Outbuildings
Reimagined Landscape Inspires a Dramatic Garage Conversion
An architect transforms an eyesore of a garage into a studio worthy of its beautiful new surroundings
When these Washington, D.C., homeowners were planning a new landscape with landscape architect Ryan Moody, it became clear that their tired old garage would be an eyesore in the garden. But they quickly realized that the building — which was too small to fit a car — had the potential to be an asset. Moody referred them to architect Charles Warren to help them turn the building into something special. “The homeowners loved the idea of transforming what was essentially an overgrown shed into a studio in the garden,” Warren says. He and Moody collaborated to create a destination that would help promote a sense of calm and relaxation.
After: Once Moody brought Warren into the project, the two worked hand in hand. Warren transformed the building into a studio, and together they forged strong connections between the building and the beautiful surroundings. “It went from being an eyesore to becoming a special feature in the landscape,” Warren says.
They kept the garage door in the same spot. Warren closed off a section behind the studio for storing bikes and tools. It is located behind the brick portion of the wall on the left.
They kept the garage door in the same spot. Warren closed off a section behind the studio for storing bikes and tools. It is located behind the brick portion of the wall on the left.
This is the view from the studio’s patio looking up to the main house. The lot is oddly shaped and had a series of gardens that didn’t have strong connections. Moody created a more cohesive landscape by organizing the plan around an axis that leads down the slope from the house. (An axis is a line in architecture that helps define the placement of other design elements.) A path with granite steps that connects the right side of the house to the studio’s patio serves as the axis.
The patio pavers and steps seen here are pieces of reclaimed granite from Olde New England Granite. “We are intrigued by reusing materials, and our clients got excited about it,” Moody says. He chose this granite because its light color relates to the white trim on the house and reflects the sunlight.
The patio pavers and steps seen here are pieces of reclaimed granite from Olde New England Granite. “We are intrigued by reusing materials, and our clients got excited about it,” Moody says. He chose this granite because its light color relates to the white trim on the house and reflects the sunlight.
This site plan shows how the main house, gardens and studio relate to one another. The axis creates a strong connection between the curved addition on the right side of the house and the studio patio. The alley that leads to the studio is in the bottom-right corner.
“There’s a simplicity to the materials we used for the studio — wood, brick, slate and copper. It’s a recomposition of the materials of the main house,” Warren says. He also repeated the aluminum-clad wood windows seen on the main house at the opposite end of the axis.
This side of the studio faces northeast. Warren added the dormer to add character and let in more of the nice northeastern light. “It’s a bit overscaled for a sense of grandeur,” he says. This nods to the grandeur of the curved addition on the right side of the main house, seen in the photo above. “We tried to relate to the addition on the main house by using the same window configuration and the drama of it without directly emulating it. They talk to one another,” he says.
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This side of the studio faces northeast. Warren added the dormer to add character and let in more of the nice northeastern light. “It’s a bit overscaled for a sense of grandeur,” he says. This nods to the grandeur of the curved addition on the right side of the main house, seen in the photo above. “We tried to relate to the addition on the main house by using the same window configuration and the drama of it without directly emulating it. They talk to one another,” he says.
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“The building has a layered program that’s not purely functional. It’s also experiential,” Warren says. “It’s a place for quiet reflection that’s focused on the gardens.” He also notes that the windows provide ideal studio light for painting.
White walls and a porcelain floor give the interior a peaceful, gallery-like feeling. Warren used Douglas fir beams and roof decking to provide warmth overhead. “We really needed a wood element to warm things up,” he says. The drama of the high cathedral ceiling, the scale of the beams and the expansive framed views out to the garden make the space feel much larger than 340 square feet.
The other end of the space that’s not seen here has a desk with a loft space that could serve as a sleeping area in the future. The building is fully set up for year-round use — it has a mini-split heating-and-cooling system. There is also a small refrigerator and a coffeemaker. The homeowners decided not to add a bathroom for now, but Warren designated an area for one — behind the wall on the left — in case they want to in the future.
Windows and doors: Jeld-Wen; door hardware: Baldwin Hardware; lighting: WAC Lighting
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White walls and a porcelain floor give the interior a peaceful, gallery-like feeling. Warren used Douglas fir beams and roof decking to provide warmth overhead. “We really needed a wood element to warm things up,” he says. The drama of the high cathedral ceiling, the scale of the beams and the expansive framed views out to the garden make the space feel much larger than 340 square feet.
The other end of the space that’s not seen here has a desk with a loft space that could serve as a sleeping area in the future. The building is fully set up for year-round use — it has a mini-split heating-and-cooling system. There is also a small refrigerator and a coffeemaker. The homeowners decided not to add a bathroom for now, but Warren designated an area for one — behind the wall on the left — in case they want to in the future.
Windows and doors: Jeld-Wen; door hardware: Baldwin Hardware; lighting: WAC Lighting
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Moody designed the patio, bench and brick wing wall off the side of the studio. The patio pavers run parallel to the steps and hit the studio at a 45-degree angle. The wall creates a corner that draws the eye and emphasizes the intersection of the studio and the axis. This visually aligns the studio with the house and gardens. Another benefit of this wall is that it screens the view of the neighbor’s garage.
The bench provides a view of this oval garden, ringed in Little Lime hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata). “There was an existing oval patio up near the main house. We mirrored that geometry with the studio’s garden,” Moody says.
The bench Moody designed is topped with reclaimed granite that matches the steps and patio pavers. For the base, he chose a darker granite to complement the lighter pieces. And the granite pieces on the wall incorporate a vertical element.
“In all our projects, we think about maximizing the health benefits for the homeowners,” Moody says. “If a design can get them to spend just 20 minutes in nature, that provides the maximum benefit for the least amount of time expended.” The bench invites them to spend extra time out here, and Moody notes that the added wall makes someone feel protected from behind and able to safely spot any risks in front of them. This means that the homeowners can feel comfortable and relaxed while enjoying the view in the contemplative spot.
“In all our projects, we think about maximizing the health benefits for the homeowners,” Moody says. “If a design can get them to spend just 20 minutes in nature, that provides the maximum benefit for the least amount of time expended.” The bench invites them to spend extra time out here, and Moody notes that the added wall makes someone feel protected from behind and able to safely spot any risks in front of them. This means that the homeowners can feel comfortable and relaxed while enjoying the view in the contemplative spot.
Copper lights above the vertical pieces wash light down the wall, illuminating these lines. Note the way the vertical pieces continue down the bench’s base. “We were able to create moments with the granite,” Moody says.
He filled the space between the pavers with creeping plants. These include woolly thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus), bugle weed (Ajuga reptans ‘Chocolate Chip’) and white creeping mazus (Mazus reptans ‘Albus’). These will fill in the gaps with color, texture and fragrance.
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He filled the space between the pavers with creeping plants. These include woolly thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus), bugle weed (Ajuga reptans ‘Chocolate Chip’) and white creeping mazus (Mazus reptans ‘Albus’). These will fill in the gaps with color, texture and fragrance.
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A new granite retaining wall composed of the same granite used on the bench base supports a terrace on the sloped site. This is a dry-laid stone wall, which minimized excavation. “We did this to protect the mature trees on the site,” Moody says. “You need a really great mason to pull this off.”
Moody was able to reuse and replant many of the existing plants on the site. These included the boxwoods that anchor this set of steps.
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Moody was able to reuse and replant many of the existing plants on the site. These included the boxwoods that anchor this set of steps.
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The homeowners wanted a wide variety of textures and colors in the landscape, and they wanted to expand the bloom time. This worked well with Moody’s goals for improving health and wellness. “It’s been proved that people have a more positive physiological response to increased biodiversity. This lowers heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol levels,” he says. “Looking at multiple layers and species is more beneficial than just looking out at a lawn.”
The layered landscape includes perennials, shrubs, understory trees and canopy trees. He designated plants including oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), lenten rose (Helleborus x hybridus ‘Brandywine’), coral bells (Heuchera ‘Midnight Rose’) and a variety of hostas for the shadier spots.
The layered landscape includes perennials, shrubs, understory trees and canopy trees. He designated plants including oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), lenten rose (Helleborus x hybridus ‘Brandywine’), coral bells (Heuchera ‘Midnight Rose’) and a variety of hostas for the shadier spots.
At night the studio glows like a lantern in the garden, making it an even more compelling destination. (The stairs are not as steep as they appear in this photo.)
Moody notes that it’s a great idea to hire a landscape architect at the beginning of the design process for a project like this. In this case, the close collaboration between the architect and landscape architect yielded a beautiful and harmonious result.
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Moody notes that it’s a great idea to hire a landscape architect at the beginning of the design process for a project like this. In this case, the close collaboration between the architect and landscape architect yielded a beautiful and harmonious result.
More on Houzz
Read more stories about landscape design
Hire a landscape contractor
Shop for your outdoor spaces
Gardens and Studio at a Glance
Who uses them: A painter and a yoga enthusiast
Location: Washington, D.C.
Size: The garage is 340 square feet (32 square meters).
Designers: Charles Warren of Teass\Warren Architects (architecture) and Ryan Moody of Moody Graham (landscape architecture)
Before: “The landscape was really disjointed. It had too much going on, and none of it connected,” Moody says. “We wanted the studio to be a visual destination — a beautiful place to look out to in the landscape, and to look out to the landscape from.”
The building had fallen into disrepair and was not an attractive focal point in the landscape. The door is located around the left corner and faces an alley.
The homeowners wanted the reimagined building to serve several purposes. One likes to paint in his spare time, and the other practices yoga. They also wanted an office area, but the overall idea was to create a sanctuary in the garden. While they were not interested in turning the structure into a dwelling unit at the time, Warren designed it so that it could be transformed into one in the future.
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