Journal

Notes on better spaces

Designing and building outdoor spaces, written for homeowners and property managers planning something better.

Where to start, what to decide early, and how to think about layout, materials and budget before anyone breaks ground.

The five most common, and most expensive, missteps we see in outdoor projects, and how to avoid every one of them.

The quiet principles behind gardens that still feel right in fifteen years: proportion, restraint, light and material honesty.

How to think about cost before design, and why the cheapest quote is rarely the least expensive decision.

Light is the difference between a garden you look at and one you use after eight o'clock. A short guide to doing it well.

How a sloped, unusable back garden in Nottinghamshire became a terraced space the owners now use more at night than by day.

While you're out there

The MDPS playlist

The best garden and outdoor tunes, curated by the team. For long lunches, slow evenings and everything in between.

Thoughtful pieces on outdoor design and planning, a few times a year, never noisy.