Sneak Peek At Habitat's Hot New Garden Design Collaboration

published 30 March 2020

Brothers David and Harry Rich of Rich Landscapes have taken the world of gardening by storm since 2013, which saw them win the title of youngest ever winners of a gold at The Chelsea Flower Show. Since then, they’ve been busy putting their design practises to work around the globe and have collaborated with architects, interior architects and craftsmen to create beautiful outdoor spaces.

Now they've collaborated with Habitat to launch an exciting capsule collection (opens in new tab) – and their first ever product range – of stylishly minimalist outdoor furniture and planters.

Known for their natural meets modern aesthetic, the Rich brothers have played with fluid curves, natural lines and functional ideas on this range of super stylish yet affordable outdoor furniture pieces and accessories.

The set of three galvanised metal planters (opens in new tab) is a favourite of the two brothers.

'Galvanised metal is an extremely tough material. When used within a simple design like these ribbed planters, it gives a very modern effect and works very easily within a variety of garden styles', the brothers explain. The trio of planters give different heights and sizes for visual interest so look great grouped together for instant impact.

Read Also:Cool Urban Outdoor Living Spaces: Garden, Patio And Roof Terrace Inspiration (opens in new tab)

The new range also includes fibreglass planters (opens in new tab) that mimic stone. 'We will always try to use stone in a garden design – it’s a beautiful, versatile material', the brothers said. These textured stone-effect planters however are made out of lightweight fibreglass, so are easy to move around and look exactly like the real deal with a light, natural stone finish.

Read Also:Cool Ways To Bring The Outdoors In (opens in new tab)

Of course, not everyone has the space for a garden in city spaces, so the brothers wanted to create a generously sized window planter that works with a variety of plants. Made from galvanised metal, when placed on a balcony or window ledge, the Rediad window planter (opens in new tab) gives a juxtaposition of urban meeting nature.

There's stylish slatted furniture too, including an outdoor dining table (opens in new tab) with matching outdoor dining chairs (opens in new tab), a matching bench (opens in new tab) and a curved sun lounger (opens in new tab). The brothers named this the Rolio collection due to its ‘rolled’ contours that echo the curves of the countryside that they grew up in in Wales.

Acacia wood was used as the base material to create the slatted surface of each of these pieces, a hard wearing material that ages well.

The brothers added: ''Having the slats allows light to filter through so you get beautiful shadows on the floor. This also means the furniture is not too dominant, allowing little peaks through into the rest of the garden. We liked the idea of sculptural, functional furniture that was inspired by the fluid shapes created by nature and made a connection with water – always a central element to gardens – in some way. The linear profile and soft, elegant edges that almost blend down into the ground are the design crux of this collection and feature across dining table, bench, dining chair and garden lounger.'

Read Also:10 Modern Treehouses To Inspire Your Next Garden Project (opens in new tab)

Growing up in the Welsh countryside the brothers have always had a strong affiliation with the natural landscape. As a result, connecting people with nature through wild planting and modern design and architecture has been the central ethos of their design studio, paring their landscapes right back so they are naturally simple, elegant and functional.

'It felt an organic match for us to work with Habitat’s design team and their contemporary attitude to design on a project that would bring this concept to life, creating a capsule of affordable designs for the garden that work together as a collection or stand-alone pieces.'

While summer may not have arrived just yet, the Rich Brothers’ first capsule collection for Habitat has got us excited for the sunny days to come.

Summer can’t come soon enough...

Lotte is the Digital Editor for Livingetc, and has been with the website since its launch. She has a background in online journalism and writing for SEO, with previous editor roles at Good Living, Good Housekeeping, Country & Townhouse, and BBC Good Food among others, as well as her own successful interiors blog. When she's not busy writing or tracking analytics, she's doing up houses, two of which have features in interior design magazines. She's just finished doing up her house in Wimbledon, and is eyeing up Bath for her next project.