Nigella Lawson has offered fans a rare glimpse inside her luxury London home, and the enchanting way she has made the most of her courtyard is an inspiration for anyone living in more urban areas.
A downside of living in a city, like Nigella, who has lived in her mews in London's Chelsea for over a decade, is often contending with a smaller outdoor space.
However, that hasn’t stopped Nigella from creating a true ‘Secret Garden’ style oasis, complete with key garden trends, including wilder, cottage-core layering, warm fairy lights and pops of uplifting colour.
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Firstly, attention must be paid to Nigella’s genius use of layered outdoor lighting to bring the magical qualities of her garden to full life.
From the wall of soft, warm fairy lights creating a soothing glow to the subtle deck lighting on the steps, the smaller space is opened up, creating depth and layers in her seating area.
The fairy lights also cleverly work well against the living structure Nigella has created - with the bamboo acting as the walls and the hanging, thick leaf canopy as the roof of her seating area. This is a brilliant way to create shade in any garden.
As captured in the image, the lighting reflects off the leaves and makes the place feel lighter, warmer and more open.
One of the clever ways Nigella brings a touch of wilderness to her courtyard is by creating something of a cottage garden feel, letting plenty of country garden plants such as Foxgloves grow alongside soft pink and white roses.
Rather than have everything perfectly manicured and structured, the natural layering and meadowscaping look helps the garden feel more rural and alive. She perfects this look and feel with her use of mismatched pots and planters.
A great tip for anyone dealing with paved courtyards or gardens, Nigella has introduced a plethora of plants and bushes that grow from a mismatched set of pots, creating a layered garden border that almost disguises the fact they’re not rooted in the ground itself.
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Nigella’s ‘perfectly imperfect’ style is completed by the intentional use of colour throughout.
Rather than having sections of uniform colour palettes or styles, there are uplifting pops of pink, purple and white nestled within canopies of green and against the wooden pergola.
The fact that she’s complemented this use of colour with a hot pink set of bistro chairs and dining table is just an added delight, and is proof that attention to detail when it comes to things like furniture can really tie a garden design together.
It could be as simple as trying your hand at a bit of DIY and painting an old set you already have, or upcycling some furniture with a coat of paint and a new colour.
Love Nigella's garden furniture?
Fans, including many a famous face, were just as enchanted by Nigella's garden. Comments left on her post included the likes of actor Richard E Grant calling it "sublime" and others praising it as "magical" and "the dream garden". It has certainly left a lasting impression on us, that's for sure.
