‘The smaller the garden, the more important it is to curate its contents,’ says Sheila Jack, a designer who knows a thing or two about chic simplicity. For more than a decade, she has been producing miniature horticultural gems for an urban – and urbane – clientele who want to make the most of every bit of outdoor space at their disposal.
Australian expats James and Olivia Markham had just completed an extensive renovation of their west London house when they came across Sheila’s portfolio. ‘We put so much effort into the house, but the garden looked like a prison yard and we wanted them to complement each other,’ says James. That meant reflecting curved elements in the interior, while making space for James’ beloved barbecue and as much of an Aussie outdoor lifestyle vibe as the British weather would allow.
Alister Thorpe
Given that the whole rear garden measures just 5.5 metres by 8 metres, that brief could have been daunting, but Sheila was more struck by the possibilities than the limitations. ‘They have no neighbours at the bottom of the garden, so there was a borrowed landscape of other people’s trees and a surprising sense of space,’ she explains. ‘I began by assessing which elements we could keep. The existing wooden fence was perfectly all right and there was a mature pittosporum, which we shaped into a topiarised cylinder, but there was nothing much else there apart from an enormous trampoline belonging to James and Olivia’s daughters.’
Mindful of that curving interior motif and the little girls’ hope of one day being reunited with their circular trampoline, Sheila shaped generous beds to round out three of the four corners and laid smart stone pavers on a diagonal to enhance the feeling of space. ‘Fortunately, I didn’t have to squeeze in an outdoor table, because the indoor dining area connects directly with the garden via a wall of Crittall windows and doors. But I designed a curved bench for the end of the garden, which catches the very last of the evening light. When covered, the fire bowl doubles as a coffee table, so there is still plenty of room for entertaining.’