Lina has been designing gardens and outdoor areas in Sweden for over a decade and has picked up lots of good tips along the way. Even though every client is unique, with different needs and ideas, there is one thing in particular that she is strict about.

– I tell my clients that they are not allowed to use pre-cast concrete. It’s better to use gravel until you can afford to spend money on real natural stone. This may sound a bit snobbish, but it’s better to save up and invest in something that lasts, rather than buying something cheap.

And she adds:

– Gravel can also be extremely beautiful.

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She emphasises that she’s not against concrete as such.

– If you use concrete in combination with natural stone, it will be completely maintenance-free. In some situations, concrete is very stylish, but it has to be concrete that you cast yourself. The pre-cast version often turns grey and dull.

Here, we get to the heart of Lina’s vision. The garden is a living place. So it shouldn’t seem dead. This is why she loves to use slate, on the terrace, for the paving, and all the way round the house.

– There’s nothing more beautiful than rain on slate. When everything else is dead, slate shines like a piece of jewellery.

Of course, the type of stone you use and precisely how to use it – and how much time you want to spend on maintenance – will vary according to the conditions.

– For traditional wooden houses, slate, granite and limestone are fine. It can also be good to use grouting sand, grass between the flagstones or sealing with concrete.

Grouting with concrete will require the least maintenance. But if you think it’s going to be grey and boring, think again:

-Combine it with plants and it will look really attractive, Lina promises.

When Lina designs gardens, the small spaces are extremely important. The same applies to the terrace. Creating these small rooms is quite simply about identifying areas you want to fill up with … something.

– You can, for example, create an outdoor room simply by arranging a seating group. It’s important for me to make the space a place you want to spend time in. A place you can sit safely and comfortably and have something beautiful to look at.

11 tips: how to create zones in the garden and on the terrace.

Lina likes to let nature run through the materials she uses. – That’s why natural stone like slate is perfect.

– If you use local slate, it will be the ’right‘ grey colour. I think it’s completely wrong to use imported slate. If you use slate from Sweden or Norway, however, it will be the right colour. Take marble, for example: it’s really lovely to see in Greece, but it’s totally wrong in the Nordic region.

One simple way to create an outdoor room on your terrace is by building a pergola.

– A pergola will give you a very defined space and is also a great way to make sure that you can still use the outdoor area in rainy weather. At least if you put a roof on it. I often recommend my clients who are building a pergola to also include a roof. Either a sliding roof that can be removed when not needed, or a transparent plexiglass roof.

Here too, the choice of materials is important.

– I prefer to use a lot of natural wood, preferably locally sourced. It’s also great to decorate it with something green. Creepers, for example. The most important thing is to bring nature in and make it part of the garden, she concludes.