5 of the Best Before and After Garden and Patio Transformations
See how five homeowners refreshed their outdoor spaces last year and let yourself feel inspired
Who can resist a good before and after? Certainly not us. So, as we gear up for the gardening season, here are just some of the most creative outdoor transformations featured on Houzz in the past year, all satisfyingly shown in their ‘before’ states as well as their revamped glory.
Want more ideas? Browse our gardens archive under the stories tab for garden inspiration, as well as more tours – and don’t forget to save useful solutions and tips to your ideabooks.
Want more ideas? Browse our gardens archive under the stories tab for garden inspiration, as well as more tours – and don’t forget to save useful solutions and tips to your ideabooks.
The garden now has a slick patio for dining, while the area beyond is full of soft, wild and insect-friendly planting, with pathways leading through several different zones.
The design nods to a Japanese theme, with a small water feature and gravel underfoot, making it a relaxing place to spend time, as well as providing a pleasant and good-looking space for entertaining. There’s also a concealed shed, which provides ample storage without interfering with the relaxing theme.
Read how the bare, narrow patch was transformed for tranquility.
The design nods to a Japanese theme, with a small water feature and gravel underfoot, making it a relaxing place to spend time, as well as providing a pleasant and good-looking space for entertaining. There’s also a concealed shed, which provides ample storage without interfering with the relaxing theme.
Read how the bare, narrow patch was transformed for tranquility.
A multi-purpose patio is perfected
This north London house was extended and, in this ‘before’ image, you can see the back of the house as work was beginning.
Creating a patio area to connect the newly extended house with the new, beautifully designed garden was a particular challenge for designer Joanne Bernstein. She was tasked with creating a visual link to unite the two sides of the property, as well as providing access to the garden from the garage [the white area seen here] and the library in the new extension.
This north London house was extended and, in this ‘before’ image, you can see the back of the house as work was beginning.
Creating a patio area to connect the newly extended house with the new, beautifully designed garden was a particular challenge for designer Joanne Bernstein. She was tasked with creating a visual link to unite the two sides of the property, as well as providing access to the garden from the garage [the white area seen here] and the library in the new extension.
This ‘after’ image shows the back of the house now, with the garage at the far end and sliding glass doors leading to the library in the foreground. “The garage is important, as it’s an integral part of the house, taking up almost half its width, and it’s where all the garden kit is stored,” Joanne explains.
“The two sets of stairs [to the lawn] were a device to connect the two halves,” she says, “so the house as a whole felt unified, rather than two separate entities.”
A large rendered planter, painted in palest pink, separates the steps and brings lush planting close to the house. Joanne also salvaged two plants from the old garden and placed them in pots by the glazed doors – an acer (foreground) and a camellia.
See more of this beautiful walled garden with a hidden seating spot.
“The two sets of stairs [to the lawn] were a device to connect the two halves,” she says, “so the house as a whole felt unified, rather than two separate entities.”
A large rendered planter, painted in palest pink, separates the steps and brings lush planting close to the house. Joanne also salvaged two plants from the old garden and placed them in pots by the glazed doors – an acer (foreground) and a camellia.
See more of this beautiful walled garden with a hidden seating spot.
An uninviting slope becomes a feature
Though this wide, shallow garden was large and green before John Brennan of Yorkshire Gardens redesigned it, the lawn was largely unusable thanks to its steep incline.
The garden also lacked interest, places to wander or sit, and focal points. Not anymore…
Though this wide, shallow garden was large and green before John Brennan of Yorkshire Gardens redesigned it, the lawn was largely unusable thanks to its steep incline.
The garden also lacked interest, places to wander or sit, and focal points. Not anymore…
Though this shows the garden from the other end of the house (now on the left, just out of shot), you can see exactly what John’s done. The designer terraced the slope to make it far more accessible and enjoyable. Now it has an inviting path linking two pergolas at either end and winding past multiple beds.
The terraces are created from wooden sleepers, bringing structure to the garden but with a natural feel. “The sleepers are all treated and should last for decades,” John says.
The terraces are created from wooden sleepers, bringing structure to the garden but with a natural feel. “The sleepers are all treated and should last for decades,” John says.
Now the plants are established, the space has a lush feel.
Learn how pretty terraces transformed this shallow, sloping plot.
Learn how pretty terraces transformed this shallow, sloping plot.
An unloved spot is transformed for entertaining
This unusual London garden, hugging the perimeter of a detached Arts and Crafts house, had two uninspiring areas in which designer Charlotte Rowe saw the potential to create seating spots.
This is one of them – a shady patch of mossy brick paving, adjacent to a garage door (seen here) and the kitchen. “It was dark and gloomy. [The owners] thought they’d never use it, but now they do,” Charlotte says.
This unusual London garden, hugging the perimeter of a detached Arts and Crafts house, had two uninspiring areas in which designer Charlotte Rowe saw the potential to create seating spots.
This is one of them – a shady patch of mossy brick paving, adjacent to a garage door (seen here) and the kitchen. “It was dark and gloomy. [The owners] thought they’d never use it, but now they do,” Charlotte says.
The previously uninviting area is now a conveniently located and inviting dining space (the garage door seen in the last photo is just to the left of the table).
Charlotte pruned a large magnolia tree and tidied up the rest of the foliage, adding plants to make the area feel lush rather than overwhelmed. Unlike the straight hedges that were there before, the planting now spills onto the paving to soften the edges.
The plants include Hebe parviflora var. angustifolia; Polystichum setiferum ‘Pulcherrimum Bevis’, and clematis and jasmine climbing up the walls.
Charlotte further brightened the space with pale grey Spanish limestone paving and limestone gravel.
Take a tour of this tricky-shaped garden.
Charlotte pruned a large magnolia tree and tidied up the rest of the foliage, adding plants to make the area feel lush rather than overwhelmed. Unlike the straight hedges that were there before, the planting now spills onto the paving to soften the edges.
The plants include Hebe parviflora var. angustifolia; Polystichum setiferum ‘Pulcherrimum Bevis’, and clematis and jasmine climbing up the walls.
Charlotte further brightened the space with pale grey Spanish limestone paving and limestone gravel.
Take a tour of this tricky-shaped garden.
A widened staircase forms a new terrace
This rather unloved and not-very-promising patch was transformed thanks to the vision of designer Cécile Humbert.
The concrete staircase and stairwell to the cellar remained, but the level of the top step in the upper staircase was extended over the lower staircase and turned into a pleasing patio.
This rather unloved and not-very-promising patch was transformed thanks to the vision of designer Cécile Humbert.
The concrete staircase and stairwell to the cellar remained, but the level of the top step in the upper staircase was extended over the lower staircase and turned into a pleasing patio.
“We renovated the rear façade and paved the terrace with blue stone from Vietnam to create a coherent whole,” Cécile says.
This is the project seen from a slightly different angle, but the seating is in the same location. Now, though, it sits on lush grass, installed by a landscaper, along with planting (just in shot on the right) to flank the wall that borders the road, and the result is infinitely more inviting.
Discover how this abandoned home was beautifully revived for a family.
Tell us…
Have any of these ideas provided inspiration for your outdoor space? Let us know in the Comments.
This is the project seen from a slightly different angle, but the seating is in the same location. Now, though, it sits on lush grass, installed by a landscaper, along with planting (just in shot on the right) to flank the wall that borders the road, and the result is infinitely more inviting.
Discover how this abandoned home was beautifully revived for a family.
Tell us…
Have any of these ideas provided inspiration for your outdoor space? Let us know in the Comments.
A long and skinny garden is something many owners of terraced homes are familiar with. But how to make such a plot more interesting to look at and enjoyable to use?
When garden designer Simon Orchard first saw this 23m x 5m garden, it was unkempt and hadn’t been touched for a long time. “There was an old patio, plus a rotting shed at the far end, and the rest was just laid to lawn,” he says.
It took the designer’s imagination and creativity to tackle this uninspiring shape and turn it into something almost unrecognisable.
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