Known for her beautiful bold interiors, Victorian property renovation and lovely cavapoo Charlie, interior stylist and photographer Rachael, better known as @beetrootandblack to her 100k+ Instagram followers, talks us through how she's embraced the traditional elegance of her garden...
@beetrootandblack
The perfect place to relax with the people (and pets) you love >
TELL US ABOUT YOUR HOME
The house was built in 1896, and when we moved in nearly two years ago everything was very neutral and white. I'm not really a neutral kind of person, so that's when I started to add some colour into the spaces. The garden had just been landscaped by the previous owners but didn't have any flowers, a nice seating area or dining space, so that’s what I’ve been prioritising.
WHAT IS YOUR GARDEN'S STYLE?
My house is filled with deep, bold colours but with the garden I wanted to keep it a bit more relaxed. I focussed more on making it a practical space for my family, with different areas for different uses.
HOW HAS YOUR OUTDOOR SPACE CHANGED SINCE MOVING IN?
We recently built an outdoor kitchen. I'm not really into modern interiors or gardens - I prefer the charm of more traditional spaces which is why I love Victorian houses. You can tell ours is very much a Victorian garden with high walls and a big old porch house. So when we built the outdoor kitchen, I chose reclaimed brick to keep with the traditional feel of the house and garden as a whole.
I've also begun adding a lot of plants in for colour and greenery, to soften up the space. I'm working on softening up the brick with climbing plants.
@myconvertedcottage
TELL US ABOUT YOUR HOME
It's a Victorian cottage built in the late 1800s, early 1900s, so it's full of history. We moved here in early 2021 and since then have been transforming the interior and exterior spaces with some exciting projects.
WHAT IS YOUR GARDEN'S STYLE?
Modern but with a traditional twist. Because this is a cottage, I wanted the garden to be in the cottagecore style without being too old fashioned. So it's a mixture of both contemporary and traditional.
HOW HAS YOUR OUTDOOR SPACE CHANGED SINCE MOVING IN?
The garden already had borders down both sides, which I replaced. I've put a path at the end of the garden because there was nothing there, it was just grass. That's where we get the most light so that's why we chose this Mayfair Dining Set - it fits gorgeously because this is where the sun hits at the end of the day.
@myconvertedcottage
HOW DO YOU USE YOUR GARDEN?
It's a big garden so there’s plenty of space for different ‘zones’. We've got a climbing frame for the kids, so the kids are out here a lot - they love running around and playing, so they get a lot of enjoyment out here. While they’re out here, I like to sit, relax and watch or grab some moments to myself. We also like to have our friends and their children over for barbecues, so it's really nice to have an area where we can dine, and then move to a separate lounging space to just relax.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE BRIDGMAN FURNITURE?
We'd been looking around for a while throughout lockdown and there wasn't a lot that we liked. Then I came across you on Instagram and fell in love with your furniture.
We chose a dining and a lounging set from the Mayfair Collection because it leans more on the traditional side. I love the rattan braiding, the elegant style and the size of both sets. The high backs on the dining armchairs, in particular, make them extremely comfortable which is perfect.
RACHAEL’S TOP TIPS TO DESIGN A COHESIVE OUTDOOR SPACE
- Create separate ‘zones’ - although you still want your garden to be one space, creating separate areas for dining and lounging makes the most of your space.
- Think about how you’ll use each space - start by considering the sun. Sunlight is really important because when you dine, you won't want to be sitting in full sun, but when you lounge you probably will want the sun on you. Once you’ve figured this out, you’ll know where to position your dining and lounging zones.
- Choose cohesive furniture - although separate spaces for lounging and dining really makes the most of large gardens, choosing the perfect furniture is essential. It’s key to figure out what style will suit your space best - modern, traditional, etc. - then choose furniture in this style. You can choose matching dining and lounging furniture from the same collection for complete cohesion, but don’t be afraid to mix and match within the same style.