When Sophie and Simon Gould designed their new-build Norfolk cottage in 2019, their focus was firmly on creating a practical family home. The garden was something of an afterthought.
‘Aside from an old apple tree, it was just turf and fencing with no personality or structure,’ recalls Sophie, an interior designer and founder of Bramley & Bear. ‘It did have huge potential, though.’
Then, in March 2020, lockdown hit. With normal life on hold, almost overnight the garden became their new focus. ‘It was somewhere to clear our heads, stay busy and feel a sense of purpose during such an uncertain time,’ Sophie says.
The pair set about transforming the space with determination, creativity and vision, tackling all the physical labour themselves. ‘The biggest thing I’ve learnt is patience,’ Sophie says. ‘Gardens don’t happen overnight. You plant something and have to wait to see how it settles, how it grows, how it changes through the seasons. It’s been such a learning curve, but one I’ve really loved.’
Sophie Gould
The garden before
The plan
‘I was clear from the beginning that I wanted the garden to feel immersive – not just a lawn with borders, but somewhere you could wander through and really spend time in,’ says Sophie. ‘We focused on creating different zones that balanced day-to-day family living.’
The couple mapped out areas for entertaining, including a sheltered sunken seating area for relaxing, a paved patio close to the house for outdoor dining, and loose, whimsical planting to wrap the garden in colour and movement. ‘Choosing the colour palette and thinking about texture and how the garden would change through the seasons was my favourite part,’ says Sophie.
James French
The process
‘We took on most tasks ourselves – it was back-breaking work. But after three months of intensive labour, we had reshaped the space, forming the new layout with patios, beds and pathways,’ Sophie explains.
Simon tackled the structural elements. ‘He’s in construction, so he was amazing on the build side, laying the patio and building the pergola and the playhouse. I naturally gravitated towards the creative side of the transformation.’
We started as novice gardeners, so to look at it now knowing we created it is incredibly rewarding
Sophie chose soft, romantic perennials, layered with meadow-style plants to create movement and a sense of immersion. A serene spot beneath the garden’s original apple tree was edged with oak sleepers and planted with flowing nepeta, verbena and Knautia macedonica. She adds: ‘It allows the garden to feel relaxed and natural rather than overly manicured.’
James French
Biggest challenge
‘The early stages were anything but glamorous. With no access for machinery, most of the groundwork had to be done by hand.’
Design hero
‘The playhouse became the most important part of the design – Simon built it from scratch for just £250 using leftover wood.’
Best bargain
The large rustic dining table and benches were made from leftover scaffold boards and cost just £200.
James French
Biggest splurge
The patio, which ate up more than half of the £7k budget.
Sourcebook 
James French
Follow House Beautiful on Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest
Comments are closed.