Retro-Inspired Garden Redesign with Corten Steel Features

The Brief

This garden, in West Ham, has been well used and much loved. It has a few thriving established plants in it, although the space is generally somewhat overgrown and dilapidated. The area towards the back of the garden is slightly raised and dominated by a large timber shed. The client would like to improve the view from the interior of the house with something more stylish and desirable. The inside of the property has good symmetry with retro undertones and the client would like that reflected in the outside space. Some of the larger shrubs should be retained.

The Design Solution

The design seeks to unite the interior with the exterior. The client is considering replacing the interior flooring and to enable flow through to the outdoor paving we would recommend using non-slip porcelain tile, which have the advantage of universal suitability and a wide range of choice.

The paving will be replaced in the area adjoining the back door and extend up the garden to create a larger patio area. To the left of this, will be a planting bed containing the existing mahonia. In front of the mahonia in the corner of the bed will be a tall Corten steel fire pit, positioned to provide heat to both sections of paving.

In the bed behind the mahonia will be three tall Corten steel decorative panels, which will frame a lower black fibreglass wall in front, which will in turn frame a 600mm cube concrete-effect fibreglass planter. This will be planted with the client’s existing palm. The planting bed in this area will be dressed with Scottish cobbles.

Grey ‘Naturals’ matt textured Perspex panels will be used to clad the fences. To the right of the extended paving the existing box hedge will be removed but the established banana and tree fern will remain. This area will be underplanted and mulched with Scottish cobbles. The patio will be large enough to accommodate sofa-style outdoor seating.

Central Lawn & Raised Level

The central section of the garden will be laid with a large rectangular artificial lawn.

The raised area at the back of the garden will be retained with a new low retaining wall and accessed by a single step on the right-hand side. The raised area will be paved with porcelain tiles to match the area adjoining the house. A bench seat and eclectic mix of furniture can be used to create a second seating area.

Another black fibreglass wall and concrete-effect fibreglass planter will be installed in a bed in front of the raised area to further tie the front and back sections of the garden together.

Planting Approach

Planting will focus on leaf shape and colour with splashes of yellow. Tropical and slightly retro, the planting has been selected to provide year-round interest and complement both the established shrubs and the new hard landscaping.

Before & After Images

Before photographs show the original overgrown garden, lack of structure, and visually heavy shed dominating the rear of the space.
After imagery highlights the transformation into a structured, retro-inspired garden with contemporary porcelain paving, strong architectural lines, stylish Corten steel features and a much improved view from inside the home.

Before

During

Design Inspiration

The redesign looks to connect the interior and exterior seamlessly by drawing on the property’s natural symmetry and its subtle retro feel. Materials such as porcelain tiles, Corten steel and textured cladding have been selected to echo the client’s interior style while elevating the outdoor experience. A balance of structure, texture and soft tropical planting underpins the overall concept.

Sketch & Concept Development

Initial sketches explored how to make the most of the existing levels and retain key plants while modernising the overall space. These visuals helped refine the flow between the lower patio, central lawn and the raised upper seating area. The concept drawings also established the placement of Corten steel elements and textured boundary cladding to create a cohesive design from front to back.