With two young boys, a large garden was an attraction for designer Lucy Tiffney and husband Tiff when they bought their house in a quiet street thirteen years ago.
‘Both boys are sport mad, so it was great to have a slab of lawn for them to play football on back in those days. It’s quite a large garden, around 150ft long and 40ft wide, so there was plenty of room.’
With a raft of projects to get on with in the house, Lucy, left the garden alone for a bit before deciding it needed her special magic too. ‘It’s taken a few years to get to this stage, and it’s really only in the last few months that it’s been finished.’
After putting in a large patio around six years ago to create an outdoor eating area close to the house, Lucy came up with a plan to deal with the many outdoor buildings they’d inherited.
‘The one next to the house is the old garage that we use for storage, and then there are two smaller ones that we use for logs and garden tools. We got a builder to cover all the sheds with shiplap for £2,000, to make them look a bit more attractive, and I initially painted them all green.’
At the other end of the garden, there were a couple more unused sheds, and with Lucy’s business growing rapidly, three years ago they pulled one down and put up a purpose-built studio.
‘I needed somewhere away from the house where I could work, big enough for me to paint large designs and have all my things around me. We kept one of the sheds to house all my paints and equipment, and I painted that one black to match the fence, with pink windows and a pink and red door.’
Adding colour to the sheds in spare moments and painting panels in some of her signature designs that she uses on everything from wallpaper to blankets has been relaxing for Lucy. ‘I just can’t resist adding another little design.’
Many of the items in the garden belonged to Lucy’s late parents, which she has upcycled and breathed new life into. ‘It’s lovely to have personal pieces around that remind me of them. During spring and summer, the garden really comes into its own and we spend all our time out there.’
‘It’s a joy to be able to eat out here. My garden has become more colourful over the years as I’ve painted things, but the red metal chairs are the original Tolix design and were my parents’ kitchen chairs.’
For similar chairs, try the Union Rustic Bryana metal stacking side chair in Red, £73.99 each, Wayfair.
‘The old garage had a small, plain window, so I found one with arches at a reclamation yard for £60 and painted it some leftover pink paint, then added some old shutters that I got from Facebook Marketplace for £50 and painted them as well. It looks a lot more attractive for very little money.’
‘My parents had a metal swing seat, so this really reminds me of them. My sister ended up with the original, so my dad bought me this wooden one before he died.'
'I’ve painted it in lots of leftover colours that I mixed together, and used some old Habitat curtains for the cover.’
For a similar paintable swing seat, try the Outsunny 3 Seater Garden Swing Chair with Adjustable Canopy and Cushions in Beige, £189.99, B&Q.
Lucy has painted the sheds in her signature style florals. Distinct areas like the doors, window frames and panels have been given a wash of brigtly coloured paint or a joyful burst of floral pattern.
‘Painting the fence black is a great backdrop for artwork, and I’ve added a large mirror to throw light around. I love the shape of this plant holder with its bowlegs, it’s an old one of my dad’s which I rubbed down and painted red.’
Plant holder painted in Rectory Red estate eggshell, £32.50 for 750ml, Farrow & Bal.
Art imitates reality with a mini wildflower meadow to one side of the garden.
‘I’m not much of a gardener, and I don’t pretend to know much about it, but I love scattering a packet of wildflower seeds and seeing what comes up. It’s exciting.’
Lucy’s husband Tiff built their pond over a couple of months, digging it out and getting lots of donations of plants and stones from neighbours before edging it in pebbles.
‘It’s better to use rainwater than tap water, so we’ve got around forty-seven collecting containers dotted around the garden! But it has attracted some frogs, so it’s working.’
‘All the dirt from digging out the pond has gone to make a new bed at the end of the garden. I love nasturtiums, so we’ve planted plenty of those which give little bursts of orange and yellow.’
Get the look
Brighten up your dining table indoors or our with these pretty placemats adorned with a design created by Lucy. Sold as a set of four, the placemats are made from cork and feature a matte finish, and there's also a set of cute coasters to match.
Zhush up a plain garden wall or shed with the illusion of a window to another space. This outdoor framed mirror comes in a choice of blue or dark green frames, with movable shutters and a distressed finish that adds a rustic look to your outdoor space.
