Garden makeovers
A garden is an extension of a house, so if your outside space is simply a place to put out the deckchairs in summer, you’re missing out. Designed well, it can make your home feel as if it has an extra room – or even rooms – when the weather makes getting outside a possibility and, in winter, it can provide fabulous views.
A garden makeover is well worth the time and cost to give dull, neglected or underused outdoor space a facelift, and it’s also worth considering when you’re undertaking a home improvement. Rear extensions or projects that make a garden-level floor more open plan often create a better connection than the house originally had, so you don’t want what’s beyond the glazing to let the side down.
Just as with interior plans, getting a professional on board – in this case a garden designer – can maximise gains when you’re revamping. But there’s also plenty you can do yourself or along with contractors. Bear in mind, too, that it’s feasible to makeover a garden over time, creating the structure first and planting later, so you don’t have to splash out on everything at once. Get garden savvy with our top tips and real-life projects.
COTTAGE STYLE
Pretty planting and a renovated outdoor room have given Liz and Tim Hoad a beautiful space to while away the summer days
Sitting on the edge of the village green with views of the Dorset coast, Liz and Tim’s pretty stone-built cottage is an idyllic place to be.
