Though this brief might not seem like our usual fare, with a focus on lots of incredibly bold colour, the clients approached us as they wanted a landscape designer who was ambitious enough to think outside the box to bring this project to life.
This meant lots of colour and a real focus on a garden design that maximised the footprint of the garden; because while there might not have been an abundance of space, with a roughly 5m x 10m to work with, there was an abundance of vision for it.
The clients had recently downsized from a property with around half an acre of Somerset countryside at their back door, moving into the Brooks Dye Works development in St Werburghs to experience the city centre at their doorstep. This sense of liveliness and action, combined with the clients' incredible eye for design, were the inspiration for the project.
With references ranging from the use of colour by Mexican architect Luis Barragán to the angles and textures of Glasgow's Brutalist architecture, we wanted to create something bold but considered.
To maximise the space, we went with no lawn, instead using raised planted beds positioned on a 45 degree angle, to funnel visitors through the space.
Every element of the garden was irregular, too, with not one piece mirrored anywhere else. That meant that each plant, planter, and feature was a slightly different size, shape, material, or finish, or had an individual finish not replicated anywhere else. This created never-ending visual intrigue.
We also wanted to ensure the garden was well-suited to the clients' needs, choosing late-blooming plants that tolerate drought better to account for summers spent abroad.
This artistic garden was a riot of colour, texture, and craftsmanship, perfectly carrying through the design sensibilities of the interiors of the property.
We used a number of different materials and finishes throughout. This included steel detailing, which was both aesthetic and practical, providing seating on a front planter bed and drainage assistance on the terrace.
We also utilised micro-cement, which is an excellent material for adding texture and colour, both on a bold orange planter and on a feature wall made from weather-stable MDF.
The space was perfectly finished off with an incredible frameless greenhouse, providing an almost optical illusion of a perfectly transparent structure. This allows the clients to grow vegetables, without ruining the visual harmony of the garden, or adding harsh edges that break up the flow.
Artisan have created and exceptional garden for us in a small space. They really got that we wanted a collaborative approach to design for a fairly radical idea, and completely nailed the brief! All the team were delightful to have around: neat, considerate and dedicated. We are delighted with Artisan and would recommend them to anyone.
This garden was a joy to create from start to finish. Collaborating clients who are deeply invested in their garden as well as having a strong sense of design makes a very successful project. A real challenge for our team with left-field design ideas and unorthodox techniques in an incredibly small space, we had to draw on all of our experience to delivery a highly unique space.
