‘We spend all our time out here now!’

Gemma and Navin Mahabeer-Goldsmith transformed an ugly patch of land into a sleek and stylish outdoor living space with a practical barbecue area

- Lisa Moses

Gemma and Navin never liked the garden of their 1930s home. 'The original design, including a raised lawn with two steps up from a metre-wide strip of pavers and an ugly brick shed that was painted purple, was badly thought out and didn’t work for family living,' explains Gemma. 'I wanted to create a sociable extension of the inside of our home so, while we were having glass doors installed in the kitchen at the back of the house, we decided to landscape the garden at the same time, as there was going to be a huge amount of upheaval anyway.'

THE PROJECT

The driving force for the new design was to remove the steps to create a level garden.