Project Overview
This project was about creating a refined, contemporary garden design that felt calm, sculptural, and easy to maintain; a balance of strong architectural geometry and soft natural detail. The existing garden was open and slightly uneven, with little structure or flow, with challenging access issues.
This contemporary garden design aimed to introduce a clearer sense of order through form and materiality while ensuring that the space remained inviting and tranquil.
Design Brief
- A modern, contemporary design
- Simple clean lines
- Low-maintenance planting
- Water feature
- Stone terrace for entertaining
Granite Terrace
A key component of the design is the large granite terrace, which anchors the garden and provides a generous area for entertaining and dining. The clean edges of the granite, combined with its subtle variation in tone, perfectly complement the modern architectural lines of the house.
Its reflective surface plays beautifully with light throughout the day, providing a natural link to the central granite water feature ball, which serves as both a focal point and a soothing auditory element. The sound of the water gently cascading over the polished granite brings movement and a calm rhythm to the space.
Modern Planting & Lighting Schemes
The planting scheme was designed to contrast with the clean geometry of the hardscape. Low-maintenance, structural plants, evergreen shrubs, ornamental grasses, and perennial groundcovers were chosen for texture and year-round interest. These soften the edges of the terrace while maintaining the garden’s modern aesthetic.
Subtle lighting was incorporated to highlight the water feature and create evening ambience, ensuring that the space remains equally functional and atmospheric after dusk.
Outcome
Overall, the garden now feels cohesive and purposeful; a modern sanctuary that reflects simplicity, structure, and tranquillity through its interplay of granite, water, and planting.
