Working in collaboration with interior design studio Run for the Hills I was asked to create a Mediterranean-inspired roof terrace located at the heart of London’s celebrated Covent Garden. 

 

The clients specified a feature olive tree (Olea europea), lots of terracotta planters and emphasised the need for flexibility, allowing the space to be used equally for an intimate evening drink or a family meal. It was also important to the clients to balance the spectacular views of London with enough greenery to provide some privacy. 

 

To do so I divided the long but narrow roof terrace into various spaces using bespoke TORC planters to match the interior structure of the penthouse and provide different exterior views from different rooms. Many of the planters and furniture are bespoke surrounded by lots of terracotta, earthenware and wicker baskets, the latter recalling the flowers markets of nearby Covent Garden. 

 

I used drought-resistant and low-maintenance plants to cope with the exposed sunny, windy conditions of a roof terrace and client’s busy lifestyle using a predominantly green palette with pops of pinks, whites and purples. Inspired by the textural and muted planting found in the Mediterranean I used grasses stipa tenuissiaand miscanthus sinensis, succulents and shrubs such as myrtuls communis and silvery tones from artemisia ludifloria. Other feature plants include an agave ‘americana’ and a citsus x limon tree. Water irrigation and lighting was also included in the brief.