New design project – an urban terrace garden with outdoor kitchen

I’ve got another design project to show you today – a cool urban terrace garden, hidden away in the heart of east London. With a bespoke outdoor kitchen, sleek black paint and cosy built-in seating, it’s been designed as a tranquil retreat for relaxing and entertaining. Contemporary architectural planting wraps around the courtyard space, creating a protected urban oasis. In the distance you can hear the sirens and shouts of Shoreditch, but up here all is calm and collected.

Design and photography Cate St Hill. Planting Charlie Homersham

Below you can see the before – a simple, functional terrace; a luxury in central London for sure, but it wasn’t really fulfilling its potential. Gardens, and certainly terraces, have the opportunity now to become an extra room to the house, not just an ordinary add-on tacked onto the side of a property that we use only once a year. The boundaries between inside and out are blurring and it’s become more important for us than ever to foster a better connection with nature.

This project began just as the pandemic hit, bringing even more meaning to this outdoor space. With less opportunities to go out and travel – as I’m sure you can all relate – our gardens and outdoor spaces have become hard-working multi-purpose rooms in their own right; somewhere to escape, unwind and restore our wellbeing.

Taking inspiration from the interior, I sought to create an urban living room, where the clients could prepare drinks, have barbecues, entertain and chill out. A true living space needs a kitchen and somewhere to put your feet up. Instead of a freestanding BBQ and separate seating that could just get lost in the space, I conceived a bespoke, built-in design that would create an elegant, long-term solution and give the terrace some much-needed presence and practicality. I think you’ll agree it’s completely transformed the space and added a real ‘wow’ factor.

My design looked to bring a sense of intimacy to the vast urban landscape that surrounds the terrace. An L-shaped built-in planter and bench seating acts to protect the exposed corner of the terrace and create a cocooning feel, directing views towards the entrance to the apartment and the outdoor kitchen opposite. The shape of the seating invites you to gather and sit down; you can’t help but gravitate to that corner with all its soft cushions. Black paint provides a striking look and demarcates the space, while contemporary green planting softens the existing urban textures. Now when you walk out onto the terrace you are greeted with a lush green view that grounds you and connects you back to nature.

A small alcove provided the perfect opportunity to insert a built-in outdoor kitchen. An extension of the internal kitchen and living space, it offers storage space and a surface for preparing food and drink. There’s everything you need to entertain, from a fully plumbed in sink and integrated BBQ to a hidden mini fridge. The concrete kitchen fits in so neatly, it’s like it was always meant to be there.

When I’m designing a scheme, I like to think of routes through a space and imagine what it will be like to use. I wanted the terrace to feel natural and effortless to use, so the clients would feel like they wanted to spend all their time out there, even if it was a bit of a grey day. You can imagine friends gathering in the sofa area and someone preparing the bbq, with the dining table and relaxed bench seating connecting the two spaces. There’s a conversation happening between the kitchen area and the sofa area; their positioning just makes sense and gets the most out of the terrace layout.

And here’s the before and after! I’m so glad the clients went with my idea for an outdoor kitchen – it really makes the project. It’s such a unique feature that adds real value to the terrace. The bespoke, fitted design makes much better use of the space and makes everything look more streamlined. The black doors match with the black fencing and the brickwork has been freshly painted, also in black, to tie everything together. The gas canister for the Weber barbecue is hidden underneath and there’s enough storage for plates and bowls too. There’s now space to display fresh herbs and beautiful pots as well.

An outdoor kitchen is easier to create than you think – all you really need is an outdoor tap or access to water and if possible (but not necessary) an external power outlet. You can build the frame from timber or like here, use more durable concrete, which will never rust or rot. You then have a practical space that you can enjoy season after season and show off to your friends!

The Linear table and bench seating from Muuto add a clean, simple touch to the space, tying in with the sleek black lines of the space. Bench seating feels more communal and relaxed, and has the added benefit of fitting neatly under the table and out of the way when not in use.

You might also notice that the wooden decking has been replaced with hardwearing porcelain tiles that give the effect of concrete. Black downlighters and festoon lights transform the space from day to night, while two adjustable lights cast focused light onto the outdoor kitchen.

I always think it looks cleaner in an urban garden to have one simple fitted planter rather than lots of different pots that could end up looking cluttered. An extension to the fencing, the L-shaped planter helps book-end the space and create a beautiful green backdrop that looks even more striking against the black fencing. The planting scheme, brought to life by Charlie Homersham, features a mix of grasses, fatsias and tropical palms. The lid of the seating has been designed to lift up and conceal storage for the cushion pads or other items. There’s a watering system in the planter and uplighters hidden in the planting to direct light on the foliage in the evening.

I’m so pleased with how the scheme for this urban terrace garden came together – it looks even better than I could have imagined. It’s now become a real selling point for the apartment. I’m sure my client got lots of use out of it in lockdown, I know they even hosted a wedding celebration for a family member when numbers were restricted for weddings! Whether for everyday or special moments gathered around the table, this space has become a sophisticated urban room – a real extension to the home.

As always, ask me anything in the comments below. I’d love to know what you think!