The last 12 months has seen the rise of so-called ‘chaos gardening’ – a deviation from the traditions for manicured lawns and perfectly cut box hedging, this is a trend that’s about taking a less controlled approach to our outside spaces. In the context of home design, it’s the perfect partner to carefully crafted, modern sanctuaries that seek to blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living, especially with the creation of outdoor kitchens, forming a bridge between the two worlds.
Chaos gardening
While the clue is very much in the name, chaos gardening is about two things: ease and environment. Practically, the idea conjures images of sprinkling seeds rather than spacing them, blending flowers, herbs and vegetables in the borders, and swapping out the prevalence for fastidiousness for a bit more fun in the garden.
Good Housekeeping writes: “While the term may sound modern, the concept has roots in centuries-old practices. Before the rise of formal gardens with their symmetrical beds and clipped hedges, many traditional gardens — especially cottage and wildflower gardens — thrived in a more organic, free-flowing style. These early gardens celebrated abundance, diversity and spontaneity, starkly contrasting the tidy, curated look popularized in later European landscapes.”
Of course, what chaos gardening is really about is getting us all a bit closer to nature, and helping it to thrive alongside our homes – something that’s very much close to our hearts at Nicholas Anthony. The trend coincides with pleas from environmental campaigners to support nature with initiatives such as ‘No Mow May’ – leaving all or part of the lawn uncut for a month or longer to attract pollinators and improve biodiversity. These unmown (and pesticide free) areas are described as ‘ecological corridors’ or ‘pollinator pathways’, because they also create habitats that allow insects to travel with access to food and shelter. Leave these spaces for a while, and you may soon see wildflowers pop up, from bluebells and dandelions in the spring to foxgloves in the summer.
For some context, on an individual level seeing birds and butterflies find a safe haven in your garden is a pleasure money can’t buy. However, on a wider level, for those who are ecologically minded, it’s estimated that there is “about 433,000 hectares or 4,330 square kilometres, a bit more than a fifth the size of Wales”, which is “more than four and a half times larger than that of our National Nature Reserves”, according to the Wildlife Gardening Forum. In short, a little action (or inaction) at home, can have a big impact on the environment.
Connectivity with nature
In contrast to the uninhibited idyll of chaos gardening, modern homes become the embodiment of peace when they both embrace organic materials alongside careful and intuitive organisation – in short, when there isn’t chaos.
At Nicholas Anthony, we have often written about the importance of connecting with nature in the home – it’s something we crave. It’s also why we feel so inherently at peace in spaces that nurture that connection through natural materials like wood and stone, lots of natural light, and an easy flow between inside and out.
There is a duality between the calm that’s felt outside when nature is allowed to flourish, and the order that creates tranquillity inside a modern home. Combining the two is arguably the ultimate artform; the complete expression of who we are and how we interact with the outside world.
With the summer months enticing us into the open air, however, the final piece of the puzzle, linking the two worlds, is the majesty of the outdoor kitchen. Thanks to modern design, it’s now a concept that can be more integrated, more sophisticated, and more usable than ever.
Outdoor kitchens: a bridge between two worlds
Outdoor kitchens have been another growing trend in recent years. We’re now a far cry away from a rusty barbecue at the end of the garden; today’s outside dining spaces have the capacity to offer all the comfort and culinary skill of the best kitchens in the world, while nurturing our kinship with the great outdoors.
Cooking outside
Cooking outside, bringing our loved ones together, and socialising in the open air brings a satisfaction that’s hard to describe. Modern, curated outdoor cooking spaces allow that to be taken to the next level with proper cooking facilities, storage, and refrigeration, as well as beautiful dining areas. On the one hand, it allows cooking to be part of the whole experience, rather than part of the preparation for entertainment alone. However, it also allows the chef to be part of the festivities. For some, cooking for oneself outside, without making it into a big event, adds to the joy of each day – something that can even be extended into the winter months depending on whether you have cover from the elements or not.
Curated culinary spaces
Brands including Sub-Zero & Wolf are leaders in outdoor appliances, while design experts like our team can customise spaces, installing them with wood and stone or composite materials that mimic natural ones, protecting equipment against the elements and creating seamless style to match interior spaces. The juxtaposition of more natural gardens with the precision of these contemporary outside spaces is the ultimate pleasure, as well as a bridge between our modern lives and our inherent craving for interacting with nature.
Connectivity and cooking
Crucially, the garden can take these outdoor kitchens a step further by building them into the cooking experience. By incorporating a fusion of herbs, fruit, vegetables and edible flowers into the areas around the cooking space, it not only softens the architecture, but invites an opportunity to add literal flavour into the outdoor cooking experience, not to mention a fair few health benefits. Imagine the pleasure of cooking over your outdoor grill and spontaneously plucking fragrant rosemary, sage, and thyme from your pots and borders to add to dishes on a whim.
Elemental and experiential homes
As a case in point, we had a client who was a chef, and he wanted to spend more time outside. He had all the gadgets, from a Green Egg to a pizza oven and a fridge, and we designed it so that the appliances were located next to pots filled with herbs and culinary delicacies for easy access. It was his kingdom, and it took his way of life beyond the four walls of a traditional kitchen, transforming his passion into something elemental and experiential. That is everything a home – inside and out – should be.
Contact us or book a consultation at one of our studios to talk to us about creating your curated space with our award-winning team.