustle Bondi is right there, and I feel like I’m in my own private oasis.”
Seamless integration: contemporary retaining walls
TrendWall® paired with integrated TerraFirm® retaining panels offers the blend of functionality and modernity Darren required. Offering a seamless visual consistency, the boundary walls and retaining panels are indistinguishable. This creates a cohesive appeal that enhances the overall design continuity of the space.
“I needed to retain and I also needed an aesthetic solution for the boundary walls. The TerraFirm® panels and the TrendWall® system look exactly the same. You cannot tell where one ends and the next one starts. Visually, it’s really consistent, cohesive, and beautiful.”
Find out more about Darren’s contemporary retaining walls.
Designer aesthetics for Darren’s oasis
Known for his timeless luxury design sensibility, Darren Palmer created a distinctly contemporary aesthetic for his renovation, favouring clean lines and bold geometry. ModularWalls’ design flexibility enhances the angles of the home’s façade. It’s possible to to rake sections of the wall to follow the land’s fall, contributing to a visually stunning and functional design.
Darren enthuses “This is a really contemporary home. It has clean lines and lots of lovely geometry. The fact that we could rake some sections [of the wall] to run with the fall of the land works beautifully. It creates beautiful shapes. It catches the light beautifully. Aesthetically, it’s just a really beautiful solution. That’s a lot of beautifuls, but it is. I love it.”
Premium solutions at the right price point
Famously stating, “Good design doesn’t need to cost the Earth” Darren knows where to invest to get the best return on investment when renovating. ModularWalls’ multifaceted functionality makes it the ideal choice for homeowners who want more from their walls and fences, but also value a cost-effective solution.
“We have that gorgeous rendered appeal, but not at that cost. Building a whole house from scratch, rebuilding basically my house from scratch, there’s a lot of costs involved. ModularWalls retains, provides privacy, is seamless, and cost-effective. It’s everything I needed and a better solution at a better price than I could have imagined,” Darren concludes.
Darren Palmer’s finishing touches: customisation and styling
Darren’s project features a simple, neutral colour palette with Surfmist paint. Coastal-appropriate outdoor-rated lighting was integrated within TrendWall to further extend Darren’s enjoyment of the space, and to cast a warm glow to offset the Bondi sunset.
“I think it’s very hard to go past. You can render it, you can tile it, you can ever cover it in timber! Let alone the fact that you can paint it, and it looks so beautiful in it’s simplest form.”
Darren styled his brand new outdoor space with contemporary pieces in a neutral colour palette that added to the project’s laid-back luxury appeal.
Darren Palmer’s Bondi oasis: a resounding success
“On this project, there are many things that I would do differently. The outdoor spaces and the fencing are definitely not one of them. Everything worked beautifully. In fact, it was so much more seamless and so much more beautiful than I expected.”
Darren Palmer’s Bondi renovation showcases the versatility, functionality, and aesthetic appeal of ModularWalls systems. The seamless integration of TerraFirm® and TrendWall® provided the perfect solution for retaining, fencing, and enhancing privacy, ultimately transforming his home into a modern masterpiece.
