About Charlie
Charlie grew up in Kenya, where the vast, wild landscapes left a lasting impression. At age 14, he moved to England to attend Marlborough College, later training as a sculptor at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy. After returning to the UK to take on private commissions, Charlie worked closely with a Country Estates Manager, where his love for gardens and landscapes began to take root.
What began as a sculptor’s interest in form evolved into a passion for shaping outdoor space. He pursued this calling by earning a Garden Design Diploma at Merrist Wood, Guildford College, where he studied under RHS Chelsea judge Andrew Wilson. He then joined Justin Spink Garden Design in the Cotswolds — a region that would deeply influence his love of grottoes and historic gardens.
In the Cotswolds, Charlie’s exposure to these historic garden features sparked a fascination that led him to train under shellwork expert Belinda Eade. This apprenticeship refined his eye for intricacy, materiality, and narrative in design. In 2010, with classical training and hands-on experience behind him, Charlie founded his own studio — a practice that seamlessly brings together garden design, sculpture, and artisan craft.
Form & Influence
A creative language shaped by sculpture, nature, and memory.
Charlie’s work is deeply informed by the Italianate gardens of his training and the African landscapes of his youth. His signature style pairs structural elegance with a wild, whimsical character, creating spaces that feel both timeless and emotionally resonant.
A commission to create a mannerist shellhouse in the early years of his studio reignited his passion for architecture, narrative, and material craft. From that point forward, Charlie has seamlessly married his background in sculpture with garden and shellwork design — creating spaces that feel both grounded and otherworldly.
Areas of Expertise
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Garden Design
Charlie designs country house and London gardens with over 16 years of experience, combining the structured elegance of classical landscapes with a natural, whimsical flow inspired by the African plains of his childhood. He works personally with each client, ensuring every garden reflects their unique brief while integrating refined materials and the most beautiful plant and tree specimens. Known for his tasteful aesthetic and horticultural expertise, Charlie brings a distinctive harmony to every outdoor space.
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Shellwork & Grottos
As one of the few UK designers specialising in bespoke shellwork, Charlie uses classical Italianate artisan techniques to craft shellhouses, grottos, and intricate decorative features for both interior and exterior spaces. His work includes transforming pillars, alcoves, archways, fountains, and bar areas, as well as enhancing pool houses, orangeries, and follies. He frequently takes on standalone shellwork commissions across the UK and internationally, bringing sculptural beauty and a sense of wonder to each project.
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Hand-Drawn & Technical Renderings
Blending artistry with precision, Charlie produces hand-drawn and watercolour illustrations alongside technical digital drawings for each project, helping clients visualise both the structure and spirit of the design. Often, he creates 3D maquettes in paper and clay to explore spatial flow and intricate detailing. His background as a classically trained sculptor gives his visual work a unique emotional and artistic depth rarely seen in landscape design.
Rooted in Process
Craftsmanship, intuition, and one-of-a-kind collaboration.
Charlie founded his studio in 2010, bringing together years of artistic training, design mentorship, and lived experience into a highly personal garden and shellwork practice. Every project begins with careful listening and observation — understanding not just the land, but the lives and stories it holds.
He is widely respected for his refined material sensibility, his instinctive eye for proportion, and his ability to select exceptional plant and tree specimens. No two commissions are alike; each one is a collaboration, grounded in trust and built around the unique brief of each client.
Whether shaping a country estate or crafting an intimate shell alcove, Charlie’s approach remains consistent: intuitive, considered, and rooted in beauty.
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