Inside Out: Designing a Garden as an Extension of the Home

For Jenny Weiss, Co-Founder and Director of Hill House Interiors, the story of her Surrey garden began with a blank canvas and a clear intention: to create an outdoor room that felt calm, escapist and deeply personal. Having moved from a larger property, Jenny knew that every inch of the garden would need to work beautifully. Rather than seeing its more compact proportions as a limitation, she saw an opportunity to design with precision, creating a space that felt as layered and liveable as any interior.

The garden was imagined as a sanctuary, blending Mediterranean charm with touches of English heritage. It was not designed simply to be looked at, but to be lived in: somewhere to dine, unwind, listen, gather and retreat throughout the seasons. As with any Hill House Interiors project, the starting point was not only how the space should look, but how it should make people feel.

Because the house was a new build, Jenny was able to shape the garden from the ground up. The developer agreed to leave the outdoor area untouched, giving her the freedom to create something entirely personal. The layout had a natural sense of potential, but it required careful planning to ensure each element felt purposeful, balanced and inviting.

The relationship between inside and out became central to the design. The garden is the first thing visible on entering the house, drawing the eye through the interior and immediately creating a sense of calm. Bifold doors open completely from the main living area, allowing the outdoors to become part of the daily rhythm of the home rather than a separate space beyond it.

This sense of flow informed every decision. The dining area was positioned closest to the house for easy access to the kitchen, reinforcing the feeling of the garden as a true extension of the living space. Practicality was also carefully considered but never allowed to interrupt the atmosphere. Heaters and an awning were incorporated so that the garden could be enjoyed beyond the height of summer, despite the unpredictability of the English weather.

Planting was used to bring structure, softness and a sense of escape. Evergreen planting forms the foundation of the scheme, ensuring the garden retains depth and character throughout the year. Italian cypress trees and mature olive trees introduce a Mediterranean quality, while bay trees, pleached Photinias and Annabelle hydrangeas bring texture, rhythm and romance. The hydrangeas, which bloom from July through to October, add a generous seasonal note during the summer months.

Materials were selected with the same care as an interior palette. Paved Indian sandstone and Millboard decking define the different areas while allowing the space to feel cohesive. Gloucester sofa seating brings the comfort of an interior sitting room outdoors, while a Stark outdoor rug anchors the seating area and adds softness underfoot. Each element contributes to the sense of the garden as a room in its own right.

For Jenny, nature is both restorative and inspiring, and the garden was designed to engage more than the eye. Texture, sound, light and atmosphere all play a role in how the space is experienced. Concealed speakers were integrated throughout, allowing music to become part of the mood without disrupting the visual calm. Architectural lighting adds depth and warmth after dark, while the surrounding forest was also lit, turning it into a feature in its own right and extending the feeling of space beyond the garden’s physical boundaries.

As evening falls, the garden takes on a different character. Geometric lanterns by Contardi add a decorative layer, bringing intimacy and a gentle sense of theatre. The result is a space that feels quietly transportive: personal, purposeful and deeply connected to the home.

Jenny’s garden reflects a wider belief at Hill House Interiors: that outdoor spaces should be designed with the same imagination, sensitivity and attention to detail as interiors. Whether working with a generous landscape, a city terrace or a more compact garden, the most successful outdoor spaces are those that feel effortless, atmospheric and genuinely lived in.

Here, every detail has a role to play. The sightline from the entrance, the position of the dining area, the layered planting, the lighting, the sound and the surrounding landscape all work together to create a sense of ease and belonging. The garden does not sit apart from the home; it completes it.

Jenny Weiss’s Key Principles for Indoor-Outdoor Living

Design from the inside out: Jenny planned the garden around how it would be seen and used from within the home: the first view from the front door, the bifold doors from the main living space, and the dining area placed closest to the kitchen. This helps the garden feel connected to daily life rather than simply decorative.

Design for the senses: A successful garden is sensory, not just visual. Planting, sound, lighting, texture and scent all contribute to the experience. Jenny integrated concealed speakers throughout the space so music could become part of the atmosphere without disturbing the visual calm.

Use lighting to extend the space: Rather than lighting only the garden itself, Jenny also lit the surrounding forest, turning it into part of the composition. This gives the garden depth after dark and creates a greater sense of escape.

Give the garden year-round architecture: Evergreen planting, Italian cypress, mature olive trees, bay trees and pleached Photinias give the garden structure and permanence, while Annabelle hydrangeas bring softness and seasonal romance.

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