Luxurious Garden Design
Llevelo Garden Design were commissioned to design this luxury contemporary garden in Essex. Having recently renovated the house, the clients wanted a stylish, contemporary and luxurious garden to match.
This garden now has many of the most popular features of a luxury garden including:
✅ Outdoor Swimming Pool
✅ Sunken Seating area
✅ Fire Pit
✅ Outdoor kitchen with a pizza oven
✅ Oversized pergola
✅ Stylish outdoor feature wall
✅ Sunken trampoline
However creating a luxury garden goes beyond simply including these features. The design needs to have style and flair. Llevelo used a variety of design tricks to ensure the garden oozed style from every angle.
This case study focuses on how we transformed a once tired space into a luxury contemporary garden.
Contemporary Design in a Luxury Garden
When designing any garden the first consideration is the basic layout style. For the contemporary garden, we focus on including a strong sense of geometry. Key details to creating this include a focus on straight lines, shape definition, distinct areas, emphasis and sharp intersections.
Our concept plan shown to the left shows how we have included different areas within this luxury garden. Each area is well defined and of a simple angular shape.
This contemporary garden is not symmetrical but the design has created pockets of symmetry. Consequently, this creates a cleaner feel to the garden. Symmetrical shapes are easier for our brains to process hence the association with words such as clean and minimal. Symmetry can feel pleasing and calming too. The contemporary garden tends to have a minimal look and feel which in turn creates elegance and a sense of luxury.
So in summary, the contemporary garden layout will focus on geometric shapes, balance and proportion and creating a clean yet elegant feel.
Harmony with Luxury
Our culture has made harmony intrinsic to the sense of luxury so in making the garden feel harmonious, we can create the feeling luxury more easily .
How do we make a garden feel harmonious? There are three principals that Llevelo uses to achieve this:
- Creating a sense of space
- Incorporating lines of sight
- Ensuring good flow
Creating a Sense of Space (And Why Size Matters)
In this contemporary garden in Essex, we sought to maximise the sense of space. There are a few design tricks we’ve used here. Firstly, there are several areas within this luxury garden. This may not sound intuitive but creating different areas can actually give the impression of a garden being larger.
For instance, if you look at the terraced area which runs from the house to the first lawn, there is hard landscaping almost continuously here which totals nearly 100 square meters. This is an enormous amount of paving! However, we zoned it: we had an informal seating area near the house which included a raised border and statement trees. Then we placed a border. On the other side of this we had formal seating and the outdoor kitchen. The planting is key here. We’ve used this both around and within the space to transform what could be one large terrace into two smaller terraces. This has softened the overall look to ensure a more harmonious feel.
One common mistake we see is that key areas are made too small. It’s important that each area must still feel generously sized. Most commonly, we see patios and terraces undersized. It is natural to apply what we know about interiors to the garden. So inside your kitchen, it may feel normal to squeeze in around a table but when we’re in the garden, it is better to expand the space around us.
Space is a luxury and, even in a small garden, we can create a sense of space. This often comes down to ensuring there is not just adequate space but slightly more than is necessary. This may mean sacrificing on other areas but that will give a cleaner overall look (see above as to why this is important).
As a basic rule of thumb, if it looks uncomfortable on paper, it won’t work in the garden.
This is where the skill of a good garden designer comes in. The garden design must not feel awkward to navigate. By this we mean that there should be sufficient room to feel safe walking around the space. No one wants to be forced to walk right next to the swimming pool when they are fully dressed. It doesn’t feel relaxing psychologically (even if you’re a confident swimmer and sound on your feet). The design has ensured that the size of each area is appropriate for its use without creating any tight pockets or awkward corners.
Using Lines of Sight
Our garden design has focused on creating different lines of sight. You can see that there is a line of sight from the house, through the main terrace area to the first lawn. This is emphasised within the terrace by changing the finish of the paving and is a subtle textural detail which adds style which in turn also helps to denote luxury. The line of sight continues through the oversized pergolas to the upper lawn. From the house, the eye travels through many features which creates a sense of abundance and luxury.
There are also lines of sight across the width of the garden. For example from the feature wall to the swimming pool and from the outdoor kitchen across the main terrace. The design emphasises the shortest width of the garden which means it is not passed by or overlooked. Instead, emphasising a section elevates it’s importance which, in turn, makes it feel larger.
Going with the Flow
To create harmony, the design of each area within the garden needs to have a sense of flow. This is basic good design.
Partly this is achieved with lines of sight as outlined above. Although there are additional details to consider for a luxury garden also. Our design for this contemporary space includes interlinking and overlapping design details. These fit together with ease which creates that sense of flow and therefore luxury.
For example, the main terrace is not adjacent to the lawn. There is planting in between and a short pathway that connects the two. This means that there is ‘journey’ from one area to the next. It is a small but critical detail as to how the garden is perceived by the users. Also note that the position of the pathway means that you can access the house without having to walk around the dining table (good flow). The path also allows access to the centre of the lawn. This will give the home owner the sense of having ‘arrived’ at the lawn; they will flow seamlessly from space to space.
The second element of creating flow is repetition. See how the main lawn has a pathway through it. Visually this makes it appear as two lawns. Another way to view this is to say that the lawn presence is repeated. The path also connects the swimming pool to the feature wall. Paving has created flow from a relatively simple sitting area to the pool. The paving is then repeated on the other side of the lawn under the pergola arches.
The Sunken Seating area
Our favourite level change in this luxury contemporary garden is the sunken seating area with fire pit. Creating fixed seating is recommended with the guidance of a specialist designer as there’s many considerations which will influence how the space works. Ultimately, we’re aiming to maximise style and also a sense of cosiness. In this garden, the edge of the fire pit is approximately 700mm from the edge of the built in seating. This is broadly the correct distance to ensure there’s sufficient space to avoid burnt knees but allow users to appreciate the heat and not feel too far apart from one another.
Here, the sunken fire pit is actually only partially sunken. The reason for this was to ensure that it would still be possible to see the swimming pool in part. After all, we feel there that it doesn’t get anymore more relaxing than retreating to a cosy seating area with the soft glow of a (smokeless) fire and looking out to water. Planting surrounds this area also which really adds to the sense of calm, harmony and luxury.
“It doesn’t get anymore relaxing than retreating to a cosy seating area with the soft glow of a (smokeless) fire and looking out over water”
The Fire Pit
When it comes to fire pits, we’ve done our research. Working with trusted brands, we know the difference between the good and the great. The fire pit in this luxury garden not only looks great but it comes with extensive guarantees. Connected to the mains gas, it means that the fire can be on with the flick of a switch. This also means that there’s no smoke and relatively instant heat. The heat setting can also be easily controlled. For houses not on mains gas, these fire pits can also be connected to LPG canisters. Where gas canisters are required, Llevelo would create a design to ensure these are neatly hidden out of sight and accessible for when replacements are required. Fire pits are wonderful features which allow you sit back, relax and really enjoy your garden.
The Garden Swimming Pool
The swimming pool was an existing feature which meant the new garden had to work around it. This meant keeping the existing levels nearby as well as ensuring there was space around the pool for the children to play safely.
Space for Sun loungers
When you envision a luxury garden with an outdoor swimming pool, sun loungers will no doubt feature. However, is including sun loungers always the best decision? On holiday of course we associate relaxing by the pool and sipping drinks on a lounger. Here in Essex, lounging seemed less realistic for this busy family. The clients wanted to maximise the lawn space and the children want to play. There are plenty of other seating areas in the garden so we decided against a specific space for sun loungers in this contemporary garden.
Other features of the luxury garden:
The Oversized Pergola
Above we listed an oversized pergola as a popular feature in a luxury garden. This is a feature that adds style and interest through the use of the vertical. We have already considered the importance of using space generously. This principal also applies to garden features. The design of these pergolas focused on making a statement. The timber is oversized in appearance giving the feature a sense of presence.
the oversized pergola is part of one of the prominent sight lines. The rectangular nature of this results in a sense of the view being framed. This serves to slow down the visual gaze and the physical exploration. Slowing down a journey will make a garden feel larger. We often talk about means of creating interest through height which is another way to ‘slow down’ the sight line.
This garden includes three large pergolas which ensures a sense of repetition. Aesthetically, we specified a generous beam span to ensure the overall width of the pergola fits proportionally well within this space. In such instances, it is recommended to work with a structural engineer to avoid problems with sag in the long term.
A stylish outdoor feature wall
A feature wall in a garden can sometimes have a practical purpose. However in this luxury garden it was included purely for aesthetics. You can see from the Concept Plan that the feature wall is located next to, and alongside, the lawn. This serves to add interest by breaking up the monotony of the planting and lawn. The feature wall here is part of a lateral line of sight which was designed to make the garden feel larger (see above where we have explained this in more detail). Here this feature focus’ on creating interest through texture. The grey scheme also connects to other parts of the garden such as the fire place.
The Outdoor Kitchen
Outdoor kitchens have been a popular feature for contemporary and luxury gardens for several years now. At a minimum, outdoor kitchens typically include a grill, a fridge, preparation space and a sink. This outdoor kitchen in Essex also has a seating area and pizza oven. There are different options for fuelling a pizza oven and space in this outdoor kitchen for it to be attached to gas canisters. Note that there are regulations around the storage of canisters so ensure you speak to your garden designer about this.
This kitchen has been designed so as not to restrict any views of the garden but to enable the hosts to easily socialise with guests whilst they cook at the grill. On one side of this kitchen, the surface level has been raised which allows for the high chairs to be tucked away neatly when not in use. The client specified that they wanted to be able to look out to the garden and watch the children play in the pool when using the grill. This is why both the grill and pizza oven are located where they are. However, it would have worked equally well for the two seats to be in this location. This would have enabled views of the garden in the evening.
When designing an outdoor kitchen, it is not always necessary to install hot water to the sink which can add to cost. Decisions around this will largely be influenced by the proximity of the kitchen to the house. Typically, we don’t envision clients washing up at their outdoor kitchens; more often, the sinks are used for rinsing or topping up ice blocks.
Other practial considerations may include the location of the bin unit. We try and design in two sections if space; one for waste and a second for recycling. Good design should always aim to make life as easy as possible! Finally the countertop where there is a huge range of options. Granite is an excellent option for outdoor kitchen tops as can withstand the elements and has good durability. Marble is not appropriate due to its porosity. Dekton is also a great option and certainly a great choice for a cool, contemporary look. We also like Dekton as it is available in larger format so the may not be any joins – extra points when aiming for a luxurious look.
Making the garden practical
Of course homes and gardens must be practical. This means the design for a luxury garden still needs to consider safety, accessibility, storage, drainage, maintenance and a host of other aspects. Services such as wifi, electricity for lighting and music as well as water for the kitchen and irrigation points are all vital details to consider when designing a luxury garden space.
Level Changes
Broadly speaking, this contemporary luxury garden appeared flat. However, there was in fact a slight change in the levels along the garden with the back of the garden higher than that near the house.
The best way to address this to ensure the end result has a more modern look is to terrace the garden. We are referring to the process of creating two (or more if necessary) distinct levels and these should be flat. This removes the undulation and means that even the finished levels are working in line with the objective of being distinct and defined.
Use of colour in the Contemporary Garden
The colour in this garden is muted. Here, the hard landscaping is a restricted palette of greys. For the planting we also pursued a limited colour palette to create a contemporary garden look. Our preferred palette is green and then we bring interest to the borders through focusing on texture and form. By this, we’re referring to using plants which are tactile such as grasses which you can playfully run your hands through. Our favourite for this is Pennisetum and Albizia.
The main point to be aware of is that there are a multitude of greens; green, grey-green such as an Olive tree and lime and yellow-greens such as Alchemilla. If you decide to restrict the palette to create a contemporary garden then it would best to focus on true green and one other green. Don’t be tempted to combine greys with limes; it just doesn’t work.
The client for this garden wanted a little extra colour so we included mauves and purples. These are ‘cooler’ colours and ones that our eyes relax to absorb. Overall the colour pallette is still limited and this was critical to acheiving an elegant look.
Hard Landscaping in the contemporary garden
When it comes to the paving, our preference is for a palette of neutrals and naturals when we’re looking for a garden to exude elegance, luxury and contemporary style.
Here at Llevelo, we particularly like using porcelain as the main paving for a contemporary garden. This manufactured paving has a very low size variation from one piece to the next and this is usually +/-2mm. Ultimately, this means there is a greater sense of uniformity when the pieces are laid. This design detail ensures continuous crisp neat edges and only the very smallest of joints.
The second advantage to porcelain paving is that it is often available in larger sizes. Larger format paving is the great choice to really exude the look of a luxury garden. This could be more challenging for your landscaper to install but large format paving such as 900mm x 900mm really will give your garden the wow factor.
Summary
This large contemporary garden supported a number of exciting features. However, smaller gardens can still be designed to look contemporary and luxurious. We hope this article has given you valuable insight into how to create a luxury garden but if you’re still looking for help, feel free to get in touch.
