Contemporary Small Garden Design

Contemporary Courtyard Garden Design

Contemporary Courtyard Garden Design

This contemporary small garden design really transformed this garden.  It gave the clients an amazing contemporary garden design to enjoy, either from within the garden or when viewed from the overlooking windows of the house.  

The new garden is entirely finished in gorgeous porcelain paving which really sets off the contemporary design.  However,  as we have no lawn it was important to incorporate some nice planting.   So the garden is zoned into a number of spaces, for dining, relaxing etc.   We framed these areas by dividing them with raised beds filled with gorgeous planting to soften the hard landscaping.   We also incorporated a few cobble finished areas for feature plants at the ground level to further help to break up the paving.   The dining area was finished on two sides with a running Pergola to help screen the views from neighbouring houses,  with a narrow border below providing the space to root climbers which will create a green backdrop to this area in the longer term. 

Small Contemporary Garden Design

Small Contemporary Garden Design

The existing garden was quite dated, with lot of large overgrown shrubs, an unwanted lawn and mixed boundary finishes.    It had a raised bed wrapping around  one corner, which was overgrown with plants and created a lot of wasted space to the rear.   It was also in the south west facing corner of the garden, which the client wanted to use for a dining table and chairs.

The backdrop to the garden was not great, with overlooking houses to the rear and poorly finished walls.  So we plastered and painted the walls and added a running Pergola to help screen the views.    

Existing Garden

Existing Garden

In the opposite corner of the garden a run down garden shed was situated which was surrounded by overgrown shrubs.  The client no longer needed the shed so this was removed, however, one of the shrubs was tree like in size and provided significant screening from some of the adjacent houses, even in the winter as it was evergreen.  We decided to retain this Pittosporum and with some careful pruning we raised its head and shaped it into an attractive tree which provides a real feature and add some instant maturity to the new contemporary garden design.

 

Lastly, a stone water feature set in cobbles was positioned in the centre of the garden and provides a focal point in the garden with the lovely gentle sound of moving water and is a gorgeous feature to enjoy from the adjacent windows of the house.  

Stone Water Feature

Stone Water Feature

Existing Pittosporum Before

Existing Pittosporum Before

Existing Pittosporum After

Existing Pittosporum After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contemporary Garden Design

Contemporary Garden Design Plan

Contemporary Garden Design Plan

The design for this back garden transformed the existing garden into a contemporary outdoor living space with dedicated spaces for relaxing, dining and BBQing.   The garden  is divided into two levels of approximately equal size, the upper level outside the double doors into the main living areas of the house and the lower level at the north west end of the garden.   The two levels are connected by an L shaped set of steps.   

Contemporary Garden Desing

View from the top of the garden

 

The garden  is finished in a combination of honed polished concrete, charcoal porcelain and cobble mulched planting spaces.   Rectangles of polished concrete surrounded by borders of charcoal porcelain are set at each of the two levels, designating the areas for the lounging and dining furniture.  

 

 

 

Cobble Mulched Borders

Cobble Mulched Borders

 

A feature garden building positioned in the south facing corner of the garden opens on two sides facing into the garden and is pannelled to the rear and side boundary with narrow wooden laths.   It features a BBQ, fridge and sink  and has a drop-down overhang on one side which will shade those sitting at the bar when open but will enclose this side of the building when down.   

 

 

 

Garden Lighting

Garden Lighting

 

Adjacent to the boundary, beside the polished concrete dining space, 5 feature pots are positioned to provide an attractive feature in the garden.    The upper longing space  features a gas fire pit and is connected to the lower level by a path which cuts through two rectangular beds, finished in cobbles with complimentary planting.     Outdoor lighting is a big part of this garden design, with stone globe lights in the cobble finished borders, strip lights under the step overhangs and spot lights lighting up the pots and feature plants.     

Gas Fire Pit

Gas Fire Pit

Courtyard Garden Design

Courtyard Garden Design

Courtyard Garden Design

This beautiful Courtyard Garden Design was completed for a small enclosed garden in a city location.  The existing garden was surrounded on three sides by old stone walls and there was an old evergreen tree growing in one corner.   This tree was growing at a higher level than the desired patio level which needed to be taken into account in the design if it was to be retained.  

Courtyard Patio Design

Courtyard Patio Design

Due to the size of the garden, there was no need for grass and most of the central space in the garden was finished in Egyptian Limestone, which works really well with the stone wall.  However, in order to make the link stronger and to add more interest, squares of granite cobbles were laid as inserts into the paving.  

The paved area in this Courtyard Garden Design is in a somewhat teardrop shape, which softens the hard edges of the hard landscaping further.   A slightly raised border was created in the corner with the soil sloping up to surround the existing mature tree.  The supporting walls of the raised bed were created with the same stone as in the wall, so all the walls blend seamlessly with one another. 

Corner Stone Border

Corner Stone Border

 

 

A stone bird bath is set into the opposite corner in a bed of Scottish cobbles which blends into the surrounding borders.    Finally, a set of wide steps link the courtyard to the house with borders, including one small island bed wrapping around the outside of the patio to soften the hard landscaping further.  

It’s a beautiful Courtyard Garden Design which is suitable for a small garden and makes the best of the existing old features,  blending them seamlessly with more modern materials to create a lovely courtyard style garden.

Wide Garden Steps

Wide Garden Steps

 

Once the planting starts to mature in the borders surrounding the paving,  it will soften and set off the design wonderfully.   

This lovely garden was beautifully designed by Garden Design Dublin and expertly constructed by Shane O’Dea Landscapes.   

 

Relaxing Garden Design

Relaxing Garden Design

Relaxing Garden Design

This garden design plan transformed an existing neglected garden in a built up area, into a beautiful relaxing garden designed to complement a newly renovated house and open up the views of the garden from the house into the landscape beyond.    The garden design is based on a rectangular pattern chosen to give a generous space for a central lawn to help to make the garden appear larger.

The patio adjacent to the house was laid at the same level as the floor level of the house and was finished in paving set off by a border of grey granite cobbles around the outside.      Two L-shaped limestone finished walls frame the patio and are capped in bull nosed grey granite to enable the walls to double as seating when required.    A set of central steps which widen as

Garden Design Plan

Garden Design Plan

they go down, thereby opening the patio out into the garden, lead off the patio down onto the lawn.   From the bottom of the steps a stepping stone path starts and continues through the lawn before dividing in two to reach a Pergola in one corner and a garden shed in the opposite corner.  The garden shed is nicely screened by a fence made from narrow wooden laths running horizontally.  The Pergola which is positioned in the south-east corner is L shaped and allows for seating underneath for relaxation and enjoyment.    

Pergola

Pergola

The rear of the garden is finished in a plastered wall capped with decorative metal screens, which were designed to allow light through and only partial screen the views of the landscape beyond.  Borders filled with Lavender were included in the walls around the patio to soften this space when viewed from the windows of the house and borders filled with flowering shrubs, trees and perennials wrap around the rest of the garden to help make this garden a lovely relaxing and peaceful garden space designed to help you relax and unwind after city life. 

Beautifully designed by Garden Design Dublin and expertly constructed by Shane O’Dea Landscapes

Garden Design

Garden Design