Victorian
Haven
This garden is the back garden of a semi detached Victorian house in Reigate. The owners had renovated the house and were now looking to redesign the garden which was entirely paved over with a massive, mostly derelict summer house at the bottom of the garden.
The Brief
The clients are a professional couple in their 30s, with a young family. They went to Japan on their honeymoon and the husband’s favourite colour is red. They wanted to include as much lawn in the design as possible for their little boy to play football and to have picnics on. They also wanted to include some storage, a play area and have enough space for an L-shaped sofa and a dining table for entertaining.
The Design
Using the client’s preference for red, I decided to contrast this with orange and purple to create a rich and vibrant colour palette. I also chose plants that would help to give the garden a somewhat Asian feeling, but that would still be in keeping with a Victorian semi-detached house in Reigate.
Using the house as my reference point, I lined the garden path up with the back door leading to the kitchen. I wanted to maximise the size of the lawn, but still make sure that there was enough space for some generous planting.
Karima designed the perfect garden for us, which completely suited our needs, space and tastes. We absolutely love our new garden and it has completely transformed our living space and our relationship with the house.
Using the client’s preference for red, I decided to contrast this with orange and purple to create a rich and vibrant colour palette. I also chose plants that would help to give the garden a somewhat Asian feeling, but that would still be in keeping with a Victorian semi-detached house in Reigate.
I also wanted to make sure that there were a number of focal points throughout the garden to add interest. To make the most out of the lawn, I opted for stepping stones, rather than a traditional paved path.