Architect Vishal Shah and wife Meera have transformed their London plot with Corten steel and CLEVER IDEAS
When you’re in the business of designing living spaces and you need your garden updating, who do you call on to create the blueprint? Yourself, of course!
Having been a practising architect for over 20 years, Vishal Shah was well-qualified to rethink the layout of the outside space he and wife Meera inherited with their London home. Purchasing the house six years ago had been a no-brainer, as Vishal had grown up in Enfield. “We are close to both parents, it’s a great area for kids with lots of open spaces nearby and it also has good transport links to central London,” he enthuses.
One of those transport links was very close indeed. “The house was built in 1933 when the Piccadilly line extension was carried out,” explains Meera. “The rear fence is the boundary to the verge leading down to the Piccadilly line tracks. The verge is great as it means we have lots of privacy at the back of the house.”
ALL GOOD THINGS…
But the garden transformation had to wait. “When we bought the house, it was in a poor condition,” says Meera. “We made significant changes to it including renovations and an extension, but the gardens were the last part of the project.”
The space was perfectly acceptable in the meantime though. Vishal explains: “The rear garden was originally very nice, prior to the construction work on the house. It had been well cared for, with large shrubs and a nice well-kept lawn. The front garden was just a driveway to the garage with a lawn and small beds on the other side – it was quaint but it didn’t really excite us.”
BEFORE
Pleached London plane
Nova Dining Corner Set, from £2,149, whitestores.co.uk
Persicaria affinis
Add a touch of rust to your plot, p28
