Architecture and interior design thread

Cat litter underfoot and paper lampshades on your trees . What's not to like?

if I could give one future home buyer a tip I only learned myself in retrospect it would be: buy a house with a mature/established garden and effective fencing/screening front and back. our front garden has no (zero/none/zilch) screening on two sides and a very low hedge on the other. I think we're going to put in a bushy bamboo hedge on all three sides so we can have south facing aperitifs too. mrs cozey is reluctant to put a bamboo hedge on the side of the garden that already has neighbour's privet... but they keep that at 4ft tall max so you go no screening from that at all... so, I'm going to have to exercise one of my annual vetoes

We have 6ft fence both sides and 4ft at the end. And I really like being able to chat to the neighbour at the end. Thinking about - on one side, having 6ft for half then 4ft at the end. More neighbourly. Have a fairly big garden though, which makes a difference. Neighbours on the other side we see out front but the this neighbour not much at all (massive hedge between us in front).

Quite a grey day today - but pergola will go over the table and benches as that is south facing. Plan is to sort that this summer, plus the deck at the end of the garden and then create some wild meadow grass to the right by the bug ugly hedge and grow shady climbers along the left hand fence. Once we’ve done the renovation of the house, we’ll likely adapt the patio so won’t be doing too much there

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Ahh yes, doing something similar... want to create a Pergola/shed combo structure, so build a bigger shed where the current one is and have it joined to a pergola.

Shot from earlier when the sun was out.

Figma plans here for @amey

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Yeah I would want sun on both days of summer up where you are.

Quoting for teh reps

mods pls reprimand these posters for their anti scottish online bullying

We had mature shrubs all round - in retrospect screened us really nice but felt small. However both fences were rotten and to get to them we had to hack it all down (some of the shrubs were diseased tbf). The gross 60s concrete had to go too. Work in progress -we're gonna widen the bed on the left all the way to the new 'path' and shed to take the place of the rubbish heap in the back right corner. We also might lose some lawn -felt we needed one with young kids but now pointless as not big enough for anything much.
Without mature shrubs and veg/fruit it looks quite shit in the winter. East facing - Deck gets the sun for the longest. Fuck tonne of work.

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That’s gonna look a lot better by May. Where are you @Tenderloin? That looks a lot like WGC.

Wanstead/Walthamstow - whats WGC?

Wanstead Garden City, of course.

Made a start on the garden. Taking down the two brick planters that straddle the garden proved to be more of a challenge than expected. They're like icebergs with three bricks above ground but four below.

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That’s bonkers! Second crazy garden structure I’ve seen today. The other was a group of 20 ww2 concrete tank barriers in a friends new garden in Norfolk.

Are you recycling that or reusing? I paid someone to take mine away before and then realised people will pay you for them. Was fuming!

Welwyn Garden City.

That's how you build them properly. Makes you humble when you see these ones around

My missus has suggested putting a pergola and some lighting in but I can't help feeling that's just papering over the cracks of the real issue and it'll still feel cold, damp and overlooked.

Pergolas seem to be very in right now. My 2p is like a lot of these trends they only work when they are a sensible solution to the problem/issue. When they're not it'll just be another thing people rip out in 5yrs. Other than Pinterest bingo, I genuinely can't see what problem it solves for you.

You've really got to start by thinking what you would like to (or can) use the space for.

Based on your description, imo you can't escape the fundamental fact that while it is an outdoor space there is nothing you can do to prevent it from being cold and damp. Yes you can visually brighten it, but you'll still be cold when you sit/stand there. Therefore, my 2p is:

1. if you can get on board with the cold and damp, then really embrace it and do what Sheppz said, but with a more woodland focus than jungle, including mosses and a cool water feature. Weather will be more erratic going forward, so it's likely there will be blazing summers where it will be nice to have somewhere cool. For the rest of the time make it interesting enough to want to be there or at least to look at through the kitchen window. Low light the plants.

2. If it being cold makes it an unusable space for you, go with Tenderloin's courtyard suggestion, but cover it with glass. This actually seems like one of the rare use cases for a conservatory (obvs not a fucking hideous shit one). Then you will lock in enough warmth to go the jungle route. Obviously it'll still be damp, but could be a nice spot for winter coffee and again, give something interesting to look at through the window.

No.1 could be done for not too much money first. Then if it doesn't solve the problem go with No.2.

Much wisdom . @hugo7 i think you've hit the nail on the head. And yes, 1. followed by 2. at some point in the longer term is the current plan.

What is your patio made of?

Its the concrete boards that you put at the bottom of fences.

That's clever as fuck.

Aye, I'm into it, want to replicate it at the back too.

yes I'm stealing that too and have already peeped the link from your figma

If you use a lazer or something to line it up perfectly that will look great.

Matching height to the house end, or around the current level?

that's a zinger, I was thinking of creating a path using poured concrete blocks but using gravel board could be a better solution

Yeah! You can't see but there is a step down made up of the gravel boards so would prob go for that level.

@Tenderloin yeah planning that with the path too, gravel boards cut in half or edging layer flat to look the same.