For a lesson on how to create a charming indoor/outdoor dining area for summer nights, we take you to a small backyard in London’s Crofton Park neighborhood. There food writer Mina Holland and musician Freddie Denham-Webb have created an oasis in the city—complete with an American-style Big Green Egg grill.
What prompted the American barbecue invasion? “We’re on a street of what I figure were quite experimental Victorian houses. Ours is a purpose-built maisonette, and opposite there are cleverly laid-out cottages. It feels like it was a bit of a testing ground for small-space living,” Holland told The Modern House.
Here’s everything you need to get the look:

See more of the house’s interiors on Remodelista.

Exterior & Facade

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Farrow & Ball’s exterior paints are available in both eggshell and gloss finishes.
Lighting

Garden Shed

Paint the shed to match the house, as Mina Holland did, to give the garden a cohesive look.
Fence

For more stylish fence panels, see 10 Easy Pieces: Privacy Fence Panels.
Furnishings


The table seats sits comfortably. Says Holland: “We have a lot of friends over, but we tend not to invite more than four at a time, so there’s six of us. That might change in summer because the garden feels like we have an extra room.”


Are you furnishing an outdoor space? See:
- Steal This Look: The Ultimate Summery Outdoor Kitchen
- Steal This Look: A Summery Bellport, NY, Porch, by Elizabeth Roberts
- Two for One: A Courtyard Connects Old and New in a San Francisco Home by Architect Ryan Leidner
N.B.: This story is an update; the original post ran on April 27, 2021, and is reappearing here as part of our Summer from the Archive issue.
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