Outdoor Rooms In London. Extending the Home Into the Garden

In London, space is precious. Most of the gardens I work on aren’t rolling lawns. They’re compact, often tucked behind terraced houses, often in deep shade. Directly connected to the home through new extensions or large windows or glass doors. These spaces need to work hard, but when they’re well designed they can feel like another room of the house.

What Makes an Outdoor Room?

An outdoor room is part of the house, with careful thought given to the right layout, surfaces, furniture, planting, scent and colour. For me, the greens matter most. When I step into my own garden, especially working from home, the lush chlorophyll-rich planting makes a difference you can feel. Your physiology calms. This is why outdoor rooms are so important. They’re like a living room, but alive!

Defined zones matter too: a place for eating, a corner for reading, planting that creates subtle boundaries and changes the way you move through the space.

• Architectural planting. Strong shapes that frame and divide areas, combined with calming greens that soften the edges.

• Furniture that matters. The right seating and tables are as important outdoors as they are indoors, shaping how the space is used, often designed bespoke as built-in.

• Colour and scent. Perennials that bring seasonal colour, texture and fragrance, ensuring the garden changes character through the year.

• Surfaces that connect. Stone, timber or tile chosen to complement the architecture indoors, so the garden feels part of the same story.

• Water and reflection. A small pond or water feature can anchor a space, invite wildlife, and add sound and movement.

• Wildlife-friendly design. Planting that supports pollinators and birds, so the garden feels alive as well as beautiful.

Our Approach

Every client has a different taste. Some prefer the calm of a restrained palette, others want colour and movement. My role is to listen closely, understand what feels right for you, and design a garden that reflects that.

The Result

A small London garden that feels like it belongs to the house. Architectural planting, calming greens, colour and scent, well-chosen furniture, surfaces that tie indoors to out, and space for wildlife. All combined to create a room without a roof, designed around your life and your taste, to be used and enjoyed every day.

If you’re planning a redesign, or have just finished extending your home, now is the perfect moment to shape the garden to match.