The Giubbilei Look

Luciano Giubbilei is one of London's most in-demand Garden Designers. Known for his sharp minimalist style, he designs gardens as interiors for the outside. Blending the classical with the contemporary, he favours crisp order & geometry with designs that feature immaculate square lawns, rows of neatly structured hedges, clipped trees & clean shapes. You won't see flowers or colourful perennial borders in any of Luciano's gardens.

Originally from Tuscany, he moved to London on the suggestion of his English girlfriend to study at the renown Inchbald School of Garden Design. He's inspired by Italian and French Renaissance gardens & the modern formality of American landscape architect the late Dan Kiley. He calls himself an interior designer for the outdoors - an Exterior Designer. For those interested, Luciano's gardens start from 100,00 pounds. While not many of us could afford a total Luciano garden make-over, or the on-going care these high-maintenance gardens would demand, (& I for one would miss my Lilies too much), there are many inspirational ideas to be gleaned from these projects.

Image 1: Rustica Image 2: Lazuli All other images: Luciano Giubbilei

Wreta Gestgifveri

It's been ages since I did a Weekend Retreat post, but I'm convinced the wonderful Wreta Gestgifveri Inn an hour out of Stockholm will make amends. When Owner Jim Grundstrom, one of Sweden's most accomplished interior designers, first saw the seventeenth century building it was derelict & empty. Seeing the potential he set about restoring it to a gracious boutique country hotel. Every guest room mirrors a different epoch - from 17th century baroque to Carl Larsson’s turn-of-the-century romanticism. No commentary is necessary, this is bliss! The most joyous of weekends to you my friends.

All images: Wreta Gestgifveri