Materiality & surfaces

Materiality and Surfaces

I get bespoke trellis made for most of our London-based design projects as we usually have to create height and privacy within these spaces.

I prefer painted trellis as it brings another layer of interest into the space and if something is beautifully made and pleasing to look at then you will be happy to have it in your garden for a long time.

With bespoke trellis you can have them made to the exact height you require, which you won't be able to achieve with off-the-shelf varieties.

Mirror

Alongside bespoke trellis, we also use antique mirrors in a lot of our gardens. We place these behind the trellis and these mirrors act to bounce the light and the sun around the garden and expand the space.

If you want to use a mirror though, make sure it's antique. Regular mirrors are too shiny and can confuse birds who see their reflection and believe they have met a mate. To avoid this, either buy an antique mirror or distress your own.

Choosing Your Flooring

When it comes to flooring, there are a lot of different options available. I am a real fan of sawn Yorkstone which will give your garden a contemporary feel and is also extremely hard-wearing and won't absorb too much water.

On the other hand, if you want to create a more traditional and rustic-looking space then a stone like Durlston Riven Finish will give you a rougher, more natural look.

One thing to bear in mind if you are choosing to go with a riven finish is that you won't have completely level paving slabs and therefore any furniture that you put on top won't be level either. Water will also sit in the crevices too, so you may end up with more algae on your paving surfaces.

If you're interested in creating patterns in your paving, then consider combining different types of bricks such as Yorkstone and cobbles. Patterns and bold statements can work particularly well in small spaces where a bold statement piece will have more impact and really create interest.

Creating Pattern

I love to build patterns into my paving and I like to use Belgian bricks rather than regular bricks as they are much narrower. I prefer to arrange them skinny side up and we usually butt joint them, dust in some kiln-dried sand and put them on a permeable base that's Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) compliant. This means it's good for the environment and won't encourage localised flooding.

I'm particularly fond of dividing a multi-functional space up with different patterns. So I might use a herringbone pattern on one part of the terrace and then a stacked brick effect on another part.

When it comes to colour I always work in bricks that are the same tone and I would never combine lots of different colours together in one garden. If you're looking for a job lot of bricks, make sure to contact local reclaimed brick suppliers in your area. The London Reclaimed Brick Company is particularly great for sourcing reclaimed bricks, but be aware that they're likely to be more porous, so may not work as well in the ground.

The key thing when thinking about paving is to take inspiration from what is already around you. Think about what your house is made of, what features and colours are already in your garden and what stone is used a lot in the local area.

Don't Use Too Many Different Types of Material

Personally, I think that two or three materials is the maximum amount you want to use in your garden, otherwise things can start to get a little too busy.

Sourcing

• The London Reclaimed Brick Company
• Vande Moortel