Classic Contemporary Garden in Fulham

As both of the owners work full time, the main focus was to let the kids and their dog run loose amid a robust and low-maintenance garden.

It was essential to keep the garden all at the same level to maximise the space used for fitness, training and boxing.

As the client may decide to extend her kitchen side return in a couple of years, hard landscaping works around this area had to be kept to a minimum.

A pergola in the side return was merely installed to break up the long ‘corridor’ and to allow climbers to cover the neighbouring wall.

A bespoke Western red cedar fence has been put up all around the garden walls to add some privacy and to hide the fact the walls were not all of the same height.

Neat and smart planting

The client wished to have very neat looking plants without being too formal. She was also very keen on having standard bay trees as these reminded her of her family garden in Spain.

Hydrangea Annabelle were repeated around the garden for their large showy spherical heads. Not only do they make a strong presence in the summer, they also present interest in autumn and winter when they catch the frost and low winter sunshine. Artificial turf (Chelsea from Easigrass) was chosen for its low maintenance quality.

Lighting

Highlighting different parts of the garden with spike lights brought depth to the garden when viewed from the kitchen and from the dining room.

Uplighting the trees at the back of the garden added vertical emphasis and drama at night. The open habit of the Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ allowed light to fully display the branch structure and to project the shadow onto the wall behind.

Contemporary Garden in Fulham

As both of the owners work full time, the main focus was to have an aesthetically pleasing low-maintenance garden.

The client wished to keep the paving area as it was so we decided to split the garden in two different areas : one for dining and one for relaxing.

A bespoke Western red cedar fence has been put up all around the garden walls to screen the existing brick walls and to bring a contemporary feel.

A floating bench made of western red cedar was fitted to enjoy the morning sun.

Lush planting

The client wished to have very neat looking plants without being too formal.

Artificial turf was chosen for its low maintenance quality.

Lighting

Highlighting different parts of the garden with spike lights brought depth to the garden when viewed from the reception area.

Simple Chic courtyard in Chelsea

Brief

The rear garden of this townhouse in Chelsea had been fitted out with stone slabs surrounded with very narrow borders for the planting. The garden being on two different levels, a pond had originally been built on the upper level and had then been converted to a storage area under a strip of decking boards.

After several attempts to remove the dirt  and grime from the slabs, the owner decided to give a fresh take to her garden to make it look greener and more natural with hardwood decking.

In the lower ground floor, bedrooms open up to the garden through large French windows. Garden can also be accessed from the kitchen via black iron stairs. As the full height glazing panels in the kitchen overlook the garden it was important that the aerial view provided interest at any time of the day, hence a subtle lighting scheme was introduced into the plans.

The planting brief was for different shades of green and texture to provide year round interest while keeping the maintenance as low as possible.

Solutions

Square Garden Design decided to widen the steps and centre them in front of the bedroom French window to open up the space, make it look bigger as well as less enclosed.

The client went for the extremely dense Ipe timber which is referred to as “ironwood” for the decking. Ipe is arguably the toughest available hardwood for the production of garden decking and is also one of the most attractive on the market given its grain swirl and highly sought after colour.

To keep the budget as low as possible, the IPE decking was laid above the existing stone slabs, using aluminium subframes fixed to pedestals above the existing patio.

The Ipe panel above the storage area was designed to look as seamless as possible. Struts fixed on either sides of the panels make them very easy to lift and to close back down. From now on, no effort is needed to access the storage boxes under the decking. The client seems to be using this available space more than before.

Retaining walls and risers of steps at the lower level are cladded with large format porcelain tiles in a bronze finish creating a dark backdrop to the planting in front.

Highlighting different parts of the garden with uplights brought depth to the garden when viewed from the kitchen above.

The forms, leaf shapes and depths of greens contrast well with the natural tone of the IPE decking. Dense planting bring a sense of abundance to the space and the great variety of plants bring interest all year round. Large showy white flower heads of the Hydrangea Annabelle lighten the space in the summer while the Japanese maples steal the show in autumn with their orange and red foliage.

Clump forming bamboos provide height and screen the boundary wall with the neighbour all year round.

Scandinavian inspired sofa and chairs complement the indoor furniture and create a lightweight appearance in the garden.

The whole giving the garden a refined and cosy atmosphere where the client can relax and entertain with friends.