Anchor House, Chichester. A modern British garden infused with natural charm

Location	Chichester
Designer	Your Garden Design

Set direct on the waterfront in Chichester, Anchor House presented a rare opportunity to frame both home and horizon in one coherent scheme. The clients imagined a garden that felt unapologetically contemporary yet softened with natural texture and planting. They wanted to avoid anything too traditional or starkly minimalist, preferring a calm, modern British garden that would feel warm, welcoming and beautifully connected to the architecture of their home.

At the heart of the brief was the view. The garden needed to frame the water beyond, draw the eye outward and give the family space to relax, cook and entertain together. Every route from the main house to the pool house and gym had to feel intuitive and cohesive, so that stepping outside felt as considered as walking through the interior.

A uniquely shaped plot

Designer David from Your Garden Design describes the garden as having the outline of a dog bone: narrow through the center with wider sections at either end. Rather than seeing this as a limitation, he treated the shape as a chance to choreograph the way people move through the space.

The central pinch point became a natural place to slow the pace, with planting used to gently funnel views towards key focal points. At the wider ends of the garden, David defined generous terraces and seating areas, creating distinct outdoor rooms that still felt visually connected.

The family also wanted a poolside area that would feel like an outdoor living room, complete with kitchen, lounging zones and views to the water. The challenge lay in blending these practical requirements with materials that felt refined, timeless and in tune with the coastal setting.

Materials that tie house and garden together

To achieve a seamless flow between inside and out, the materials palette was chosen with the same care you might apply to an interior scheme. Artisans of Devizes’ Buscot Limestone was selected for the main paving, its durable finish and gentle tone echoing the neutral colors of the interior flooring. The subtle variation in the stone catches the light softly, ensuring the terraces feel elegant rather than harsh.

Siberian larch cladding was introduced to key vertical surfaces, picking up on the timber elements of the house and adding warmth to the garden’s clean architectural lines. To provide visual punctuation and a sense of depth, Belgian brick details were woven through the layout, edging certain areas and grounding sightlines.

Within this framework of stone and timber, Millboard decking was used to bring a natural, tactile richness to the poolside seating areas. The Enhanced Grain decking in Smoked Oak finish offers the character of aged timber with the reassurance of a resin mineral composite. Its tone sits beautifully alongside the limestone and larch, adding a gentle contrast without competing for attention.

For the driveway and more serviceable areas, Mendip grey chippings were chosen for their practicality and long-term performance. Their muted color helps them recede into the palette, ensuring the focus remains on the main garden spaces and the water beyond.

A poolside retreat with Millboard decking

Around the pool, durability and comfort underfoot were just as important as aesthetics. The family needed a surface that would cope with splashes and year-round use, without the upkeep traditionally associated with timber.

Millboard decking provided the solution. Its textured surface feels inviting to walk on and offers exceptional slip and fade resistance, an important consideration in a busy family pool setting. The Smoked Oak tone adds a hint of warmth, echoing the interior joinery and helping the outdoor kitchen and lounge seating feel like an extension of the home.

By running the Millboard decking boards in carefully considered directions, David subtly defined zones for dining, relaxing and moving around the pool. The result is a poolside terrace that feels coherent and calm, with the Millboard decking giving a reassuringly solid, stable platform for daily life.

Planting that softens and shelters

The planting scheme was designed to soften the strong lines of the hard landscaping and respond to the garden’s changing light and wind conditions. With a coastal influence and an exposed aspect in places, the planting needed to be resilient while still softening the structure of the garden.

A thoughtful mix of herbaceous perennials, grasses, alpines and creeping plants was used to blur the edges of the paving and Millboard decking. Wispy grasses catch the breeze and add movement, while flowering perennials provide seasonal color and gentle scent. Lower, creeping varieties spill across the edges of paths and terraces, softening thresholds and encouraging you to slow your step.

This layered planting not only anchors the garden into its setting but also creates a sheltered feel within the wider coastal landscape. From the house, the eye travels across textured foliage and soft seedheads before reaching the water, giving depth to the view in every season.

From construction site to contemporary sanctuary

Before Your Garden Design began work, the plot looked more like a construction site than a finished family garden. Through careful planning and a refined palette of materials, it has been transformed into a welcoming series of outdoor rooms that feel as considered as the interior of Anchor House.

The garden now connects the main house, pool house and gym with a clear visual language. Limestone paving leads you naturally from one area to another, while the Millboard decking around the pool forms a warm, social heart to the scheme. Each space offers its own character, yet the overall feel is one of calm continuity.

This project captures the spirit of modern British garden design: confident, comfortable and closely connected to its surroundings. By combining robust materials like Buscot Limestone and Millboard decking with thoughtful planting, the garden delivers a landscape that is both practical for family life and rich in atmosphere.

A garden to be lived in

Today, the family can cook, swim, entertain and simply sit with a drink as the light changes over the water. Morning swims, lazy weekend lunches and evening gatherings all find their place within the layout. The garden invites you out in all weathers, from bright summer days to crisp autumn afternoons.

For anyone planning a contemporary coastal or waterfront garden, Anchor House shows how Millboard products can sit effortlessly within a refined design, bringing natural character, long-lasting performance and a reassuring feel underfoot.

Feeling inspired?

Order your free samples to experience the colors and textures of Millboard decking and cladding for yourself and discover how Millboard products could help complete your own outside space.

Images courtesy of Anna Tott.

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