Holiday at home

Inspired by a trip to Marrakesh, Beth Golding turned her family’s shabby courtyard garden into a colourful sanctuary

- KATIE GIBBS

Getting to work

‘The brief was a design that evoked our trip to Marrakesh, and was varied and easy to maintain. We decided on four distinct areas with a common theme tying them together. I took inspiration from Le Jardin, an open-air restaurant in a traditional riad. It had separately styled spaces but they all came together as one. For my courtyard garden I wanted areas to entertain and to sit and relax in, all with a vibrant look.’

Beth’s Moroccan break made such an impression on her that she made over her family’s courtyard garden to revisit the experience. ‘My mum and I are interior stylists – it’s what gets us up in the morning!’ says Beth. ‘We often go on city breaks and visited Marrakesh a couple of years ago. It was a feast of colours from the moment we stepped off the plane. We were bowled over by the craftsmen selling leather wares, handmade silver and crockery in the narrow streets of the souks. I wanted to buy everything!’

The visit was so inspiring that when the family arrived back home to beautiful weather, they decided they wanted to continue the journey by transforming their small courtyard garden. The result is something they can be proud of. ‘I was over the moon with the end result,’ says Beth. ‘Seeing all our planning, preparations and trials and errors coming together is what makes a project worthwhile. When I go outside to my haven with my sister, my mum or friends, it’s a space I can truly be proud of; it brings back lots of nostalgic feelings.’