You're garden is lovely and I have two options for you:

1. Where the stones are get a decking and place a lovely arch seat there(see picture) then put a pond I front of it and at the far end have a set if table and chairs

2. Have water wall where the stones are and in front of that a electric fire and a sofa behind that with a coffee table at he other end

While for light you can get anymore unless you have fairy lights and outdoor lights which is unfortunate.

Hope this helps x

I suspect (don't actually know) that interior tricks would work equally well in a garden. Add mirrors and any light reflective surfaces ie chrome. Fences, paving, gravel and furniture etc could be in a light colour. Light reflects off of water so a water feature is a good idea.

I agree with earlier posts. You can't get additional light into the garden but you can bounce the light you have around.
I would loose the lawn in favour of hard landscaping.
I would paint the fence light grey.
I would introduce some plants with big waxy leaves (fatsia japonica for instance).
Perhaps some outdoor sails to add privacy.
You can actually use mirrors- I have seen it work well with junk shop finds in the planting- personally though I would but acrylic mirrors and fame them with tall plants

Hi Jessica. I haven't seen anything like that. I would maybe find a garden design you like and then incorporate a mirror. Jonathans suggestion of losing the grass is a good one. I changed my old garden from basically lawn and conifers to a limestone courtyard with water feature etc and the change in light was amazing. I don't what your budget is but you could get something bespoke? I've taken this image from kategouldgardens but the fire and mirror was bespoke. There are a number of non-bespoke mirrors around that could work though in a contemporary design.

Thanks so much for all the replies.

Zoe, I love the idea of the water wall and the furniture, definitely what I would want. Jonathan, thanks very much for the tips, the idea for acrylic mirrors is brilliant and I'm going to check it out. Also the idea for painting the fence is great.

And minnie, that image is spot on! Exactly how I would love my garden to look, with the granite planters / seats (is that what they are called??) and the clean modern feel. I haven't got a massive budget though, does anyone know how much a garden redo like that would cost? Area of garden is about 50 sqm, I could do without water features and fireplaces to keep the budget down, but I would love such a clean contemporary look. Thanks everyone!

Go to a local garden centre have a look around and ask where you can get what you want. Or go to a landscaper and they will be able to find it for you, but if you're doing most of it yourself then have a search on the internet (eBay is good and cheap but some stuff may be second hand or Argos etc.).Hope this helps x

It really depends on contractor and area. I would hazard a guess at 7k tops but you could cut costs. Paint the fence and prep the whole area for work yourself. Consider using gravel as well as paving as this would be a significant save. Do also shop around for paving and seating materials. Best bet is to get a few quotes. Most landscapers will charge a design fee unless you go with them. You could design it yourself to cut costs. Do also consider builders that could be cheaper given the style of garden you want. You can get a stainless steel water wall for around £200 and acrylic mirrors are cheap, try primrose. A big mirror would really add to the space. Do also think about getting the structural work done now and planting at a later stage as planting can be very expensive. Do you also know anyone in the trade? The guy over the road to us at our last house charged just £500 for laying all of the stone in a courtyard garden and fitting a pergola with my husband "helping" on the pergola. My husband had done all of the prep work himself and I designed it and sourced everything. We were also lucky in that our limestone kept turning up broken so we were refunded the whole cost plus compensation for the gardener! I'm not sure how you mastermind that though!

Thanks Zoe, that's a good idea, I'll find my nearest garden centre.

Minnie, that's what I'm planning to do. We're going to try and clear all the trees and grass ourselves. £500 is a bargain!! I have gotten quotes from gardeners that are in the range of £2500 to £4500, just for clearing the garden, laying the patio and new lawn, and this doesn't include materials and design!! I'm going to have to keep looking for cheaper builders, I'm also planning to do the design myself since it should be really simple and elegant.

I did have a look around online and found this…maybe it can be used somehow! I love the idea of a golden s surface that would bounce a lot of warm light around.

Clearing it will definitely help. Do as much of the lesser skilled tasks as you can. The lower quote is probably what I would have hoped for with materials on top to be honest but definitely get more in. Are you keeping some lawn then? What exactly is that material??! Is it suitable for the garden? I have used gold mosaics for a water feature before if not as may give similar effect

I've looked at laying our own lawn and patio, but we've never had a garden before and wouldn't know how to start. Yes, I'll like to keep the lawn and lay artificial grass over it, because I love having a soft surface to walk on. Half of it will be a patio though with some sort of smooth paving and I'll put in some modern rattan garden furniture. The complicated bits will be having the granite planters and nice lighting installed at the end of the garden.

I'm not sure what that material is, I think it's used for crafts, but I just love the idea of gold. But since I'm going for a very simple contemporary look I'm not sure if it might turn out tacky!

Thanks so much for your thoughts!

Yeah I don't think it will be that easy! Best bet is to simplify plan to cut costs. You could think about an outdoor rug if you want something soft, there are lots around. I'm looking at the moroccan style geometric ones at the moment but that wouldn't suit your scheme. I'm not totally convinced on the gold with your scheme. I can only think of using mosaics on furniture etc but will try and be a bit more creative. How about copper? You could look at water features, furniture, patio heater, accessories etc. there are a few copper bits around which would give the same effect but I think would sit alongside a contemporary scheme.

I love this from mediodesign so thought I'd post it in case if offered any other inspiration

Reflection and color! Love the yellow wall

http://houzz.com/photos/16347896

Colorful furniture

http://houzz.com/photos/133940

Do factor in the cost of electrician unless you can install external lighting and transformers yourselves (even then though I believe an electrician would need to certify your work for insurance purposes? Might be wrong!).

The reason I am saying this is that garden lighting will maximise the hours of usage of this space and would look great in an urban garden. Discreet uplighters will make the space look bigger and add depth/ height. Best to do this at the outset though rather than later (easier to install).

Good luck!

Great photos above. Artificial turf is a good option and is long lasting. No need for shed for maintenance tools!

Thanks minnie! Great image and great idea about copper! I just love the idea of having some warm light, but yes I guess it might not sit too well with a really contemporary garden.

Great image as well sootsprite! The bright colour really help to light up the space...that gives me quite a few ideas of what's possible.

Thanks seasonsincolour, I'm definitely not up to installing any lighting ourselves. We're probably going to just about be able to clear the garden of the plants and that's all we can do. I'll definitely be investing more in lighting though because I'm going to be so jealous all day of the sunlight falling into my neighbour's garden I'm determined that we will be using the garden as much as possible at night as well. I'm thinking nice lighting, eco friendly patio heaters (if there's such a thing) and cosy garden furniture including a swing seat.

What a dilemma! One sure way of increasing the sense of light and consequently space in a sheltered garden is to introduce lighter coloured surfaces ie: rendered walls and natural cream slabs to reflect any ambient sunlight.

Reflective surfaces help too and bright white flower colours, steer clear of too many dark evergreen shrubs. Hope that helps a little with your problems?

Thanks for your comment! The walls are already white on the side of the garden, I'm going to explore painting the fence although I would love to replace it somehow with nice wooden beams, but not sure how possible that is. It's a good point about having light coloured paving as well, although I must admit I'm tempted by dark slabs as it just feels so classy and hotel-like.

I only plan to have artificial grass and a row of small plants at the end of the garden so hopefully this keeps everything feeling roomy and clear.

Thanks for all your ideas!

Some photos with lighting!

Hey there! Just to facilitate searching for the water feature/ acrylic mirrors (illusion mirrors) that Minnie suggested, here they are:

Stainless Steel Water features - http://www.houzz.co.uk/projects/642473/water-features

Illusion Mirrors - http://www.houzz.co.uk/projects/762669/illusion-mirrors

Hope this helps!

Not read all the above, but I bought some Perspex mirrors online and fitted them to my back wall to bounce light back into the house and around the garden as it was an enclosed walled space. I would advise to either frame them, glue them (with an appropriate adhesive) or fix securely as if they warp, they become wibbley wobbly like circus mirrors!

Thanks Primrose. Those are lovely references, I'm going to look through carefully!

Thanks Tani, that's a great idea. I was thinking of having simple mirrors to reflect the light but would they require loads of maintenance with the rain and all?

I never maintained mine but they do generally advise protecting the back. We had ours for a few years with no deterioration so I don't think it's a major thing.

I originally wanted a certain size but found the pricing to be based on certain sheet sizing (as they are in glazing) so I went smaller and got 2 panels out of one large sheet (they were going on shed doors which weren't across the back of our tiny yard!)

So just play around with the sizes online to check you can get the most for your money.

Well worth it for us

I don't think they will require much maintenance - here is the link again for your convenience - Illusion Mirrors

In addition to adding space, I have always liked the idea of a Secret Garden - you could add some hedges around the mirror to add to the illusion, for example something like [this[(https://www.houzz.co.uk/discussions/an-illusion-gate-added-to-my-back-garden-dsvw-vd~3004931?n=7)

How about an outdoor mirror which will take up little space but will bounce around the available light. If you place your mirror carefully you can appear to double the impact of a favouite plant,water feature or pathway