Spring Blossom and Autumn Fruit: Kensington, London

We have just put the finishing touches to this elegant outdoor room in Kensington. Evergreen jasmine grows in striking planters by Atelier Vierkant, to cover two of the walls that enclose the compact space. In summer its pale flowers fill the air with their scent. Two pear trees growing against the other wall add their own allure to the garden, with their spring blossom and autumn fruit.

The site is on two levels. The lower level connects to the kitchen and dining room in the basement of the house. A Crittall window runs the width of the wall, making it seem that there is almost no division between indoors and out, house and garden.

We have furnished the upper level of the garden with a comfortable and luxuriously proportioned sofa designed by Tribù, a low table and a fire pit made from a large terracotta pot. When the fire is not needed, the pit can be concealed beneath a wooden cover and used as a table.

During the day, the garden is a tranquil space in the heart of London, a lovely place for an alfresco lunch, or an afternoon spent relaxing with a book. At night, when the fire is ablaze and portable lights by Paola Lenti scatter joyful splashes of colour, it becomes the ideal space for an intimate party.

Interior design: Anna Von Waldburg

Photography: Alex James Photography