Anerley, Penge Garden Design, London

When we first arrived, the rear garden was cut off from the house by a mismatched run of steps and patios that weren't safe to use, let alone enjoy. A tired shed, pergola and sandpit filled the sunniest part of the plot, the boundaries were a patchwork of gaps and mismatched panels, and there was little planting or character to speak of. Access in and out of the garden simply wasn't working for a family with two young children.

We started at the threshold. The kitchen and playroom exits were levelled into one continuous run, with the porch patio extended to close the gap between them and wide, shallow steps built down to a new dining terrace - big enough to seat six, with drainage and soakaways built in from the start so water would never pool at the back door again.

Moving further into the garden, the lawn was reshaped away from its original rectangle into a soft, curved form, framed by planting beds on either side. A path of clay pavers threads through rather than cutting the lawn in two, and the beds mix child-friendly, sensory and wildlife-supporting planting with a herb garden of rosemary, sage and thyme.

At the rear, where the garden gets its best sun, the old shed, pergola, patio and sandpit made way for a tranquil zone of its own. New 1.8m fencing painted charcoal recedes into the background and lets the planting do the talking, underplanted with ferns, grasses, verbena and lavender beneath a screen of birch trees. A relocated shed sits quietly to one side, and a pergola-hung hammock - doubling as a sofa, gives the adults a spot to properly switch off.

Out front, the focus was pared-back limestone organic paving instead - levelled down to meet the path, with proper drainage finally addressed under the bay window. A new bin store, gate and low, sun-loving planting of lavender, heucheras, stipa grasses and standard roses give the house a warmer welcome home.