Steal This Look: A Tranquil Townhouse Garden, Leafy in London

In south London, Stockwell Park was built in the early 1800s as “an exclusive early Victorian neighborhood with many imposing villas,” according to its residents’ association. These days the enclave’s most desirable gardens belong to homes in the Stockwell Park Conservation Area. On St. Michael’s Road is a long, deep garden we particularly admire.

(N.B.: We recently featured the interiors of the 2,320-square-foot house, which is for sale, on Remodelista. See more in Upstairs, Downstairs: A London Home Designed for Two Households.)

With simple furnishings and foliage, the townhouse garden (which measures nearly 61 feet deep and about 18 feet wide) feels very private despite the presence of neighbors on three sides.  Here’s how to steal the look:

Photography courtesy of The Modern House.

Above: Similar furnishings and hardscape elements will make a restful retreat of any long, narrow city garden.

Low-slung furniture won’t interrupt the sight line from the house to the back fence, creating a visual sense of depth.

Woven Lounge Chair

Above: With a frame made of ethically sourced teak, a Cape Town Lounge Chair has a water-resistant poly-rattan seat and backrest; $995 AU from Green Design Gallery.

The low-to-the-ground lounge chair is reminiscent of the iconic midcentury Easy Chair by Danish furniture designer Hans Wegner. Other chairs pay homage to Wegner, including a set of two Japan-made Midcentury Wood Folding Chairs And Ottoman; $1,900 from Portland Revibe via Etsy. A woven rope Tokio Teak Relaxing Chair is $549 from Teak Warehouse.

Outdoor Pillows

Above: Long and low, lumbar pillows support your back in a lounge chair. With two black pillows, a Pillow Perfect Tweed Outdoor Throw Pillow Set is $39.99 from Target.

Woven Teak Bench

Above: A Gazzoni Reclaimed Teak Bench is $799 at Teak Warehouse.

See more stylish teak furniture in our post Sleek Teak: A New Outdoor Furniture Collection by Barber & Osgerby.

Teak Coffee Table

Above: From Belgium-based Tribù, a low-slung teak Vis à Vis Coffee Table designed by Piergiorgio Cazzaniga is available in three sizes, see Tribù for more information and pricing.

For a smaller space, see Terrain’s Slatted Teak Ottoman ($468). See more of our favorite styles in our posts 10 Easy Pieces: Round Outdoor Coffee Tables and 10 Easy Pieces: Tile Coffee Tables.

Above: In the London garden, a steamer lounge chair and a C-style side table at the edge of the garden create a second, discrete destination.

Teak Steamer Chair

Above: From Danish furniture-maker Skagerak, a reclining teak Steamer Deck Chair measures 64.2 inches long by 22.8 inches wide by 39.4 inches high; it’s $1,149 from Horne.

Teak Side Table

Above: An A-Grade Teak C-Table is 20 inches high and 16 inches square; $199 from Teak Warehouse.

Above: A below-grade dining area, accessible from the ground level of the house, is shaded by a generous canvas umbrella. Stairs connect the dining area to the upper level of the garden.

Teak Dining Table

Above: A 63-inch-long slatted teak Saldano Dining Table with an umbrella hole seats six and is $1,079 at Pottery Barn.

Patio Umbrella

Above: A 9-foot Aluminum Auto Tilt Crank Lift Patio Umbrella is available in 19 colors including Granite as shown; $111.04 from Target.

Pavers

Above: Gray stone pavers complement the greenery. A 12-by-24-inch Mountain Bluestone Paver (made of gray sandstone) is $14.40 each from Tilesbay.

Horizontal Slat Fence

In a city garden, your neighbors on three sides may have fences in place before you arrive. If so, piggyback on their choices: a variety of fencing materials (and fence heights) need not detract from a garden’s charm.

In this London garden, for instance, the back fence panels have horizontal slats. The high wall is softened by shrubbery, which also adds the illusion of greater depth:

Above: Modular Wood Slatted Panels can be fitted together in a variety of heights and widths and are available in nine finishes including unpainted/natural as shown. Single panels, available in three sizes, are from £28 to £59 depending on height and width at The Garden Trellis Company.

See more choices for horizontal-slat fences in our post 10 Easy Pieces: Privacy Fence Panels.

Square Lattice Fence

Above: Along one side of the garden vines grow on square lattice panels, disguising the fact that you’re looking at a fence rather than a trellis. For similar Clear Cedar Privacy Squares, see Niece Lumber for sizes and pricing.

With wood lattice, you have a choice of shapes and patterns. In addition to square lattice, diamond lattice (also known as diagonal lattice) and chessboard lattice (with layers) are available. See Niece Lumber to compare styles.

Metal Railing Fence

Above: A 6-foot Winchester Matte Black Aluminum Deck Handrail resists rust and corrosion. It comes with a rail cap, a top and bottom, rail, and  locking strips; $72.09 from Lowe’s.

Read more at Hardscaping 101: Wrought Iron Fences.

• See more ideas for townhouse garden design in our curated guides to Hardscape Design 101. Read more:
• Landscaping: 10 Classic Layouts for Townhouse Gardens
• My Brooklyn Story: Creating a Townhouse Garden from Scratch in Crown Heights
• True Blue: A Jolt of Color Enlivens a Manhattan Townhouse Garden
• Privacy Landscaping: How to Use Plants in a City Garden