Welcome To My Sanctuary

Ever felt overwhelmed or that you need a breather? Three women share how they created special spaces of their own

Laura Davis, 37, lives with her partner Chris and their daughter Poppy, eight months. While renovating her home, she converted the garden into a multipurpose area for leisure, working and entertaining. My partner Chris and I decided to renovate our house, and as the garden would become a complete mud bath from the building works, it made sense to revamp that, too. At the time, the garden was divided into several areas, which made it feel even smaller than it was, and we rarely used it. Before we started the renovations, I had a major clear-out and opened it up into one whole space.

As I often paint furniture for customers, our sitting room had ended up as my workshop. But if we were going to redo the garden, I needed somewhere sheltered – like a studio workshop – where I could paint furniture and still have space for lots of plants, and an entertaining area.

It was important to make the layout work visually – in a small space, you should aim for symmetry to keep it uncluttered and to create a sense of balance and harmony. So I settled on a formal-looking garden design with a studio at the back and symmetrical raised beds to frame a dining area.

Ahead of the building work, we put in new fencing, gates and a concrete base for the studio. Once the extension was finished, we dug foundations for the raised beds, which we made from breeze blocks. The last big job was laying black limestone slabs between the raised beds, creating a low-maintenance garden and an outdoor entertainment area.

I furnished my studio gradually in a boho style, using treasures found online and at second-hand shops – everything looks natural and earthy so the style is timeless. The centerpiece that completes the space and draws it all together is the fantastic weathered wooden table that I found online and refurbished.