We found ourselves in a small side garden with nearly 95% hard standing, overgrown Giant Bird of Paradise and a sad water feature pond. From our very first site familiarisation survey the vision for this space was to design the following.

As you entered the front garden path you were supported in your journey by raised planters holding various broad-leafed plantings and a discreetly placed statue suitably up lit for the evening ambiance. Upon entering the home you found yourself within the lounge area also supporting the kitchen diner and breakfast bar. There was little time to absorb the interior of the home as you could not only see a large shimmering glass art form within the side garden but hear the quiet whispering of the water running down. As you moved your eye was caught by the occasional sparkle generated of this out door piece of art. With nothing in your way and the glass doors splayed open you would find yourself feeling like you were already outside, yet you clearly were within the home still. The acoustics of the space were such that they filtered lightly across the air and generated this sense of seamlessness.

Entering the garden you then realised you were looking at a be-spoke wall water feature suitably flanked by glass panels supporting a pattern sympathetic of the surrounding plants. As you followed the water down it fell from the glass edge onto pebbles and was gone, continual water wall large in proportion yet within a small space giving a clever false illusion of space. Quickly you received a cold drink and an offer to sit down amongst your friends on the outdoor setting. Once seated you could see the discreetly placed outdoor television along with the outdoor cooking unit. The raised planters supported various plantings all to provide a degree of height yet intertwine with the usable space. Yet you felt there was more to this garden but was unable to grasp what this was. As you chatted the whispering sound of the breeze passing through the bamboos was adding further calm to the space with the subtle music coming from the discreetly placed sound system. The outdoor shower pass still dripping from the recent use and a surf board stood against the wall dying off. The water was bouncing off the newly placed large format Italian tiles and gently draining off into the surrounding gravel edging. As the conversation turned to the day’s surf, you glanced around seeing the in-ground lights in their own quiet way, light the under leafs of the moving leaves. This new garden is not only a totally different space to the original but seems so much larger than before. Not only has this been achieved by having large tiles but also the glass art adds to this effect of size increase but the trick of the eye ‘Trompe l’oeil’ in the garden is the side wall behind the black ornamental bamboo. A window of light, a window of continuation, but only visually. As the evening progresses the garden and lounge are filled with friends with no physical division from walls and steps. People move from space to space like a breeze absorbing good company and atmosphere.