Looking at the before pictures of this garden in London’s Wandsworth, I think you’d describe it, generously, as having potential. There wasn’t much to it, after all, to make it feel like a complete disaster, but an Astroturf lawn can hide a multitude of sins. And, really, it wasn’t the sort of space that could give its owners any sense of the joy of being outside.
That’s where landscape designer Lilly-Joan Richardson came on board, tasked with the tall order of making this small, blank canvas into a garden with layers of both style and functionality. “A strong connection between the interior and exterior was central to the brief,” Lilly tells me. “They were keen to create a seamless transition, blurring the boundaries between indoors and out, and effectively forming an ‘outdoor room’. They also wanted to incorporate a generous lounge area alongside a well-designed outdoor kitchen for alfresco cooking and entertaining.”
It’s a before-and-after garden makeover that’s actually quite magical. The resulting space has way more in it than the empty bar artificial grass one it replaced, yet it feels endlessly larger. It now has separate zones for lounging and cooking, feels lush and verdant, and has a sense of style that’s actually pretty bold and unusual for a garden.
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So, how did this come together? I asked Lilly for the secrets behind this space.
Lilly-Joan Richardson is a South West London–based garden designer with over 20 years’ experience creating bespoke outdoor spaces across the UK and internationally. Since launching her independent practice in 2014, she has built a reputation for transforming gardens into stylish, liveable environments that balance creativity, sustainability, and practicality.
Before
A semi-empty plot with bare walls and an artificial grass lawn was the starting point for this project.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Lilly-Joan Richardson)
This garden started off as something, admittedly, very low-maintenance, but incredibly uninspiring. “Previously, the garden was an underused space that felt flat and uninviting,” Lilly says. “The clients are a family with three teenage children, and they wanted to transform it into a garden that was not only beautiful to look at — particularly from the kitchen, where it is visible all year-round — but also practical and inviting to use.”
It’s a shallow-but-wide garden plot, mirroring the house it extends from, making it an ideal space to foster a strong connection between the interior and exterior. “They were keen to create a seamless transition, blurring the boundaries between indoors and out, and effectively forming an ‘outdoor room’,” Lilly says. “They also wanted to incorporate a generous lounge area alongside a well-designed outdoor kitchen for alfresco cooking and entertaining.”
After
“Large pots have been carefully positioned to reinforce the different zones and introduce varying heights, from taller trees to lower, clipped forms,” Lilly says.
(Image credit: Ursula Armstrong. Design: Lilly-Joan Richardson. Landscaping: The Garden Builders.)
The clever trick behind making this small garden feel bigger than it actually is? Dividing it up. It might seem counterintuitive, but “leaving it completely open would have emphasised its size,” Lilly says.
“Instead, I introduced zoning and vertical layering to create depth and make the space feel larger and more immersive,” the designer adds. “I like to design with a series of zones and vistas that draw you through the garden, encouraging movement and exploration.”
Rather than using hard dividers like timber screens to achieve this, the design employs a subtler touch. “By separating areas with soft, layered planting, each space feels intimate and usable, while still remaining visually connected.”
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“Climbing plants such as rambling roses, wisteria, and evergreen jasmine soften these structures and bring a sense of lushness.”
(Image credit: Ursula Armstrong. Design: Lilly-Joan Richardson. Landscaping: The Garden Builders.)
Planning the space’s functionality started from where the sunlight falls. The outdoor living room, for example, was positioned to enjoy the afternoon sun, “making it ideal for relaxing or evening drinks,” Lilly says, while “a smaller table and chairs are placed to catch the morning light — perfect for coffee — and can easily be repositioned for dining closer to the outdoor kitchen later in the day.”
The outdoor kitchen takes it place in the shadier part of the garden, but is dressed with its own wall sconces and a mirror, so it doesn’t feel like a dark spot.
The bistro table is situated for good light for taking a morning coffee.
(Image credit: Ursula Armstrong. Design: Lilly-Joan Richardson. Landscaping: The Garden Builders.)
They’re now spaces that call to be used, with Lilly introducing a cocooning sense to them through a mix of planting, overhead structures, and by introducing more privacy to the space. “The garden initially felt quite overlooked, particularly from the rear,” she says. “To address this, I introduced pleached trees along the back boundary. They are ideal for smaller spaces as they provide height and screening without taking up too much room.”
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“The main [outdoor kitchen] unit is powder-coated, with carefully considered door detailing that ties in with the overall aesthetic of the garden. The handleless doors open on a magnetic system, maintaining a clean, streamlined look while providing practical storage.”
(Image credit: Ursula Armstrong. Design: Lilly-Joan Richardson. Landscaping: The Garden Builders.)
The garden’s planting also acts as a distraction from the houses surrounding this dense, urban plot. “This layered approach to planting is key — it draws the eye into the garden rather than upwards towards neighboring buildings, helping to create a more intimate and secluded atmosphere,” Lilly explains.
The other scene-stealer in this garden? Undoubtedly, it’s the patio flooring. “The checkerboard paving introduces a sense of timeless elegance with a contemporary edge,” Lilly says. “The client was keen for something distinctive, and this pattern provides structure, contrast, and a subtle sense of luxury without overwhelming the space.”
“It adds character and rhythm to the garden, while the surrounding materials — such as the pots, furniture, and wall colors — were carefully chosen to complement it, ensuring the overall scheme feels cohesive and harmonious.”
“The overall effect is warm, inviting, and gently lit — never harsh or overpowering.”
(Image credit: Ursula Armstrong. Design: Lilly-Joan Richardson. Landscaping: The Garden Builders.)
It’s a garden that looks incredible in the daytime, but perhaps is even more impressive after dusk falls. It’s a garden lighting scheme that feels incredibly rich and layered, from the overhead pendant light of the dining area, suspended on the pergola beams, to the low-level uplighters, highlighting the planting.
“Uplighting gently highlights the structure of the trees, adding depth and texture,” Lilly explains of the lighting scheme, “and a hanging light above the lounge area reinforces the feeling of an outdoor room, while wall lanterns near the kitchen and discreet fittings along the trellis provide soft, ambient illumination.”
But it doesn’t stop there. It’s designed with surfaces to introduce candles and portable table lamps, too.
And maybe, that’s what’s so inviting about this garden — it feels like it’s as comfortable to live in as a room indoors. Whether that’s down to the effect of creating rooms outdoors, the lighting as layered as a scheme you’d see inside the home, or the finishes — a flooring and kitchen style that’d be just as desirable on the other side of the patio doors — there’s something here that draws you to spend time in it.
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