Urban Design - A New Leaf

The transformation of an unloved town plot into a deceptively low-maintenance, verdant idyll has inspired its owners to enjoy it as an entertaining space that links inside and out.

- Stephanie Mahon

Steve and Vanessa Cresswell are busy people. They have two teenage boys and they both work full-time so it was essential the Surrey-based couple had a calm, inviting and comfortable home to come back to each evening. Until recently, however, their garden was none of these things. In full view through bi fold doors from the kitchen and sitting room, the plot was “just a slab”, Steve recalls, a rectangular area of black slate tiles and planters that was not much used, nor much loved.

Then Vanessa met garden designer Fiona Harrison. Both women were part of the same local business network, and Fiona’s name had cropped up when Vanessa had asked for recommended garden designers. After a successful initial meeting, the Cresswells decided to ask Fiona to transform their garden, to turn it into a space that would link the inside and out, and which they could use for entertaining family and friends.

“Our brief was to create an additional room that we could enjoy all year round,” says Steve. “We wanted somewhere we could spend time together, but which would be relatively low maintenance.”