Andrew and Paolo

Andrew and Paolo live in a new-build house in Liverpool. They have spent the past few years lovingly decorating their two-bedroom home into somewhere which reflects their quirky and retro design style. But outside, it’s a different story. The small bland plot is dominated by a massive retaining wall that overwhelms the space. They’ve been searching for a design solution to transform their garden, but they simply cannot see beyond the overbearing wall. The dream is to extend their beautiful living space into the garden, but is it possible to do anything that masks the giant, oppressive wall?

Stepping up to help are award-winning garden designers Tom Massey and Pip Probert. Tom is inspired to embrace the wall with dramatic jungle-style planting, whilst Pip attempts to distract the eye from it by transforming the space with a bespoke pergola complete with swinging seats. Using virtual reality, both designers pitch their radically different approaches. Tom tackles the lack of height and scale in the plot, while Pip is inspired by their interior with quirky tiles and bespoke patterns. Either garden would be a perfect fit, but which will Andrew and Paolo choose?