Teaming up with the owner-architect, we set out to update the exterior spaces to integrate with the mid-century modern house architecture and providing the young family with more usable outdoor areas. To enhance the property entrance we installed a new modular driveway, edged with new stucco walled planters and bounded with modern vernacular grid pattern gates. Lush planting, with flowering trees and seasonal color interest introduces the garden and continues throughout the property. Recently included in the locally renowned Children’s Support League’s “Heart of the Home” tour, we emphasized the indoor/outdoor flow from the extensively renovated kitchen and great room of the house. A custom-designed water feature creates a focal-point through a floor-to-ceiling window on axis with the front door. The abundant seating at the outdoor fireplace invites you into the garden for a warm chat before enjoying the alfresco dining. Repeating the clean, contemporary lines of the house architecture, a visitor’s eye is drawn to the saturated color of the stucco seat walls and the ledgestone walls beyond. Accent-lighting of the Olive tree specimens frame the sundeck and welcome the harvesting of figs, citrus and rosemary from the edible garden to add to the outdoor kitchen’s grilling feast. Achieving a primary design goal for the property’s new owners, we featured a substantial “infinity” lawn for play and enjoyment, easily accessible through the master bedroom French doors and across the IPE wood bridge. For relaxation under the stars, we tucked a spa amongst the redwoods, mostly hidden from view, and enhanced by the twinkling of the redwood-mounted firefly lights. Architect: AG Design Studio Landscape Contractor: Gardeners' Guild Photo: Treve Johnson Photography