This garden in Stoke Newington, N16 was a neglected, unused space in a family home, filled with debris.

The new garden design includes a raised bed to give the space structure. Feathery fronds of a large tree fern are a focal point to the planting and a built-in hardwood bench in one corner both maximises space and catches the evening sun. We painted the uneven, mismatched walls and gave them a streamlined look with cedar battens and glossy acrylic panels between the pillars. The panels are backlit with LED lights to give a warm glow at night.

Existing hardwood decking is cleaned and stained, and fibreglass planters in brilliant orange filled with foliage plants to give a pop of colour and contrast with the Victorian terracotta chimney pots. The planting is low-maintenance and architectural, with stripped black bamboos, small grasses and large leaves.