Thame Converted Barn Garden

This design celebrated of the converted barns agricultural heritage as a dairy, while introducing sustainable, contemporary elements to suit modern living, inspired by SOHO house. Working with the existing terraces and incorporating rainwater harvesting and solar lighting, the garden was reimagined.

At the rear of the property, a sheltered courtyard was transformed into a spa-style retreat featuring a timber-clad hot tub, multi-stem trees in reclaimed whisky barrels, and integrated rainwater harvesting. Pleached trees and new hedging provide privacy, screening the adjacent carport and creating a more intimate atmosphere.

References to the site’s history include livestock troughs and vintage milking containers repurposed as planters. At the front of the property, a woven willow cow sculpture greets visitors on arrival. Curved willow fencing guides vehicles towards parking areas and enhances safety by separating the driveway from the lawn.

At the front, privacy and the structure of the existing terrace was improved through the addition of a timber-clad wall and pergola, echoing the barn’s architecture. Reclaimed timber posts interplanted with verbena now define the lawn, offering vertical interest, wind shelter, and additional privacy from the annex. The annex terrace, designed for guest use, was softened with colourful, low-maintenance planting and a new firepit with integrated log store seating, creating a welcoming social space.

Elsewhere, the flat lawn was reimagined for play and biodiversity. A clover lawn, surrounded by meadow planting and sculpted mounds with trees, provides ecological value as well as shade and imaginative play opportunities for children. Finally, the productive kitchen garden was redesigned to include a greenhouse, with reclaimed sleepers repositioned for sustainability and new planters added for Mediterranean fruit trees.