---
title: "NC Designs — Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers | Houzz"
canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/nc-designs-pfvwus-pf~596459234
markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~596459234.md
entity_type: LocalBusiness
business_name: "NC Designs"
category: ["Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers"]
image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/4e73c9f10303c309_6980-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg
address: "640 Mar Vista Drive, Los Osos, California 93402, United States"
latitude: 35.3172
longitude: -120.8333
phone: "(805) 704-9027"
website: http://ncdesigns.co
rating: 5
review_count: 5
best_of_houzz_awards: 3
followers: 43
last_updated: 2026-08-16
---

# NC Designs

Original Houzz profile: [NC Designs](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/nc-designs-pfvwus-pf~596459234)

## Professional summary

- **Primary category:** Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers
- **Location:** Los Osos, CA
- **Serves:** Los Angeles, Pasadena, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Los Osos, Malibu, Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, Santa Ynez, Cayucos, Avila Beach, Los Olivos, Santa Margarita, Shell Beach
- **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (5 reviews)
- **Best of Houzz:** 3 awards (2021–2023), for Design, Service.

## About

### Houzz Badges

- Star Houzzer
- Recommended on Houzz
- 1,000 Ideabook Saves

Based on the California’s central coast, NC Designs offers full landscape design services for residential and commercial properties throughout the state. The driving force behind our designs comes from the hope that as many as people as possible, can retreat outdoors to a place that provides some happiness, contentment and calm. We want to enhance the outdoor living experience, by creating an environment that is engaging, considerate of the it’s surroundings and seamless in style.

In a world that is changing day to day, a retreat onto a quiet patio or letting loose in the perfect backyard to play and build memories, is more meaningful than ever before. We want to help you create that space. NC Designs specializes in full hardscape and planting designs to suit a multitude of aesthetics, settings and lifestyles.

### Services Provided

- Landscape Design
- Garden Design
- Hardscaping
- Landscape Plans
- Patio Design
- Drought Tolerant Landscaping
- Site Planning
- Custom Fire Pits
- Swimming Pool Design
- Custom Water Features
- Deck Design
- Drafting
- Design Consultations
- Planting Design

### Areas Served

- Los Angeles
- Pasadena
- Santa Barbara
- San Luis Obispo
- Los Osos
- Malibu
- Morro Bay
- Pismo Beach
- Santa Ynez
- Cayucos
- Avila Beach
- Los Olivos
- Santa Margarita
- Shell Beach

### Typical Job Cost

$20,000 - 100,000

NC Designs will refer reputable Licensed contractors in San Luis Obispo and Los Angeles Counties to help construct all hardscape and planting designs, including custom structures, fire and water features. We will work with clients from design concept to build out to help manage the project until all installation has been completed. Project scope is discussed at the time of the initial client consultation.

## Business Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Business Name | NC Designs |
| Address | 640 Mar Vista Drive, Los Osos, California 93402, United States |
| Phone | (805) 704-9027 |
| Website | http://ncdesigns.co |
| Followers on Houzz | 43 |

**Social profiles:**
- Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/nclandscapedesign/?hc\_ref=PAGES\_TIMELINE

## Contact

- **Houzz profile:** [NC Designs](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/nc-designs-pfvwus-pf~596459234)
- **Website:** http://ncdesigns.co
- **Phone:** (805) 704-9027

## Credentials

- **Best of Houzz:** 3 awards (2021–2023), for Design, Service.

## Reviews

**Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 5 reviews**

### All 5 reviews

**★★★★★ — Elisa Schreiber, May 2020**

> If you are looking for clean and timeless, modern but warm, and unique but highly functional design for your outdoor living space, you should definitely work with NC Designs.  Working with Nicole was a dream. The process was remarkably simple: Nicole came to our house and we chatted about how we want to use our outdoor space. We shared what was working for us and what wasn’t. She asked smart and thoughtful questions and then got to work. When she presented our first design plan, we were shocked! She had so many ideas for space design and placement of various elements that we never could have imagined ourselves. Best of all: these clever and creative ideas ALL WORKED PERFECTLY. Beyond the gorgeous hardscape she helped design and select, she carefully chose plants that would grow in to soften and bring the garden to life, keeping our California drought-tolerant needs top of mind. Now that the work has been completed, we feel like the front and back yards were always supposed to be this way. Nicole has made it so our outdoor “rooms” are the best rooms in the house.

**★★★★★ — Emily Jackson, Jan. 2018**

> Nicole was wonderful to work with!  When we reached out to her after living with our uninspired and dying lawn for five years, we only knew that our front yard needed to look better.  Nicole listened to our scattered list of wants and ideas, and developed a plan that checked all of our boxes.  She gave us a beautiful, low maintenance, budget conscious design.  We worked with a landscape contractor to install the hardscape, but did the remainder of the installation ourselves.  We really appreciated working with Nicole because she stayed on board for the entire installation process- from helping us to source the plants, to guiding us through the planting, to helping us to decide on a ground cover that worked best for us.  Would work with her again in a heartbeat!

**★★★★★ — Howard Fabrick, March 2017**

> The landscaping at our new home was tired, old fashioned and consumed too much water.
> Nicole developed a plan, both hardscape and landscape, that expanded our patio and
> installed a beautiful array of natural grasses and plants that worked seamlessly into the
> native oak tree area that abutted out property. The plants have developed nicely over
> the year since installed and our water consumption has dropped dramatically. We
> could not be more pleased with the results. Our neighbors were also impressed and
> a number of them have been motivated to upgrade their landscaping with low
> water usage native plants.

**Comment from NC Designs:**

> Thank you Howard for your wonderful review and for giving me the opportunity to design your landscape. I've loved stopping by and watching it develop over time. After recently seeing the backyard, I saw that it has become such a pleasantly serene space and can only imagine how nice it must be to relax there. I look forward to seeing the slower growing agaves and succulents mature and emerge more from the beautiful grasses.

**★★★★★ — Gabriel Frank, Feb. 2017**

> We have worked with Nicole collaboratively on numerous occasions with her designing projects for Gardens By Gabriel Inc. Nicole is easy to communicate with on the detailed needs of a design/build project, and is responsive to changes that come up along the way. She has a great sense of style, and executes mixing of materials well to suit the tastes of our clients. Well-versed in designing both hardscape and planting plans, I believe in her vision and commitment to the craft.

**Comment from NC Designs:**

> Thank you GBG, for this wonderful review. I greatly value our working relationship and the quality of work your crew puts into developing each and every project. I look forward to creating many more dynamic landscapes together!

**★★★★★ — Cathy Roche, Feb. 2017**

> I would recommend NC Designs without hesitation. 2+ years ago we purchased a 50+ year old house that had its original landscaping( all rose bushes and white rock). Nicole Cook of NC Designs completely transformed both our front an back yards. She spent time figuring out what our needs would be and presented amazing ideas we would have never considered. Both the landscape and hardscape were completely transformed and we are thrilled. We have lost count how many times people drive or walk by and compliment us on the transformation, as well as take photos. Excellent work.

**Comment from NC Designs:**

> Cathy, Thank you so much for your kind words. It was a pleasure working with you and Mark to recreate your landscape. I'm just as pleased with the outcome of the project as you both are and enjoy the questions from neighbors when I have visited. Thanks again for trusting me with full design control, while taking all your needs for outdoor living into consideration throughout the process. I look forward to it only getting better over time.

## Selected projects

- [Buchon Street](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/buchon-street-pj-vj~2331211)
  - Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
  - Photos: 10
- [Creekside in San Luis Obispo](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/creekside-in-san-luis-obispo-pj-vj~2703789)
  - Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
  - Photos: 8
  - Description: Contemporary home with a renovated creekside backyard. It's quiet seclusion and proximity to the open corridor is highlighted with layers of textured grasses, flowering bulbine, beautiful agaves and a neutral stone paver.
- [Beachside Contemporary](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/beachside-contemporary-pj-vj~2106886)
  - Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
  - Photos: 12
- [Historical Garden Retreat](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/historical-garden-retreat-pj-vj~2442173)
  - Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
  - Photos: 6
  - Description: This historical Victorian home in San Luis Obispo had a drab, grassy backyard and required a new design that would soften the space, create multiple spaces to relax and entertain, as well as a dry creek bed to redirect overflow water. What transpired is a flagstone patio large enough for two seating areas and a fire pit, along with an upper grassy spot and a rocky faux creek lined with ledger stone, a variety of succulents and grasses and slab stone bridge. The overall result has created a more…
- [Outdoor Entertaining](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/outdoor-entertaining-pj-vj~2928438)
  - Location: Pismo Beach, CA
  - Photos: 2
- [Traditional Tudor Revival](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/traditional-tudor-revival-pj-vj~3051511)
  - Location: Pasadena, CA
  - Photos: 2
- [Chino Hills Ranch](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/chino-hills-ranch-pj-vj~2106923)
  - Location: Chino Hills, CA
  - Photos: 3
- [Coastal Modern](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/coastal-modern-pj-vj~5843570)
  - Location: Baywood-Los Osos, CA
  - Photos: 12
- [Hillside Mediterranean](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/hillside-mediterranean-pj-vj~5843646)
  - Location: Pismo Beach, CA
  - Photos: 2

[See all 9 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/nc-designs-pfvwus-pf~596459234)

## Ideabooks

- [Brubaker](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/163712926/list/brubaker) — 1 idea
- [Baywood Wedding](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/163712897/list/baywood-wedding) — 4 ideas
- [Su](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/163712850/list/su) — 1 idea
- [Meichtry](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/160049585/list/meichtry) — 5 ideas
- [Maple Street AG](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/160049570/list/maple-street-ag) — 1 idea
- [Wheeler](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/160049463/list/wheeler) — 15 ideas
- [Butcher](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/157967854/list/butcher) — 7 ideas
- [Brauner](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/146881103/list/brauner) — 17 ideas
- [Keeley](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/145517559/list/keeley) — 9 ideas
- [Tsai - Studio City](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/141994803/list/tsai-studio-city) — 10 ideas
- [Mar Vista Interior](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/141180231/list/mar-vista-interior) — 1 idea
- [Wolff](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/141179977/list/wolff) — 19 ideas
- [Abercrombie](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/140818294/list/abercrombie) — 1 idea
- [Laugharn- C & K](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/140817913/list/laugharn-c-k) — 1 idea
- [Maulhardt](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/139985287/list/maulhardt) — 24 ideas
- [Smith](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/131523362/list/smith) — 21 ideas
- [Kitchen Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/120253712/list/kitchen-remodel) — 50 ideas
- [Plant Palettes](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/92228678/list/plant-palettes) — 17 ideas
- [A Creative Home](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/23834544/list/a-creative-home) — 10 ideas
- [Beveir Murray](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/87557242/list/beveir-murray) — 10 ideas

[See all 54 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/nicole-cook3486095)

## Community Q&A

**Q: Chairs** *(in Photo Questions)*

I'm interested in how to purchase the concrete and wood chairs.

A: I hadn't seen chairs made by him before, but in general, Maysun Wells does incredible work!

---

*Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-08-16.*