London Garden Design, Wanstead

Brief

The clients of this London garden design have recently moved into a new build home within a conservation area in Wanstead. The house is decorated in a contemporary style with bold furnishings and artwork. The garden however had received only basic landscaping by the builders and was a poor partner to the stylish interior. Although the client has an eye for bold design, a softer approach to the garden is necessary. The garden needs to be a haven in which Louise and Therese can relax and entertain. The design also needs to be child friendly and cater for dog Ben. As well as areas for dining and relaxing, the client would like to have the use of a hot tub. The clients preference is for bamboos and plants that aid relaxation through gentle movement and sound. Bamboos would also help to hide the fencing and create more privacy within the garden.

Solution

This L-shaped garden has distinct areas for dining, lounging, entertaining and relaxation. The doors from the kitchen lead out onto a flexible dining area. A raised, rendered bed painted purple is planted with bamboo. This bed creates a bold backdrop and helps provide privacy to the dining area. A sturdy table constructed from railway sleepers, complemented by an L-shaped bench and sculptural cube stools, provides a flexible and informal solution to entertaining in numbers. This area will be paved in a Mint Fossil Sandstone which works with pale coloured tiles of the kitchen floor. A lawn adjoins the dining area and a series of square beds planted with grasses and perennials for colour, texture and scent dominate the space. These beds continue into adjoining parts of the garden creating a strong cohesion, linking the dining area with the lounging area. An enclosure for Ben the dog will be created in the back left corner, using railway sleepers set vertically into the ground at intervals, with hinged gate constructed from decking boards allowing easy access. The area will be surfaced in pea gravel.

The area along the side of the house will be surfaced with pea shingle, with a series of mint fossil sandstone stepping stones forming a path to a lounging area. This area will feature two large bespoke sofas constructed from railway sleepers. Tall planters placed along the side of the house opposite the sofas add greenery to the space, in addition to two small beds planted with climbers which will grow up the house wall on a system of tension wires. The opposite boundary is lined with bamboos to create privacy and a calming effect from the subtle sound of the foliage rustling in the breeze. A hot tub will be positioned beyond the lounging area, close to the living room doors. This area will be made private with a living bamboo division between hot tub and lounging area. A weatherproof shade sail will provide additional privacy and cover on hot summer days.