Luxury lifestyle, prime property
SEASONAL STYLE
DAVID GANDY
The model and campaigner talks to Kate Freud about life in Richmond, catching the gardening bug and being obsessed with his lawn
ROLE MODEL
I grew up in Billericay in Essex with my parents Chris and Brenda, and my older sister Claire. It was just a very normal British upbringing. I’m still friends with people from junior school who I’ve known since the age of four.
My parents started numerous businesses from homeeverything from US property to freight forwarding - so, from an early age I understood the time, commitment and dedication it takes to be self-employed, to grow your own company and be your own brand.
In 2001 when I was at university studying multimedia computing, my housemate entered me into a modelling competition on ITV’s This Morning I had no idea about it, but ended up winning the competition and along with it, a contract at Select Model Management, the agency I’m still with 25 years later. Shortly after winning the competition, I left university to pursue modelling full time.
I’ve always felt very fortunate that being in the fashion industry has allowed me to travel the world, meet some fascinating people and experience some amazing opportunities along the way. It was extraordinary to be part of an iconic commercial like the Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue advert, which changed the industry for male models.
But it takes a thick skin to be in this business. You’re constantly interviewing or casting for work, the majority of which you aren’t going to get.
I’m happy to be working with M&S again, where my brand David Gandy Wellwear will be available online. I learned so much when we launched the David Gandy for Autograph range, which became a bestseller. Now my brand offers elevated essentials, made with Wellwear
“I ALWAYS ADMIRED A PARTICULAR HOUSE WHEN WALKING MY DOG IN RICHMOND PARK, IT TICKED ALL THE RIGHT BOXES FOR US”
Breathe and Wellwear Care enhanced fabrics to improve the way your body feels.
When I first moved to London I lived alone in Highgate, in a large one-bed maisonette. It had a shared garden and was a great find. I wasn’t there much because I was travelling with work.
I then moved in with two housemates, in Fulham, southwest London, but again at that stage I was doing about 90 flights a year. When my wife Steph (who I was introduced to by my best friend) and I got together, I had just fully designed, developed, and restored a Fulham townhouse, which took a year. It was a great house, and holds special memories because it’s where we were living when both of our daughters were born.
We bought our house in southwest London during lockdown after years of looking for the right home for our growing family. We knew we wanted London for proximity to work, but we wanted the size, privacy and space of
clean!) at least once a season and pre-germinate your grass seed in water before you lay it.
My local area is friendly and very community based, which we love. It’s honestly like living in the countryside with London on your doorstep. Our local pockets around Richmond, Barnes and East Sheen all have a gorgeous village feel to them, with some wonderful cafes and restaurants like Tower House and Scott’s Richmond. Being able to walk along the river before a long lunch in the summer is very special.
something you would find in the country. I always admired a particular house when walking my dog in Richmond Park so when it came on the market, I knew it ticked all the right boxes for us. It was built in 1927 by the renowned architects Arnold Smith and Cecil Brewer and sits in half an acre with Richmond Park beyond that. We’ve added 2,000 sq ft to it but had to be very respectful of the architecture, which as a history fanatic suited me just fine.
I’ve always been a curious person and like to get my hands dirty, so when I got the gardening bug, I really threw myself into it. My parents are keen gardeners and have a beautiful garden in the Suffolk countryside, so they gave me some advice. Since I began, I’ve planted more than 400 white Annabel hydrangeas which bloom to more than a thousand heads, forming a border around the whole property. We’ve also added more than 2,500 plants and trees, but my main obsession is the lawn. I always recommend scarifying the lawn (like a deep
I always thought I was destined to be a dad of girls with a house full of women. Even my dog Dora is a girl, so I’m definitely outnumbered but wouldn’t have it any other way. People always ask if I ever wanted a boy, maybe because of my love of sport and cars, but my girls are just as active and sporty as any boy could be.
As well as hopefully being a fun dad, I’m also quite a strict parent. I think as parents it’s about finding a good balance between protection and freedom, which is why I have been vocal in support of a social media ban for children under 16. I’m hoping support for this will continue to grow and that the government will listen.
I’ve campaigned for better awareness around men’s mental health for many years, so when The Centre for Social Justice approached me about being part of its Lost Boys Initiative, I was happy to get behind it. We aim to champion a generation of young men who are falling behind girls in education and employment, are at a higher risk for poor mental health and are more vulnerable to crime and social issues. Young men need to be encouraged, and not labelled as toxic or a problem in society. L
David Gandy Wellwear is available at marksandspencer.com
GREEN FINGERS
DAVID IS PASSIONATE ABOUT TENDING HIS GARDEN AND LAWN
SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL
ARABELLA ST JOHN PARKER EXPLORES 10 INSPIRING DESIGN-LED IDEAS FOR SMALL LONDON GARDENS
Having a garden in central London is both a blessing and a challenge. On the plus side, there’s the potential for a private oasis in the city, with no need to traipse to the nearest park to sit in the sun, or to pay for an outside table for lunch or supper. On the downside, well, that list can be long.
London gardens can be too small, too long, too narrow, too awkward, too overlooked, too dark, too light, too damp, too hot, too di cult to access, too much e ort...
GROUND CONTROL
This page: A tree trunk provides a seating solution in this garden designed by RHS Chelsea gold-medallist Ann-Marie Powell
All these obstacles, however, are juicy pickings for garden designers such as those who were winners and fi nalists at this year’s Society of Garden and Landscape Designers Awards (sgld.org.uk). As the designs charted on these pages show, such professionals can help shape your outdoor spaces into places that are stylish, practical, wildlife- and climate-friendly.
SAY GOODBYE TO FENCES AND SCREENS
2In a small, overlooked town garden, how best to balance a wish for privacy with a desire for more space? Instead of fencing atop walls, or solid screens, opt for ‘walls’ of tall ornamental grasses and ‘screens’ formed by pleached trees; they can distract prying eyes while still letting you see through. Rug-shaped lawns and open-plan terraces separated by steps, raised beds, or a change in surface (from paving to gravel, for instance) can distinguish places for seating, dining, play, or entertaining. Each area has its own purpose without closing down views, making it feel reduced in size, or set in stone. “It’s important to have porous layers of planting at mid-height level, to give the illusion of more space and encourage curiosity,” says Adolfo Harrison, who designed this north London garden
1INTO THE LIGHT ZONE
An expert-installed lighting scheme will make it easy to use the garden in the evenings. You want the overall effect to look and feel enticing, with a slightly different set of lighting, on a separate switch, to showcase key features, such as the dining and or seating areas. You could add a third, decorative layer – portable festoon lights, or solar-powered lamps, for instance – yourself. Most of the lighting in this terraced garden by Adolfo Harrison (adolfoharrison. com) is provided by spike lights set into the planting and directed to cast a wash of light over the garden architecture at ground level. “Their job is not just to add definition but also rhythm and depth to the scheme,” says Adolfo, “and the benefit of spike lights is that as the planting grows, the locations and angles of the lights can be adjusted to adapt to the garden’s ever-changing dynamics.”
For a penthouse garden, meanwhile, Gonzalo Morillo (locuslandscape.com) contrasts the urban horizon (in this case, Madrid) with dense, immersive Mediterranean planting to create a protected, almost wild oasis that sits above and looking out at the city. “At night,” says Gonzalo, “a combination of pendant and floor lanterns fitted with glare-free 2700k bulbs subtly highlight the stone kitchen, circular dining table, and pathways. Wall lights project soft geometric patterns that guide your movement, revealing the garden discreetly and fostering a sense of calm and intimacy.”
GOING WILD FOR GARDEN SQUARES
WITH
WOODLAND
AND CLIMATE
TRAILS, HABITATS FOR NEWTS
RESILIENCE,
GROSVENOR SQUARE’S SOFTER, LESS FORMAL, NEW GARDEN IS SET TO BE A GAMECHANGER WHEN IT OPENS THIS SUMMER – AND OTHER GARDEN SQUARES ARE FOLLOWING SUIT, AS ALEXANDRA GOSS DISCOVERS
Awild revolution has taken root in one of London’s most iconic garden squares. In a little less than a year, Grosvenor Square, in Mayfair, has been transformed from a commuter transit route to a pioneering natural haven.
At the time of writing, in April 2026, the multi-million-pound transformation of London’s second-largest garden square and the former location of the US embassy was nearing completion. Around 85% of the 8,000 square metres of new planting is in place, while the biodiverse oval-shaped central lawn, new woodland walks and an education centre are almost finished.
When it reopens in July, more than 150,000 plants and bulbs and 44 trees will have been planted to a strategy led by the renowned horticulturalist Professor Nigel Dunnett, known for urban green projects including the Tower of London Superbloom. “We’re looking to set a new standard for biodiverse public spaces in the capital, bringing the exuberance of a rich natural environment into a London square in a way that hasn’t been done before,” Dunnett explains.
His emphasis is on low-intervention,
sustainable planting that also looks lovely year-round. “I had wanted a very strong wintergreen woodland atmosphere, so that the square feels fresh and vibrant in the depths of winter as well as in the lighter months.”
There’s a woodland trail and flowering lawns, wildlife havens, such as bug hotels and bird boxes, and deadwood repurposed to create nature-led play equipment – or drilled with holes for different species of wild solitary bees. Two new wetlands provide habitats for dragonflies, newts and frogs.
As well as improving biodiversity, Grosvenor’s transformation of the square will contribute to London’s climate resilience, helping to regulate urban heat island effects and mitigate flood risk. Some 15,300 square metres of soil have been decompacted to restore its health and increase natural drainage, with the site able to absorb 1.4 -million litres of stormwater.
Garden squares are one of London’s defining features; no other city has developed them as places where people can live, visit and relax in quite the same way. And Grosvenor Square’s wild makeover is making this already desirable area even more valuable, says Becky Fatemi, executive partner
PERFECT PATCH
Opposite, clockwise from top left: When it reopens in July, Grosvenor Square will offer an ecosystem that will enrich and support flora, fauna and family life; on the market for £4.95m through Savills, this one-bedroom, first-floor Cadogan Square apartment enjoys Grade II-listed status as well as verdant views of the Knightsbridge garden square below; on Notting Hill’s leafy Ladbroke Gardens, this three-bedroom lower duplex, which offers an abundance of natural light and a south-facing aspect over communal gardens, is available through Knight Frank for £3.7m; the property also comes with access to the tranquil escape of the shared gardens, which have benefited from abundant recent rewilding and plantings
FOR SALE WITH GARDENS
With space at an all-time premium, successfully designed outdoor spaces add enormous value to London homes. Here are some of the best on the market now
ST ALBANS GARDENS, TEDDINGTON
This impressive double-fronted, detached residence with expansive proportions boasts five bedrooms, ample living space, and an immaculate kitchen with twin French doors opening out on to a generous garden with a patio, sizeable lawn and versatile garden studio. Dexters, £3.295m
LANGFORD PLACE, ST JOHN’S WOOD
Minutes away from the American School, this Italianate-style five-bed Victorian villa and abundant landscaped garden feels a world away from its buzzy enclave, its high gated walls providing supreme privacy. The coach house, which houses a gym, is separated from
TEDDINGTON
ST JOHN’S WOOD
BATTERSEA
the main property by a leafy atrium and raised terrace. Aston Chase, £13.5m
ST JOHN’S HILL, BATTERSEA
Built within the grounds of a restored 19th century church – and boasting a 43-feet long garden – this four-bedroom home is cleverly designed to offer contemporary living, centred around a triple-height glazed internal courtyard which bathes the property in natural light. Hamptons, £2.65m
DRAYCOTT AVENUE, CHELSEA
This elegant four-bedroom apartment is one of just 10 within The Draycott landmark revival development. The jewel in the crown is its private 1,500sq ft garden by RHS Chelsea award-winner Hay-Joung Hwang of Hay Designs, complete with a glass pavilion and log fire. Savills, £7.95m
WARNER STREET, CLERKENWELL
Once a Victorian workshop, this property’s Dickensian character has been enhanced by the vision of influential contemporary design studio Fredrickson Stallard. Its art-installation-worthy garden, planted with 200 silver birches, was a BBC Gardeners’ World Garden of the Year finalist. Sotheby’s International Realty, £3.95m
THE FOUNDING, CANADA WATER
This development’s selection of studios and one-, two- and threebedroom apartments benefit from exceptional transport links, an adjacent leisure centre, workspaces, residents’ lounges and three communal roof terraces designed for sunrise, sunset and relaxation. JLL, from £564,000 L
CANADA WATER
CHELSEA CLERKENWELL
RURAL BLISS
THIS UNIQUE PROPERTY'S MAGICAL GARDEN BACKS ONTO RICHMOND PARK, ALLOWING VIEWS OF NATURE RARELY SEEN SO CLOSE TO LONDON
Edward Adler, head of Richmond sales at Knight Frank: “This substantial six‑bedroom family home offers wonderfully open living spaces and backs directly onto Richmond Park, which feels like a natural extension of your own enchanting 65‑feet garden. From the principal suite, the remarkable views mean you can wake to mist lifting over the park, hear distant deer, and watch the seasons shift through the treetops – a daily reminder of this home’s unique setting.
The current owners have also created a beautifully private garden haven, perfectly suited to modern family life. With Petersham Nurseries close by and easy access to Richmond and the Thames, it’s an exceptional location in every sense.” This Cedar Heights residence in Richmond is available for sale at £5.25m through Knight Frank's Richmond office; contact 020 8939 2800 or visit knightfrank.co.uk