A chic courtyard

A classic example of wasted space, this rear yard was cramped, messy and unappealing. The owners decided to build a sunroom extension across part of the space and wanted a contemporary courtyard to complement it.

The space is now transformed with natural slate linking indoors and out, sunlight reflecting off the white walls, and a beautiful built-in oak bench linking visually with the beige recliner in the sunroom. Exuberant planting, mainly evergreen for year round interest, picks up the accent colours of burgundy and plum used indoors. The mosaic edged vertical rill set into the wall makes a stunning feature, with water spilling noisily from a raised pool (depth designed for cooling wine bottles!) into the ground level pool, lined with deep blue mosaic tiles, which runs the width of the garden and is crossed by a slate bridge.

Now the courtyard makes a lovely outdoor dining room in good weather, and is ideal for chilling with a glass of wine after work or for lazy Sunday brunches. Lit up at night and with a metal grille over the pond, it’s an atmospheric party venue, and even in winter it’s a delight to look out at from the house.