Key elements of Thomas’s design:

1. Murals: Strong with subtle colours

One of the key features in Thomas’ garden was his wall murals. Black murals are delicately painted onto stone clay walls so that the image stands out within the garden. Murals are a great way to add personality and individuality to your garden. It is also a good way to inject some pops of colour into the garden space. Thomas chose to use a neutral backdrop and a black graphic to ensure that the dandelions stood out quite a lot. This would also be as effective in the reverse. Use a strong colour to draw your eye into the space and have a lighter image on top. Use family names or phrases that are personal to you so that your personality shines through.

2. Organic Forms

Thomas incorporated a lot of curves and organic shapes in his design. His concept was based around the shape of the fiddle head fern. He has carried through this shape into his garden. The really impressive thing with this design is how much it contrasts with the original shape of the garden. The original garden is irregular with sharp angles. Thomas’s use of curves soften the space. The curves also provide the garden with a much more functional space. What would have been a wasted area at the back has been made into a large planting bed that surrounds the curved seating area. Be creative in your garden. The most important thing when choosing shapes to use is to be consistent. A garden full of curves will have more impact than a garden with a mixture of shapes.

Organic curves are pleasing to look at and provide a calming environment to relax in, which is what the client was looking for.

3. Journey

Good spatial design provides the user with a positive experience and takes them on a journey. The strong curve and change in levels in Thomas’s design creates an exciting layout and journey from the start of the garden right down to the back seating area. Create a journey within your own garden, regardless of size. Define different areas by adding a pathway through the space. Thomas has used his skill as a stone mason to define the spaces with beautifully crafted stone walls. Use different materials in your own space to define the pathway and the different areas. This will help to separate the different areas and will add to the visual journey.