A new expert-led, AI-assisted platform is set to transform how homeowners design, plan and manage their outdoor spaces, and it launches at the world's most celebrated garden show next month.

Spacelift debuts at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026, combining artificial intelligence, spatial measurement technology and the professional design methodology of Matt Keightley — internationally acclaimed landscape designer, two-time RHS Chelsea Silver-Gilt Medallist and twice winner of the BBC/RHS People's Choice Award - to bring expert-calibre garden design within reach of every homeowner.

From Inspiration to Execution
At a time when consumers are increasingly using technology to design and optimise their homes, the garden remains one of the last spaces largely untouched by intelligent digital tools. Spacelift addresses this gap directly - introducing a new category of outdoor design that moves beyond inspiration and into fully realised, buildable systems.

Using advanced spatial mapping and measurement technology, the platform enables users to:

• Capture and map outdoor spaces with real-world accuracy
• Generate expert-led AI-assisted designs tailored to their layout, lifestyle and environment
• Receive structured to scale plans, including planting schemes, materials and spatial layouts
• Access “shop-the-look” functionality
• Connect with recommended local trades to deliver the project

The result is a fundamental shift, from passive browsing to active, deliverable design, giving homeowners the tools to move confidently from idea to execution.

Expert Intelligence at Scale 

What sets Spacelift apart is its foundation. Rather than generating purely aesthetic concepts, the platform has been trained on Matt Keightley's design methodology, codifying key principles of professional garden design, from spatial flow and structure to planting composition and environmental response.

The platform maps each garden, understands user preferences, and generates photorealistic concepts of garden designs, but critically, every output is underpinned by real-world landscape design intelligence, not just visual inspiration. It is this fusion of human expertise and machine intelligence that allows Spacelift to deliver designs that are not only inspiring, but credible, considered and buildable in the real world.

Spacelift’s roadmap positions it as more than a design tool, evolving into a platform that supports the full lifecycle of a garden and outdoor spaces, from concept through to long-term care, maintenance and sustainability.

Future developments include:

• Advanced plant intelligence to track growth, health and maintenance
• Seasonal recommendations and ongoing care guidance
• Enhanced spatial measurement for real-world build accuracy
• Sustainability tools including carbon impact tracking, native planting and biodiversity optimisation

Together, these features aim to transform gardens into living, responsive environments — supported by data and intelligent guidance over time.

While professional garden design has traditionally been accessible to a limited audience, Spacelift opens-up access at scale, without removing the role of the designer.

Instead, the platform is designed to support and extend the industry, creating new opportunities for designers, retailers and developers, while enabling more people to engage meaningfully with their outdoor space.

Three Gardens. One Platform. Live at Chelsea

Spacelift will be brought to life at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026, where three full-scale show gardens, each designed using the platform will be unveiled, demonstrating how expert-led, AI-assisted concepts translate directly into real, physical environments:

• Calm in the Cotswolds - A soft, restorative garden using reclaimed materials, layered planting and natural textures to create a timeless, grounding retreat.
• Urban Chic - A compact balcony and terrace space demonstrating how even the smallest outdoor areas can be transformed through multifunctional design and clever spatial planning.
• Woodland Escape - An immersive, nature-led garden featuring a glade of woodland trees, a sauna enveloped by planting and a cold shower, bringing professional wellbeing therapy into the home garden.

Visitors to Chelsea will be able to interact with the Spacelift platform live across all three gardens, experiencing the full journey from space capture to finished design output.

Win the Garden: £50,000 Transformation Giveaway

To celebrate its launch, Spacelift is offering one homeowner the chance to win the Calm in the Cotswolds garden -  worth £50,000 -  redesigned and installed in their own outdoor space by Matt Keightley and the Spacelift team. The competition runs throughout Chelsea week across the gardens, Spacelift's social channels and partner media.

“We’re used to using technology to design every part of our homes — except our gardens,” says Matt Keightley, Co-Founder and Creative Director. “Spacelift changes that. It gives people a starting point, a plan, and the confidence to actually create something — not just imagine it.”

“This is about more than design,” adds Maeve McDonald, Co-Founder and CEO. “It’s about building a platform that supports outdoor space over time — combining AI, data and expertise to help people make better decisions for their homes and the environment.”