Outer calm

Soothing green planting and paired-back hard landscaping have transformed a tired lawn into a tranquil space for reflection

-  JOANNA FORTNAM

The Victorian terraces of northwest London, with their bay windows and tidy hedges, present a conformist face to the world. But behind their doors, there are always surprises. Step into one house in Queen’s Park and you enter a modern, open-plan living space with a glowing oasis of green at the far end. This sparkling garden of foliage, light and movement banishes all thoughts of drab city life. “Visitors always say ‘this is not what I was expecting’,” says the owner.

Five years ago, after growing tired of the mix of lawn, old apple trees and a few Japanese acers, she and her husband decided it was time for a change. “My husband had a vision of how he wanted our home to incorporate inside and out,” she says. “His mother was from Singapore, and he grew up in Camden. I think you can see all that in the combination of the urban, hard, grey surfaces and the tropical feel of the garden.”