The recently completed house extension had introduced tall retaining walls and a series of hard architectural lines that left the lower terrace feeling enclosed and visually dominant. Our aim was to re-balance the space by introducing softness, texture and atmosphere, while ensuring the garden worked effortlessly for family life.

The sunken terrace was reimagined as a calm lounging and entertaining area, framed by raised beds, planters and pots set at differing heights. This created a gentler threshold between the built elements and the garden, dissolving the hardness of the existing structures. The planting for this level was designed to be lush yet refined, with year-round structure and seasonal movement that can be enjoyed from the adjacent interior spaces.

Further up, the garden was reorganised to create a clear sense of rhythm. A broad, open lawn now forms the central space, while a more intimate area towards the rear accommodates a new outdoor building. These moments are wrapped in a layered planting composition that blends evergreen structure with multi-stem trees, climbers and feathery, light-catching blooms — an approach that brings softness and depth without feeling heavy or over-designed.

Materiality played an important role in settling the garden into both the older architecture and the new extension. Warm peach, rust and bronze tones echo the texture of the corten steel steps and edging, while pale blooms and lime-lit foliage lift the cool greys of the stone and timber. Together, these elements create a garden that feels coherent, gently atmospheric and deeply connected to the house it surrounds.