Gedempte Gracht

from chaos to garden

This garden in Haarlem started as a rather chaotic and underused outdoor space. The old shed was damp and mainly used for storing things we didn’t really need, so instead of replacing it, we decided to make better use of the space we already had.

The new layout was designed around different zones for living, dining, playing and relaxing, creating a garden that feels much bigger and more connected. We reused the existing structure of the shed where possible, turning it into a useful element within the new layout and using it to help define the different areas.

To keep the garden feeling light and spacious, we painted the walls white and simplified the existing brickwork. Natural materials, warm wood and plenty of planting bring softness and colour back into the space. We also designed and built several pieces of furniture ourselves, making use of simple and affordable materials.

The paving was the one part we chose to have professionally installed, creating a solid foundation for the rest of the garden.

A lot of the transformation came from simply looking at the existing space differently — reusing what was already there, making thoughtful design choices and finding new possibilities within a small footprint.

The result is a garden that feels completely new, while still making the most of what was already there.