TTJ: What are standout design Trends in Timber garden buildings and other ‘built’ features such as fencing and pergolas?
Sarah Giles: With more of us working from home, space for a home office is increasingly in demand, and a timber garden room (quick to erect and often not requiring planning consent) can be the ideal solution. Everything from chalet-style structures to contemporary ‘pods’ with sliding glass walls are popular.
Customers are shopping around for price and demanding household quality insulation, double-glazing and security as standard. No longer just a boundary product, fencing is also being used in creative ways – for example, just two or three panels used to visually divide up outdoor space into ‘ zones’ with specific functions, such as dining or playing. Attractive new products, such as Grange’s Ultimate Lap Panel, with finesawn, straight-cut timber slats and a rebated frame, lend themselves to this. Grange’s Urban Garden pergola also demonstrates how a structure usually seen in a traditional country garden can be updated – in this case, with angular styling – so it sits well in contemporary urban gardens.
TTJ: Is colored Wood in The garden The Way to go and if so Which shades?
SG: The natural wood look is still very popular and while bright ‘pops’ of colour are still seen in gardens by high-end designers, there’s a growing trend for pale greens, muted blues and greys. Black and dark green are also being used – giving plants extra standout, creating the effect of displaying them on a theatre set.
TTJ: Is decking still a key UK garden design feature?
SG: Thanks to over-use on 1990s TV garden shows, decking rather fell out of favour. But it’s now shaking off its image as a no-no and being embraced by garden designers again. As a relatively inexpensive and easy-to-install way of creating a dining or entertaining area, it’s hard to beat. Winter slipperiness is often cited as a drawback, but anti-slip products like Osmo’s Anti-Slip Decking Oil, are helping overcome safety worries.
TTJ: Is a natural finish most popular for decking, or are Translucent colour stains and opaque paints gaining ground?
SG: Dual-purpose stains that protect as well as colour are popular (Cuprinol’s Anti Slip Decking Stain comes in everything from American Mahogany to Silver Pine, for example) along with deck paints in darker colours, including Racing Green and Black (eg Owatrol).
TTJ: What decking styles are fashionable?
SG: The unfussy look of plank decking makes it the first choice on purely aesthetic grounds for most garden owners and designers, but tiles are often considered easier to install by DIY-ers, so they’re likely to remain popular too.
TTJ: are untreated decking and garden products, designed to Weather naturally, set to be popular?
SG: One key skill of a garden designer is the ability to establish whether clients really mean it when they say they like a ‘natural’ look! Some will love the weathering effect, others will see it as their garden starting to lose its glossy new look.
TTJ: is composite Wood/plastic decking making a market impact?
SG: With all the low-maintenance and durability benefits of PVCu, but the aesthetics of timber, composite decking is set to become increasingly popular, especially as the colour and finish range expands.
TTJ: What are other interesting market Trends?
SG: Clients are requesting that garden designers use specific hardwoods – such as ipé – now. I’ve recently seen ipé used to great effect inset into a stone terrace as a central panel for a dining table.
Designers are also liking acetylated softwood Accoya, marketed as a non-toxic alternative to treated timbers, with high rot and weathering resistance.
On a different note, the humble shed is taking on a new lease of life, with suppliers like The Posh Shed Company offering timber garden storage products that are garden design focal points, rather than something to be hidden away.
TTJ: Is the market demanding environmentally certified products?
SG: Clients, and consumers generally are more aware of environmental issues than ever before and garden design generally is moving towards a more ecological, sustainable approach. Locally sourced materials are also often specified now, and used as a selling point.
