From Hot Tub to Home Bar: Ash White Composite Decking Connects a Much Hadham Garden
A hot tub retreat, an outdoor kitchen and somewhere comfortable to settle in for the evening: this Much Hadham garden brings them together on 75m² of NeoTimber® Deluxe Wide Composite Decking in Ash White. Installed by Get Bespoke, the project combines a light, spacious deck with Charcoal cladding and carefully chosen metal details to create a connected outdoor living space.
Rather than centring the garden on a single activity, the design makes room for quiet moments and sociable occasions alike. A modern pergola, TV and sofa area sit alongside cooking and bar facilities, giving the homeowners more ways to enjoy time outdoors.
Project Background: Bringing Outdoor Living Together
The homeowners wanted to transform their garden in Much Hadham, Hertfordshire, into a contemporary entertaining space with a calm, inviting atmosphere. The brief went beyond adding a deck: it called for a complete setting for relaxing, dining and hosting guests.
Each feature needed its own place within the layout. The hot tub would provide a dedicated retreat, the kitchen and bar would support entertaining, and the pergola would define a comfortable lounge area. A consistent decking surface was key to connecting these spaces without losing their individual purpose.
The material palette also needed to balance light and dark finishes, texture and clean lines. Ash White decking, Charcoal slatted cladding and Corten steel edging provided the combination chosen for the scheme.
The Brief: A Garden for Relaxing and Entertaining
- Create a contemporary outdoor living space with dedicated areas for lounging, cooking and entertaining.
- Connect the hot tub, pergola, kitchen and bar with a coordinated decking surface.
- Use a light decking colour to complement the darker architectural features.
- Define the hot tub surround with contrasting slatted cladding.
- Add character at the deck perimeter with Corten steel edging.
- Choose composite finishes to reduce routine upkeep compared with traditional timber.
Project Specifications
| Location | Much Hadham, Hertfordshire |
|---|---|
| Installer | Get Bespoke |
| Decking | NeoTimber® Deluxe Wide Composite Decking |
| Decking colour | Ash White |
| Decking area | 75m² |
| Cladding | NeoTimber® Slatted Composite Cladding |
| Cladding colour | Charcoal |
| Cladding area | 15m² |
| Features | Hot tub, metal pergola, TV and sofa area, outdoor kitchen and bar, Corten steel edging |
Ash White Decking: A Light Foundation for the Garden
The Ash White decking establishes the overall tone of the space. Its pale finish creates a clear contrast with the darker pergola and hot tub detailing, giving the garden a contemporary appearance without introducing too many competing colours.
Across the 75m² area, the wide board format contributes to a spacious, ordered look. The broader boards create fewer board divisions across a given width than a narrower profile, helping the deck read as a continuous surface between the different activity areas.
This continuity is important to the finished design. The decking connects the lounge, kitchen and hot tub visually, making the garden feel like one considered outdoor room.
Charcoal Slatted Cladding Frames the Hot Tub
The hot tub is defined by 15m² of NeoTimber® Slatted Composite Cladding in Charcoal. Used as a surround detail, the darker material gives this part of the garden its own identity against the light deck.
The slatted profile adds texture and depth, introducing a different surface pattern while remaining within the contemporary design. It draws attention to the hot tub without requiring a separate or disconnected material scheme.
Pairing Ash White decking with Charcoal cladding also shows how contrasting composite finishes can work together. One provides the broad, light foundation; the other adds emphasis where the design needs definition.
From Outdoor Cooking to Evenings Under the Pergola
The outdoor kitchen and bar make entertaining a central part of the garden’s purpose. They provide a dedicated place to prepare food and serve drinks while staying connected with the surrounding seating and relaxation areas.
A modern metal pergola gives structure to the lounge zone, where a TV and sofa create a comfortable place to unwind. Alongside the hot tub, this adds another reason to spend time in the garden beyond dining or hosting guests.
Bringing these uses together gives the homeowners flexibility. The same setting can accommodate a quiet evening, a relaxed gathering or an afternoon spent moving between cooking, conversation and the hot tub.
Corten Steel Edging Adds a Warm Contrast
Corten steel edging provides a distinct boundary around the decking. Its weathered appearance introduces a warmer tone alongside the cool Ash White boards, adding detail to the perimeter.
Combined with the Charcoal cladding and metal pergola, the edging completes a restrained but varied material palette. The garden gains interest through changes in colour and texture, while the consistent decking keeps the overall composition connected.
Why Deluxe Wide Composite Decking?
For a garden designed around leisure, the homeowners wanted an attractive surface with manageable maintenance requirements. NeoTimber® Deluxe Wide composite decking combines a solid composite core with a protective capped finish designed to limit moisture absorption and help resist fading and surface staining.
The boards offer grooved and woodgrain surface options, while the wider format suits larger deck areas where a streamlined appearance is a priority. Composite construction also reduces the need for the ongoing treatments associated with traditional timber decking.
In this project, those qualities support the design brief: a practical outdoor surface that brings the entertaining areas together and allows the finishes to remain a considered part of the garden.
The Result: A Retreat with Space for Everyday Enjoyment
Completed by Get Bespoke, the Much Hadham transformation combines the features of an outdoor entertaining space with the atmosphere of a private retreat.
Ash White decking keeps the scheme light and connected, Charcoal cladding defines the hot tub, and Corten steel adds warmth at the edges. The pergola, kitchen and bar complete a layout built around the way the homeowners want to spend their time.
For anyone exploring composite decking ideas for a hot tub garden or outdoor kitchen, the project offers a clear design lesson: choose a consistent foundation, use contrast to highlight individual features, and give each activity space to work within the whole.
Create Your Own Outdoor Living Space
Planning a hot tub retreat, pergola seating area or complete garden transformation? Explore NeoTimber® Deluxe Wide Composite Decking to discover the Ash White finish used here, and pair it with Slatted Composite Cladding for complementary feature detailing.
Browse the full NeoTimber® composite decking range to compare colours and profiles for your outdoor space.
