A serene, contemporary coastal retreat, the Milford on Sea project was designed as an immersive garden sanctuary, seamlessly marrying texture, movement and calm. The client’s brief called for an elegant space with year-round structure and lushness — something soft yet striking, with pockets for quiet moments and design flourishes that would unfold across the seasons.
The design centres around a series of interwoven paths and planting beds that draw the eye and the body through the space. A carefully orchestrated balance between clean geometry and fluid greenery creates rhythm throughout the garden. Large format pale porcelain pavers and timber decking form the backbone of the garden’s layout — an interplay of materials that offers both contrast and cohesion. Linear stepping stones, softened by gravel joints, provide an organic tempo underfoot and encourage a slowed, contemplative pace.
Lush architectural planting brings the garden to life. Billowing grasses sway gently alongside striking eryngiums and verdant groundcover, offering texture and structure in equal measure. Specimen palms and vibrant upright accents are strategically placed to punctuate the space, adding verticality and rhythm. A restrained colour palette and repetition in planting ensures visual harmony, while subtle shifts in form and texture invite discovery at every turn.
At the heart of the garden lies a generous outdoor living area, anchored by a low-slung grey corner sofa set nestled into the planting. A parasol provides dappled shade, creating a restful pocket in which to unwind. From here, one is immersed in planting — a cocoon of movement and green that dissolves the boundary between furniture and foliage.
A sculptural corten steel water feature sits quietly within one of the central beds, its gentle bubbling a soft sonic thread that weaves throughout the space. Clustered corten uprights provide sculptural rhythm, echoing the garden’s vertical planting motifs and adding a contemporary edge without overpowering the softness of the scheme.
Pale rendered walls provide a crisp backdrop for climbers to ascend and evolve, while a series of timber archways frame views, suggest routes and subtly delineate transitions between areas. These structural elements — clean and minimal — act as both punctuation and framing device, guiding the journey through the garden without demanding attention.
From every angle, this garden is composed — a carefully curated balance of texture, tone, sound and shade. Yet it remains deeply inviting and tranquil. The result is a space that feels at once resolved and alive, where structure supports softness, and every material, plant and form is attuned to the experience of being in the space.