Photography by Anthony Crisafulli
Inspiration for a small eclectic shade backyard brick retaining wall landscape in New York.

Product: Authentic Thick Limestone Pool Coping elements for pool edge Ancient Surfaces Contacts: (212) 461-0245 Email: Sales@ancientsurfaces.com Website: www.AncientSurfaces.com The design of external living spaces is known as the 'Al Fresco' space design as it is called in Italian. 'Al Fresco' translates in 'the open' or 'the cool/fresh exterior'. Customizing a contemporary swimming pool or spa into a traditional Italian Mediterranean pool can be easily achieved by selecting one of our most prized surfaces, 'The Foundation Slabs' pool coping Oolitic planks. The ease and cosines of this outdoor Mediterranean pool and spa experience will evoke in most a feeling of euphoria and exultation that on only gets while being surrounded with the pristine beauty of nature. This powerful feeling of unison with all has been known in our early recorded human history thought many primitive civilizations as a way to get people closer to the ultimate truth. A very basic but undisputed truth and that's that we are all connected to the great mother earth and to it's powerful life force that we are all a part of...

Residential home in Santa Cruz, CA This stunning front and backyard project was so much fun! The plethora of K&D's scope of work included: smooth finished concrete walls, multiple styles of horizontal redwood fencing, smooth finished concrete stepping stones, bands, steps & pathways, paver patio & driveway, artificial turf, TimberTech stairs & decks, TimberTech custom bench with storage, shower wall with bike washing station, custom concrete fountain, poured-in-place fire pit, pour-in-place half circle bench with sloped back rest, metal pergola, low voltage lighting, planting and irrigation! (*Adorable cat not included)

You can read more about the project through this Houzz Feature link: https://www.houzz.com/magazine/hillside-yard-offers-scenic-views-and-space-for-contemplation-stsetivw-vs~131483772

Photo of a traditional landscaping in San Francisco.

Eichler in Marinwood - At the larger scale of the property existed a desire to soften and deepen the engagement between the house and the street frontage. As such, the landscaping palette consists of textures chosen for subtlety and granularity. Spaces are layered by way of planting, diaphanous fencing and lighting. The interior engages the front of the house by the insertion of a floor to ceiling glazing at the dining room. Jog-in path from street to house maintains a sense of privacy and sequential unveiling of interior/private spaces. This non-atrium model is invested with the best aspects of the iconic eichler configuration without compromise to the sense of order and orientation. photo: scott hargis

Inspiration for a large traditional partial sun front yard stone landscaping in Other.

Photo by George Dzahristos
Design ideas for a transitional shade landscaping in Detroit.

Design ideas for a small farmhouse full sun landscaping in New York.

The design for this residence combines contemporary and traditional styles, and includes stairs and a curving drive to provide a warm welcome to the home. A comfortable bluestone terrace and patio provide elegant outdoor entertaining spaces. Photo by Greg Premru.

The Zoysia 'carpet like' turf extends to the Fieldstone banding and planter edging. We see newly installed plants and a wrought iron handrail along the serpentine wall. In the distance, is the focal point, a Sculpture / water feature, providing a serene sitting area

Collaborated on project development from design and permitting to installation in 2014. Over 10 years, we’ve maintained close communication with the owners and their maintenance provider, RP Marzilli to ensure the landscape is kept in top condition. The sloping yard allowed us to create a stunning infinity-edge pool, while the large evergreen plantings provide privacy and edge habitat. New England stone walls and mature tree layers beautifully integrate the house with the surrounding landscape. Angela Kearney, Minglewood, LLC

Collaborated on project development from design and permitting to installation in 2014. Over 10 years, we’ve maintained close communication with the owners and their maintenance provider, RP Marzilli to ensure the landscape is kept in top condition. The sloping yard allowed us to create a stunning infinity-edge pool, while the large evergreen plantings provide privacy and edge habitat. New England stone walls and mature tree layers beautifully integrate the house with the surrounding landscape. Angela Kearney, Minglewood, LLC

Above The Grade Landscape
Design ideas for a mid-sized southwestern drought-tolerant and full sun backyard gravel garden path in Other for summer.

Fieldstone banding and planter edging incorporate radius sections for a formal design, complimented by wrought iron hand-railing and Fieldstone wall cap along the 7'+ Modular retaining wall The Zoysia 'carpet like' turf, Flowering plants and specimen trees offer a softening element for balance

The property is one of the original farm houses located on the main street of a small town. It has been in the family for many years and our client just inherited the property. They were trying to have balance of preserving the old while realizing modern day living has its benefits too. The house had a large addition added using mostly old style materials, but designed with function and modern day luxuries. Our goal was to carry that theme to the outside. Our first problem we had to address was how to transition between the first floor elevation changes. The lower room was the husband’s office. He stated in the future he may have clients over and it would be nice to have an area to sit outside. The wife’s main concern was to renew the four corner garden. She also felt it was very important to be able to see it from the kitchen area. Finally there was an old wishing well stuck right outside the kitchen. They both felt it would be neat to be able to incorporate this in some how. They wanted a patio area with a built in grill to accommodate there family and friends. They also wanted to keep a large play area for the kids. We were able to pull this off successfully. We addressed the first issue by having a small lower level flagstone area. This area is large enough for 1 to 2 people to sit comfortably. It also provides a transition from his office to the larger patio area. We installed a simple small gravel sitting area opposite of the main patio. This provides our client a secluded place to relax or do business. Mrs.... told me she is amazed how much her and her husband enjoys this area. It is so peaceful looking at the small creek over a glass of wine. We built a natural limestone retaining wall to create the patio terrace. The stone was chosen to extend the houses architectural elements into the landscape. Irregular broken flagstone was used to give it a more casual feel. We installed three Serviceberries into the patio terrace to replace some trees that were taken down during the remodeling. She was very concern that they would block the view of the four corner garden. We new they were crucial to nestle in the terrace, so we placed them for a couple days for her to decide. Fortunately she agreed they not only kept the view open, but helped frame the garden. The four corner garden was designed to be viewed from afar and experienced up close. We wanted the space to have some formal structure while keeping with the casual farm house feel. Another natural limestone retaining wall was created. This leveled the garden terrace and helped associate it with the rest of the property. The four corner garden is nestled into the existing woods edge. This provides three distinct experiences to entering the garden; a more formal from the driveway, an open feel from the lower lawn, and a more natural / casual experience from the wooded area. The Plymouth brown gravel was used for the center of the garden. This helped highlight the stone post that was found during construction. The gravel also brings the sense of sound into the garden space. Lamb’s ear was chosen as a fun way to get kids interest in horticulture. The balance of using the new to create the old feel is what makes this project a success. The property has already hosted a local historical society event and won an award for its preservation efforts. When Mrs.... can’t find her husband, she knows he is either reading the newspaper by the grill or resting in the hammock along the wood’s path.

Ryann Ford
This is an example of a contemporary landscaping in Austin.

We completely renovated a simple low-lying house for a university family by opening the back side with large windows and a wrap-around patio. The kitchen counter extends to the exterior, enhancing the sense of openness to the outside. Large overhanging soffits and horizontal cedar siding keep the house from overpowering the view and help it settle into the landscape. An expansive maple floor and white ceiling reinforce the horizontal sense of space. Phil Bond Photography

In 2014, visitors on the Santa Monica Conservancy Tour were wowed by the back garden's overflowing vegetable beds. The play-ready IdealMow lawn featured here needs less than 50 percent of the water a traditional lawn needs to thrive. Because it needs no fertilizers or pesticides, it is a smart companion to the edible gardens at its edge - and a great addition to any bee-utiful garden in need of play space. Photo: Orly Olivier