Of course when you think of ‘design’ and ‘Chelsea’ – your mind immediately springs to the array of show gardens that make up Main Avenue and beyond. But in fact there are so many other elements of design needed for Chelsea – from smaller RHS gardens to the huge amount of trade stands at the show. Each is treated as a garden design in its own right – all with their own constrictions, complications and constructions! So we thought we’d celebrate some of the lesser-known designs done for Chelsea with some of our projects over the years…
Starting in 2015 when John Wyer created this simple line drawing to convey his vision for the trade stand for Gaze Burvill at Chelsea. It was an elaborate play on the space, which would really showcase their products. The key features included a green wall behind the outdoor kitchen, filled with herbs and salad plants, as well as a pergola, with a water feature, to house their dining collection. You’ll see the full effect in the coloured render just below…
We’ve also done a lot of designs for the trade stand of sculptor, Hamish Mackie, over the years. As he usually takes the same stall space, the challenge here is to make the design different enough each year, but still fit the same parameters, needs and space. And of course to make the stand pop, showcasing the incredible (and changing) sculptures on display.
Here you’ll see a couple of designs as examples – the first from 2018 designed by Max Harriman, with the green wall acting as a dramatic backdrop for the bull’s head sculpture that was to take centre-stage. The second is from what was supposed to be this year – and we hope instead, next year. Two life-size bronze lions were going to be the key pieces, so Design Director, James Smith, designed the space to have more of a savannah feel throughout.
So now we’re looking forward to Chelsea 2021 and all the different designs that come with it…