Deep green borders pull the eye through the garden, past a dark terrace cover and toward the pool. The result is a garden renovation with terraces that reads as one outdoor composition, yet still leaves each zone with its own task. From the house, through the open views, the planting and hard surfaces frame the long lines of the site instead of closing them in. White-flowering plants cut through the green mass, and the evening lighting lifts the trees and edges without flattening the space.

Layered terraces around a generous green setting

The garden is arranged as a series of terraces, each one set up for a different moment. A large dining terrace sits close to the main living area, while a softer seating area near the pool offers a place to step away from the larger gathering space. The paving stays calm and even, so the planting can carry much of the visual weight. That choice gives the garden room to breathe, even with its size and with several outdoor functions placed close together.

What holds the composition together is the way the sightlines are opened up. Views are kept clear across the terraces, toward the pool, and back to the key elements in the garden. From inside the house and from the different sitting areas, those garden sightlines prevent the scene from feeling split apart. Instead of walls of planting or abrupt corners, there are framed views and long diagonals that guide the eye from one zone to the next.

A louvered terrace cover with a dark, quiet profile

The main terrace is covered by a modern louvered terrace cover with a dark frame and a restrained profile. Its horizontal lines sit neatly against the greenery, and the darker colour makes the structure read clearly without taking over the view. Screens are integrated into the side infill, so they remain almost invisible when not in use. That keeps the edge of the terrace open and light, even though the cover can be closed off when needed.

Above the seating and dining area, the louvered roof changes with the weather. In summer it offers shade and lets air move through the space; on colder days the heaters turn the same terrace into a place that can still be used after the light fades. A wall element continues beneath the cover at an unexpected point, dividing a more sheltered seat from the larger BBQ and drinks area. That small shift changes the way the terrace is used without making the layout feel rigid.

Dining, shelter and a place to gather

The covered terrace has enough room for a larger table, which makes it work as the main gathering point in the garden. Nearby, the darker outdoor kitchen BBQ area gives the zone a more practical edge, with the materials kept low and steady so the planting stays in view. The wall that runs through the cover creates a corner with more privacy, while the open side still looks across the lawn, the borders and the water. It is a simple move, but it gives the terrace two different moods in one footprint.

The edges of the cover are kept clean. No busy framing, no heavy side walls. That minimal approach leaves the pool, the planting and the border lines visible from almost every angle. The terrace cover does not try to compete with the garden; it sits inside it, dark against the green, with the pool reflections and surrounding planting doing most of the visual work.

Poolside seating area and evening light

At the pool, the atmosphere changes. The water introduces movement and reflection, and the adjacent poolside seating area is set up for a slower pace than the main dining terrace. In the evening, the pool light and the outdoor lighting around the garden trees make the transitions easier to read. Pots, beds and planted clusters catch small pools of light, so the garden still has depth after dark. The effect is subtle rather than theatrical, which suits the rural setting.

Close to the water, the shower stands as a clear functional element rather than a decorative one. It fits into the garden as part of the outdoor routine, placed where wet feet and swimming activity make sense. Around it, the paving remains consistent, so the shift from lounge area to pool edge feels deliberate. The swimming area is not isolated; it is woven into the rest of the garden through view lines, lighting and the shared material palette.

Green planting with white accents

The planting scheme leans into green, but the white plants stop it from becoming one flat tone. That contrast appears in the borders, in the pots, and around the trees that are lit after dark. The garden carries a countryside character, yet the planting detail feels current because it is so controlled. Every bed has a clear edge, and the plants are given space to show shape and texture rather than being packed into a dense mass.

Those lit trees do more than decorate the garden. They help mark the size of the plot, draw attention to the longer views, and keep the terraces readable from the house. The lighting also brings out the darker border lines near the cover, which makes the relation between planting and structure clearer. In daylight, the garden feels open and green; in the evening, it becomes a layered scene of reflections, lit foliage and darker architectural lines.

A countryside villa garden with a contemporary edge

The villa itself brings a rural note to the project, with its thatched roof visible beside the new outdoor structure. That contrast is central to the garden’s character: a countryside villa garden shaped by a modern terrace cover and precise lines in the paving. The new elements do not hide the existing house. Instead, they frame it and place it in dialogue with the pool, the terraces and the planting. From the main seats, the eye can move between the old and the new without interruption.

Because each terrace serves a different role, the garden works over the course of a day. There is a place for a long meal, a quieter poolside seat, and a covered area that can handle both shade and evening use. The plan is large, but the details stay measured: dark frames, calm paving, planted borders, lit trees and open views. Together they make a garden renovation with terraces that feels made for staying outside, not just looking out at it.

Project photography: Jaro van Meerten

Terrace cover: louvered roof with integrated line lighting
Side infill: integrated screens
Heating: BeamHeat

Garden design and construction: De Hoog Hoveniers
Lighting: In-lite Concepten
Outdoor shower: JEE-O
Pots: Ecri Living