Exterior Design · Lagos
Garden & Exterior Design in Lagos
The exterior should not simply surround the house. It should extend the way the house is lived in.
Bloom Living designs gardens, terraces and pool areas for Lagos properties that face the open Atlantic, where material choice matters as much as layout.
Outdoor living needs structure
Large exterior areas can feel surprisingly underused when everything happens around one dining table or one pool terrace. A considered layout can create different experiences: dining, informal seating, shade, quiet areas and spaces that work at different times of day.
Specify for wind, salt and sun before choosing a look
Terraces facing the Atlantic wear materials differently from a sheltered central Algarve garden. Furniture, planting and metalwork chosen without that in mind can look tired within a season.
- timber that tolerates salt air and full sun
- stone or tile that stays cool and grips underfoot
- powder-coated or otherwise protected metalwork
- planting suited to wind exposure
- fabrics and finishes that resist fading
Bloom Living specifies exterior design around these realities rather than around a look that will not hold up on this coast.
Design the view in both directions
Outdoor design is not only about how the garden looks while you are standing in it. It also determines what you see from the living room, bedroom and kitchen. Planting, furniture and lighting can improve the property from inside as well as outside.
Think about care before specifying the design
A beautiful exterior that becomes difficult to maintain will not continue to look beautiful, particularly on a coastline where wind and salt add to the ordinary demands of an Algarve garden.
Bloom Living considers garden coordination and realistic upkeep alongside the initial visual concept, so the finished design remains practical for a property that is not occupied every week.
Connect pool, terrace and garden
These areas often evolve separately, added to at different times without an overall plan. Bringing them into one design language can make the overall property feel more intentional and visually generous, and it connects naturally to Bloom Living's wider property-care service once the design is complete.
What Bloom Living actually does, by exposure and property type
Exterior spaces around Lagos face this coast in different ways, and the design responds to the specific position rather than a single Algarve template.
- Hillside villas facing the Atlantic directly: planting, screening and hardier furniture selected for a genuinely exposed position, with layout planned to soften the wind rather than fight it
- Properties nearer the marina and more sheltered valleys: slightly more flexibility on planting and finishes, though salt air still shortens the life of anything chosen without it in mind
- Pool terraces used for most of the day: shade and orientation planned deliberately, since strong western light in the afternoon can make a poorly placed terrace uncomfortable to use
- Gardens on properties left empty between visits: planting and irrigation specified to survive reasonably unattended, so the garden is not the first thing to suffer while the owner is away
The owner benefit is the same regardless of exposure: an exterior that still looks considered after a full Algarve summer and the windier winter that follows, rather than one that needs replacing after a single season.
How we work
Assess the exposure
We look at orientation, wind and salt exposure for the specific site before any material or planting decision is made.
Plan the layout
Seating, shade, circulation and the view from indoors are worked out together, whatever the size of the space.
Specify durable materials
Furniture, fabrics, metalwork and planting are chosen to hold up to a genuinely coastal position, not just to look good on installation day.
Install and style
Bloom Living coordinates delivery and installation so the finished garden, terrace or pool area is ready to use.
Hand into ongoing care
Where wanted, garden and exterior maintenance continues through the same team so the design does not fade after one season.
Questions we are asked
Do you design pool areas as well as gardens?
Yes. Pool terraces, surrounding planting and garden areas can be designed together so the whole exterior reads as one space.
Can you redesign an existing garden rather than start again?
Yes. We can work with existing planting and structure where it is worth keeping, and focus changes where they will make the most difference.
Why does material choice matter so much for Lagos exteriors?
Wind, salt spray and strong sun age untreated timber, plain metal and some fabrics quickly on this stretch of coast, so specifying the right materials at the outset reduces how often they need replacing.
Can you coordinate maintenance afterwards?
Yes. Garden and exterior coordination can form part of Bloom Living's wider property-care service once the design has been installed.
Does a hillside villa need a different specification to a property nearer the marina?
Often, yes. A directly exposed hillside position typically needs hardier planting and furniture than a more sheltered spot, so we assess the individual site rather than applying one standard specification to every Lagos garden.
Can a garden be designed to cope with the property being empty for weeks at a time?
Yes. Planting and irrigation can be specified with unattended periods in mind, so the garden does not depend on someone being there to notice a problem early.
Design the part of the property you came to the Algarve to enjoy.
Talk to Bloom Living about your Lagos garden, terrace or pool area.