From the drawing board: concept design and sketch for client in North London

I went to see a new client in North London before Christmas because they wanted some help to improve the front of their house.  Front gardens can often be challenging because they are predominantly functional spaces, but they must also provide curb appeal because they are the window to your home.

The previous owner of this house had a motorbike so the front garden was block-paved so that the bike could be kept off the road.  As you can see, it’s not very attractive and currently the rubbish bins are the focal point from the road.

Rubbish is often a problem too because the front is open where the garden meets the pavement.

The new design will incorporate some steps to deal with the slope and to provide a better definition of the boundary.

Because the front door is at an angle to the front of the house I am proposing that the threshold step covers the whole area in front of the door.  This will make the approach seem much more welcoming.

The bins will be stored away from the house and so that they can easily be moved out when the rubbish is collected.

The planting will be simple, tidy and low maintenance.  Front gardens should look good all year round and be easy to maintain.  They are of course seen and walked through every day, whatever the weather and whatever time of day, but they need to pretty much take care of themselves.