Stonebridge Courtyard

Overview

A Small Courtyard That Entertains Like a Big Garden

The Stonebridge courtyard measured barely 9 by 7 metres, overlooked on two sides, with cracked concrete and a single sad shrub. The owners — keen cooks — wanted to dine outside from May to October without feeling on display.

We raised the boundaries with slatted screens and pleached trees, laid warm-toned pavers in a single unifying plane, and built low seating walls that double as edging for deep, scented borders.

The Challenge

Every centimetre had to earn its keep: dining for six, a grill station, storage, planting and lighting — with drainage that previously pooled against the house wall after every storm.

Our Approach

One level surface in two materials zones the space without walls. A French drain along the house solved the pooling for good, and layered lighting — step lights, uplights and festoon strings — stretches evenings deep into autumn.