Sometimes a small space can seem the most challenging to design.   However, this is the size you really can treat like an outdoor room and if you apply the same principles the results can be wonderful.   This small garden measures only 3.4m wide by 6.5m long and is surrounded on three sides by large windows which open into the rooms of the house.   It was therefore very important that the garden was good to look at all year around from the windows of the house

and that it really does function like an outdoor room.

The courtyard was divided into two areas, a small deck and an adjacent lawn which were pulled together by surrounding them in sandstone cobbles in a lovely warm colour called camel dust.   As the couple have a small child they still wanted to have a lawn but they did not want the work associated with grass so we opted for artificial grass.   We paired this with a composite deck in a lovely soft grey tone.

Some planting is always needed in even the smallest garden to soften the surrounding hard

landscaping, so we positioned two raised beds against the boundary fence flanking an area where a special piece of sculpture or small water feature could be positioned at a later date.   To add height and a feeling of enclosure to this space we built a single flying pergola adjacent to the fence and planted climbers which will eventually climb up the pergola and drape down creating a green canopy along this boundary.

The fence and raised borders was painted off white to match the walls of the house and the pergola was painted a lovely soft blue shade to match the doors.    This combination of colours

which compliments the house beautifully pulls the whole design together creating a wonderful outdoor space which will truly become an outdoor room for this family.