Step inside the dramatic transformation of a 30-year-old Hampshire garden, where bespoke limestone walling and a covered outdoor lounge create the ultimate space for year-round living.
Here at Forest Stone, we live for those projects where a bold vision meets exceptional craftsmanship. Our recent site visit to a sprawling family home in Curbridge, Hampshire, offered a masterclass in exactly that. We caught up with Joe Irving of the talented Aurum Hortis team as they brought a spectacular Joe Savage Garden Design to life.
This isn’t just a garden makeover; it’s a complete re-imagining of how a family interacts with their outdoor space. The property, last landscaped in the 1990s, presented what could be described as a “blank canvas”—albeit one with the “remnants of various renovations loosely dotted around.” The goal? To seamlessly blend sophisticated indoor living with the natural beauty of the garden, creating a cohesive, luxurious, and functional extension of the home.
Let’s walk through the transformative design and the premium materials making it all possible.
The Vision: An Outdoor Room for All Seasons
The heart of this new design is a stunning, covered outdoor lounge—a true “room” without walls. It’s a space designed for year-round enjoyment, featuring a commanding fireplace, a dedicated TV wall, and a fully-equipped outdoor kitchen.
“The client’s plan is to have one of those picture-frame TVs,” Joe explains, pointing to the clad wall. “It’s got a natural wood picture frame, and when it’s off, it broadcasts like a photo or piece of art. So that whole area will kind of be like an outdoor lounge really.”
This ambition for indoor-outdoor flow wasn’t just conceptual; it was meticulously executed through design to material selection. For all the walls in this area—the fireplace chimney, the TV wall, the kitchen façade—the design called for a texture that felt both natural and refined.
Featured Material: Lymington Beige Coach House Cladding
The unanimous choice was our Lymington Beige Coach House Cladding. This isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a defining feature. Its warm, cream tones and rugged, split-face texture provide the perfect organic contrast to the sleek lines of the architecture and the planned modern furnishings.
Choosing the right limestone wall cladding or natural stone wall cladding is pivotal. It must withstand the elements while bringing the right sense of style to your build. Our Coach House cladding, with its consistent colour and durable finish, does exactly that in this project. It brings a timeless, artisanal quality to the space, ensuring the outdoor room feels anchored and integral to the landscape, not simply placed within it.
Joe’s team faced a fascinating challenge with the grand fireplace: “When I worked out the weight of all the blocks, the cladding- it was actually about five tonnes worth… So the lintels are ridiculous, 290mm high, crazy big lintels. But it’s a bit of engineering on the go.”
This highlights a key consideration with modern stone cladding—structural support is paramount, especially for feature elements. The result, once complete, will be a breathtaking focal point, its substantial presence a testament to both the design’s ambition and the installer’s skill.
The “Floor”: Cohesion with Italian Breamore Ivory Paving
To achieve the coveted seamless flow from inside to out, the flooring was critical. The clients already had a beautiful tile from the same factory inside their home, around the indoor pool area. Our task was to match it externally.
“Luckily, when you sent me a picture of the internal stuff,” Craig recalls, “I was like, ‘I think I recognise that.’ We have a relationship with the factory, so it was actually pretty easy to get the matching external outdoor tile. I’m glad because it brings cohesion to these spaces and looks great against the house.”
We supplied the 20mm exterior-grade version of the Italian Breamore Ivory porcelain tiles. Their soft, limestone-like appearance and off-white colour provide a neutral, elegant foundation that literally and visually connects the interior to the terrace.
Joe notes the thoughtful detailing: “We always make sure that… on the face of the step, we always have the factory edge on show… These have a little bit of a rolled edge, like a pillow, a nice limestone inspired chamfer.” This attention to detail, where cut edges are hidden, ensures a flawless, professional finish that elevates the entire installation.
Defining Spaces: Winsor Limestone Pavers for Structure & Charm
Beyond the main terrace, the design uses our Winsor Limestone Pavers to bring structure and classic appeal to the softer landscape elements.
The Driveway Edging & Cobbled Rumble Strip:
The existing driveway was an old, broken tarmac track. The new design replaces it with a long, flowing gravel drive, elegantly defined and retained by a Winsor Limestone Paver edging. At the front of the property, these same pavers are being laid to create a decorative cobbled rumble strip. “It will make this look much more stately,” Craig observes, a simple change that dramatically boosts kerb appeal.
The Pathway to the Kitchen Garden:
Perhaps the most charming application is the pathway that flows from the main garden space to the new greenhouse and vegetable growing area. Here, the Winsor Pavers are laid in a classic stretcher bond pattern that creates a charming natural stone path. “That looks really nice in those Winsor Pavers,” Joe says, admiring the work. It’s a lovely example of how a functional path can become a beautiful garden feature in its own right.
Crisp Definition: Sandford Steel Corten Edging
A modern garden thrives on clear definition. For the planting beds throughout the property and some of the paths, the design utilised over 150 metres of our Sandford Steel Corten Edging.
“It’s really handy for retaining areas,” Joe says, highlighting its practicality. “Even if it’s not on show, it just gives you that definitive edge.” Compared to traditional timber, which can rot and degrade, the steel edging offers a vastly extended lifespan with minimal maintenance.
Its weathering properties are part of its appeal. “It just gets a nice patina,” Joe adds. “It’s really easy to use because of the way that we fit it, with the little square brackets on the back.” This combination of durability, ease of installation, and its warm, rusted aesthetic makes it an invaluable tool for creating striking, lasting lines between planting and paving.
A Sunken Sanctuary & Future Growth
Tucked away between the pool house and mature shrubs, the design includes a sunken seating area—a private retreat within the larger garden. “It’s close enough that it’s not a pain to walk to, but it’s tucked out of the way,” Joe explains. Fitted with a gas fire pit conduit and a floating bench, it promises to be a cosy evening spot for the home-owners.
The project is on track for completion in January, after which the magic of planting and time will take over. “Be good to give it a couple of months for it to grow up,” Joe muses. We couldn’t agree more. The hard landscaping provides the architecture; the soft planting will give it the soul.
Conclusion: The Art of Collaboration
Walking the site with Joe, even in its mid-stage state, was inspiring. It’s a project that showcases how a clear design vision (hats off to Joe Savage Garden Design for that), expert installation (Aurum Hortis at their finest), and carefully chosen, premium materials can completely transform a space.
From the stately limestone walling of the outdoor room to the practical elegance of the Corten edging, every element has been considered for both its beauty and its purpose. This Hampshire garden is being crafted not just for today, but for decades of family memories to come.
We are incredibly proud to supply the materials for such a wonderful project and to work alongside skilled professionals- this is why we love what we do! We’ll be returning next spring to capture the finished result in all its glory—lush, lived-in, and undoubtedly spectacular.
Stay tuned for the final reveal next year.
Project Credits:
Landscape Design: Joe Savage Garden Design // follow Joe on Instagram here
Landscape Construction: Aurum Hortis // follow Aurum Hortis on Instagram here
Our Materials Featured: Lymington Beige Coach House Cladding, Breamore Ivory Porcelain Paving, Winsor Limestone Pavers, Sandford Steel Corten Edging
Interested in exploring premium materials for your own garden transformation?
Contact the Forest Stone team today to discuss natural stone wall cladding, limestone pavers, and bespoke landscaping solutions for your South Coast home.
Watch for the Full Story
Watch the film for a full insight into how this build is progressing.
