A garden for a young family.
A Grade II listed barn conversion in the Cotswolds, with front and rear garden.
To make the most of a blank canvas, the clients were keen to create a journey through the garden, developing discrete areas for the family to entertain, for the children to play and to encourage a better connection with nature.
The garden had wonderful far reaching views, but it was also totally open to passers’ by, so the introduction of privacy was crucial. The final look and feel would emulate a traditional cottage garden, complete with abundant and colourful planting.
S T O N E H O U S E
The property has strong architectural features from its previous incarnation as a cart barn, including arched doorways and large arched windows. This formed a key inspiration for the final design.
Sitting just beyond the garden boundary is the Stroud canal-way, referred to locally as ‘the ocean’, which provided an opportunity to incorporate a wonderful ‘borrowed’ view into the final design.
Design concept
The design focuses on creating a journey.
An existing, awkward terrace at the rear of the property is replaced with generous steps, to double-up as amphitheatre style seating, allowing entertaining on a grand scale.
A separate dining terrace housing an outdoor kitchen, provides space for comfortable seating and formal dining for up to 20 people. A dedicated vegetable and herb garden, located immediately adjacent to the outdoor kitchen area, ensures fresh produce is always close at-hand.
Whilst the introduction of privacy is key to the final design, it is balanced with maintaining and enhancing the views - both of the garden from within the house, and the beautiful distant views beyond the boundary. Structural planting is used to create sight-lines throughout the garden and viewing points, which are strategically placed near the boundary.
A limited and refined palette of materials is used throughout the space, chosen to blend with the architecture of the property and ensuring the design is visually coherent.
