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Interior designer and urban gardener Leanne Kilroy documented the transformation of her Victorian terrace home on her Instagram, , revealing her DIY advice and top tips. As we shoot our Harmondsworth table and Stanway chairs in her North London garden, Leanne shares her passions for interiors and how she creates a welcoming alfresco supper.Ìý

My parents are my biggest inspiration for me breaking into design, they always imbued me and my siblings with this idea that home is really important, and it's worth looking after. By taking care of your home, it will care for you in return. I think that the joy you feel from living in a space that brings you happiness is unquantifiable and I love that I am able to share that with clients now.ÌýÌý

When we moved in it was essentially a gravel pit, there was nothing in it. We paved it with lovely sandstone pavers, and I left quite generous borders on the sides so that I could introduce lots of evergreen climbers. I also added lots of pots full of seasonal plants that I can move around the garden when I want to change it up. °Â±ð’v±ð just added the Harmondsworth dining table â€� which can seat up to ten people â€� to the back of the garden which will be amazing in the summer for entertaining. The garden is an extension of the rest of the house, we have two sets of French doors that lead out to the patio and ³Ù³ó±ð²â’r±ð open all the time during the summer.Ìý

±õ’d say my top tip for dining, inside and out, is to have an abundance of food and drink. It helps make your guests feel welcome, that they can indulge and relax. One of the reasons I love the Harmondsworth table so much is that ¾±³Ù’s wider than our indoor dining table, so for family summertime suppers I can use the food to decorate the table and place all the dishes out to share. I also always put out little salt cellars and often low level vases or potted herbs to decorate the tabletop.ÌýÌýÌý

Another tip would be candlelight. Tealights, tall tapered candles, lanterns, dot them all around the table! In summertime there is nothing prettier than eating outdoors as the sun sets and the candles begin to illuminate the garden. ±õ³Ù’s just so romantic.ÌýÌý

For interiors I always ask ‘how do I want this room to feel?â€�. Deciding on this feeling helps guide you and means you avoid just following a trend, it should make you feel more confident in your decisions. And ¾±³Ù’s the same for garden spaces. I knew that even though ¾±³Ù’s a city terrace garden, I wanted it to feel green and luscious. It had to still be functional as ¾±³Ù’s a small space, but I love that I could experiment and try different plants and locations for pots. I get a lot of my creative energy and impulsiveness out in the garden because it »å´Ç±ð²õ²Ô’t feel like a costly mistake if something goes wrong.Ìý

I use my garden as a form of therapy for sure, ±õ’m just completely in the zone and can pass a whole afternoon pottering. ±õ³Ù’s a place to decompress and detach from the other responsibilities in my life, everything becomes calm and quiet. ±õ’m also cherishing how my children are starting to enjoy the space too, they take themselves out there with a bowl of cereal or a book and seem to find that same sense of calm.ÌýÌý

Plant evergreens! They take a while to establish but if you plant them as soon as you move into a new home, the rewards are well worth it. One of my favourites is Star Jasmine, it has beautiful glossy leaves all year long, so even in the dead of winter ¾±³Ù’s beautiful and green outside. The white flowers emit an incredible smell, like a hug of fragrance. °Õ³ó±ð²â’r±ð perfect for a small urban garden. ±õ’d also suggest planting herbs in pots; you »å´Ç²Ô’t need a huge amount of space and just a kitchen windowsill works well. My advice would be to not use them too quickly, you need to let them grow and establish themselves before you start taking cuttings from them. Most like lots of sun and not too much water, and then once ³Ù³ó±ð²â’v±ð really settled in you can start taking cuttings and they will continue to bloom. Basil is a different story, but I have a lot more to say about that ().ÌýÌý