The elegant outdoors: Alexander Square, London.
Whether seen from the basement or the ground floor, this garden is dominated by the round table and colourful pendant lights hanging over it. This carefully constructed view draws the eye away from the garden’s narrow boundaries, creating a sense of space.
Maximum rewards: Redcliffe Road, London.
We stopped the view from the basement of Redcliffe Road in Chelsea with a multi-stem Amelanchier lamarkii, which is guaranteed to delight the eye with spring blossom, summer berries and autumn colour, giving pleasure throughout the year.
Seen through the doors of the basement, an enfilade of elegant pots create another eyecatcher, and draw the eye towards the steps.
Satisfying the senses, Cresswell Place, London.
The most important feature in this garden is a wall fountain made from three bronze taps running into a stone basin. The fountain sits at the centre of the view, distracting the eye from houses that might otherwise appear to tower over the garden.
Spring Blossom, Autumn Fruit, Kensington, London.
The view through the basement is interrupted only by the narrow glazing bars of the window, so that the garden has become an almost seamless extension of the house. By creating this bond between house and garden we made the limited outdoor space feel very much larger.
New house, new garden.
This feature wall is made of subtly coloured, glittering tiles taken from Cristina Celestino’s Plumage collection, produced in Italy by Botteganove. It transforms what was once a dull view from the basement, drawing the eye and tempting us to step outside and sit down at the table.
