Tracey James and Paul Roye’s stylish garden has been cleverly designed with distinct spaces that work for the whole family
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With room for socialising, hobbies and relaxing, Tracey and James have created a cool family garden
Garden design is a rich and complex world, with tastes ranging from charming cottage schemes to a paredback and minimalist aesthetic. Tracey James’ cool and considered space sits somewhere closer to the contemporary end of the scale, combining hard landscaping and structural elements with soothing natural grasses and water features.
The original garden consisted of a patio, lawn, path and a tumbledown shed. ‘I wanted more interest, and a crisp, architectural feel,’ says
Tracey. ‘As our grown-up children live at home, it was about creating a relaxing, low-maintenance, adult space for everyone.’ Acting on a recommendation, she and her partner, Paul, contacted Sakura Gardens to discuss ideas – and their breathtaking outdoor living room was born. Take the tour…
PLANTING
The structured seating – built into the concrete planting troughs to make it look like it’s floating – also contains the majority of the planting, which was chosen for its height, movement and structural shapes. ‘We’ve planted white flowers, like alliums and lilies, but it’s mostly about textures and greens,’ says Tracey. ‘I love the palms and grasses, especially the variegated and blue-toned ones.’
FINISHING TOUCHES
Carefully positioned furniture adds extra areas for relaxing and socialising across the garden. A round dining table near the house maximises room on the raised patio, while a hanging chair tucked away at the back offers a space for quiet contemplation. Tracey makes her own cushions, which add to the sense of a comfy outdoor room in the middle seating area.
‘In all, we spent £30,000 on the garden, including the shed,’ she says
‘The work was an investment, but it’s made the outdoor space much more usable and enjoyable, as well as improving the flow and the feeling of space in the ground floor of our house.’
NATURAL LOOK
The contemporary concrete troughs are softened with natural textures elsewhere in the garden. The water feature built into the deck at the end of the garden provides a soothing background sound, and a twiceyearly treatment with protective teak oil keeps the yellow balau hardwood looking smart and glossy. The lawn area also required thought. ‘We discussed using artificial grass, but I’m glad we went for the real thing,’ says Tracey. ‘It’s authentic and natural.’