Quick Judgment.

I like the overall stucture and movement of the steps. They work very well in such a tight space between the drive, the property line and most likely the sidewalk too and they have to climb so high to the second floor front door. There seems to be four landings, five if you include the porch. I would be willing to bet the inspiration was a spiral staircase.

The orange stucco? walls go with the house and the red fence adds an asian influence and I kinda like that Southwestern Asian mix. Is that the China Slate? on the steps and the other two walls? The stone is fine for the steps, but I do not like it as a third element for the walls. I like the contrast between the walls. The contrast makes the orange wall really pop, almost like it is a natural outcropping, but I would like to see the other two walls in a different color of paint or some not squared stone tile. Stone itself would not bother me so much as the grid pattern created by the tile.

Since we are focusing on the steps, not the plants, I will just say that the planting could use a bit more inspiration.

So those are my thoughts. They can always be changed.

ilima

Also just noticed the front door is not on the front face of the house but is on the corner of the house. Was the door moved to aid in the step design?

ilima

Me Again.

It is also a bit of a shock to see that many tall white men in one group. Or do the steps create the illusion that they are all 6 footers?

ilima

Ilima,
They are all tall , white and fabulously handsome . : ~ )

I am not sure if this is China Slate, but it is an imported slate.

Usually I object to seeing off the shelf 12 x 12 slate paving on a vertical wall surface .
To my mind's eye it says " You did not give this design element enough thought " .
But in this instance because of the repetitive square pattern/ theme that one sees throughout this house and its garden , ( which unfortunately you are not privy to from just this one photo ) it does make themematic sense. It fits a pattern.

The planting is young . When the textural compositions have a few more months on them I think they will be just as strong as the architecture is itself.

I have a question for you.
Would you describe this stucco color as Pumpkin or Mango , or something else ?

I am not sure of the architectural history of how the front door was or was not augmented in relationship to the steps.

Thanks for your thoughts on this project.

I did note the repetition of the square pattern between the red fence and the Slate. Seeing that repeated throughout the house and garden would help, but then you have the strong color difference between the tile, fence and stucco. When you pull the eye back and look at the garage door color it works better. I also see the red and blue grey repeated in the trim on the eaves.

Amazing how many details there can be in one photo. Must be where that 1000 words thing came from.

Now the stucco color in the photo I see on my computer, it could be different in real life, is not quite dark enough for Pumpkin or Mango. It could be Unripe Pumpkin but it would be an even better Flesh of the Papaya.

The red fence, I now see a third section behind one of the handsome tall white men, gets a definite Rambutan. Speaking of Tropical Fruits.

ilima

Ilima,
We had a small gathering of friends the other day at this garden and we were discussing the color of the house .
It was interesting as well as telling to hear peoples' description of the color.
Those of us who were originally from the east coast were saying stuff like "pumkin and ripened squash", while those originally from subtropical and tropical climates were describing the color as " mango ".

I have a washed out photograph of the back yard.
( it was very sunny at the time of day that I was taking photos ) and in the back yard yard there are a variety of retaining walls and planters. Some of the walls are stucco'ed the same 'mango ' color and a couple are stucco's a real dark charcoal color.

Perhaps if the slate wall was stucco'ed that charcoal color the front yard walls would work more harmoniously with your eye.
I'll try to dig up that photo.

Michelle

put the photos of the back yard under the heading mango vs. squash.

Just a note on the slate at the walls, this is not all the same size, and was cut from irregular sized and formed pieces to form an ashlar pattern. The plantings may seem rather boring, but also have to compete with complete lack of winter sun,(a neighboring towering Melaleuca tree), combined with a short burst of late afternoon summer sun. So plants had to tolerate both complete winter shade and short bursts of hot afternoon sun in late summer. The two Cussonias are intended to be tall narrow vertical elements to scale down the 3 story tall street elevation with time.

The plantings use several orange colored foliage plants for complementary colors; Libbertia peregrinans, Uncinia uncinata, a Carex with bright orange seeds, Aechmea caudata variegata and various Neoregelias of orange, purple and green foliage, and Hebe ochroleacea. Yellow and orange highlights are added by the flowering Oxalis spiralis var volcanicola,(always in bloom year round even in deep shade), Epidendron 'Orange', Pachystachya lutea and Begonia sutherlandii. Purple, blue and orange bracts are combined in one accent bromeliad at the entry, Portea petropoliteana.

On the sunnier side of the driveway, orange flowered succulents and proteacea plants were combined such as more Libbertia, Grevillea 'Superb', Anigozanthus 'Harmony', Cotyledon macrantha, Ursinia anethoides, Glumicalyx, and red blooming Aloe retzii and red foliaged Sedum rubrotinctum. Backing another stone faced wall is the hybrid Madrone 'Marina', and the native Trumpet vine from the deep south, a deep orange red smaller trumpet than the common Phaedranthus buccinatorius. Bulbine frutescens 'Hallmark' and the yellow Bulbine are also part of the mix. Cool green accents for contrast include the Cussonia spicata, Asparagus retrofractus, Cotyledon macrantha, Aeonium canariensis subplanum and the chartreuse foliage of Sedum makinoi. I've left out a few other plants also packed into these small planters, but the plants are massed to provide the visual continuity that would seem to be denied by the variety of species packed into such a tight space.

The orientation of the front door was set by building height limitations to get maximum daylighting of the second floor, as well as providing a two car wide driveway and independent access to the ground floor potential inlaw unit. The client's first pass at entry steps was to project out to street with one single uninterrupted flight of stairs. I suggested that providing intermediary landings in combination with retaining walls and planters would allow it to become part of the garden. The railing design was the client's, and is repeated in wood at the second floor stairs at the entry hall. I saw the stone veneer as a grounding mechanism to root the walls into the landscape and contrast with the stucco, and feel all stucco walls at the front would not have been as interesting.

The photograph must be illusionary, because not everyone is Anglo, nor is...

Well Hello Senor Bahia.

After reading that plant list half of which I do not know, boring is not a word that comes to mind and I will gladly retract my "could use a bit more inspiration" comment. I want to know more about this Bulbine frutescens "Hallmark"?

All that winter shade may just give the gentlemen gathered on the stairs that pale Anglo look. The stairs really must make them look taller then cause they look tall to me in that photo. But I live in Hawaii and I am tall at 5'11".

Yes that kind of planting would do fine in Upcountry Maui between 2000' and 4500' elevation.

I do hope you noted all the positive comments I made. I liked it. I really liked it.

ilima

David,
Where is Ernie when you really need him ?

: ~ )

see you in Santa Barbara

The Bulbine frutescens Hallmark is probably readily available in Hawaii, as it is widely used in both mediterranean, subtropical and tropical climates worldwide, and occurs in South Africa in both the winter and summer rainfall areas. It is also one of the massed succulent groundcovers that Roberto Burle Marxe used in both residential and park landscapes in Rio and Sao Paulo gardens. I like the plant because it is so easy to grow, blooms nearly year round and will also tolerate both drought and regular summer irrigation. The one down side is that it is so fast growing that it can crowd out slower growing plants adjacent to it, and tends to need dividing and/or replanting every 2 to 3 years to keep it looking fresh. This is easily done, as the mother plants can simply be ripped out, and unrooted cuttings replanted, which will look mature and filled in within 6 months if planted on 12 inch centers.

The paleness of the group is not due to lack of sun, it is the height of our Indian Summer right now, and we don't lack for sun, it just isn't as intense as it is in Hawaii! As well, none of the group are sun worshipers, or regular beach goers, so we probably do all look abit pale to someone from Hawaii.

I am sure that most all of the plants I listed are being grown in Upcountry gardens in Hawaii, and some of them might also be found at sealevel gardens as well. I finally remembered a few of the correct names of plants, such as Carex baccans,(a favorite of mine for the intense and long lasting deep orange seed heads), Distictus capreolata, which I wasn't expecting to repeat bloom as it has been doing all summer into fall in this garden. If you have room for it, I would also highly suggest adding some Portea petropoliteana bromeliads to your own garden, it is one of my personal favorites for long lasting and very showy exotic blooms, equal in drama to many other showy tropicals which we unfortunately can't grow here for lack of night time heat,(most true tropicals don't like our 50 to 55F average year round night time temps, and refuse to grow and bloom well).

Michelle, let's hope this great weather holds up for Santa Barbara!, and no real rain until at least after Halloween...

As an outsider (with only a 2 year degree in INTERIOR Design), I love the Pumpkin walls. I belive the walls are anchoring the house to the ground, much like roots. Without the anchors, the house would be one tall orange square sticking up from the ground. With the walls the same color, the house is 'conected' to the earth. I love everything about the composition (even the choice of stone and red features).......... I want to say Bravo to the homeowner for going with their gut and creating a beautiful piece of art!
Cheryl