Small Spaces

Small spaces are a challenge because they need to look good all year round and tend to be visible from all areas of the house. Furthermore, every inch of the space needs to count and they can quickly look untidy, cluttered and undefined.

These small outdoor areas have a range of uses including seating and dining, playing, storage, access and screening. Quite a lot to cram into a small space!

By paring down the use of materials, colours and plant selections to a simple palette, a small area can be designed to look and feel larger than it is. Also, it’s tempting in a small garden to work on a small scale. Actually the opposite is true, a specimen multi-stemmed tree can introduce height and proportion to the space. Similarly, creating layers of planting gives an illusion of depth and hides the boundaries. Don’t be tempted to place narrow borders around the perimeter of the garden, rather lay the garden out so that the whole garden is not visible at any one time.  

As the garden usually extends from the house, it is important that the style complements the interiors of the house. For example, duplicating flooring and other materials in the garden, a seamless transition is created between internal and external spaces.