Gas fire place and modern sitting area
Inspiration for a large modern full sun backyard concrete paver formal garden in Los Angeles with a fire pit for summer.

View of the new entrance to the historical John Randal McDonald designed home. We were retained for the landscape design partially because of our background in architecture and our understanding of the mid-century aesthetic. Renn Kuhnen Photography

Design ideas for a large traditional partial sun backyard gravel formal garden in San Diego for spring.

photos by Rob Karosis Architecture by TMS Architects General Contractor Castelli Construction, Inc.. Landascape Conteactor Site Structures Landscape

We were asked to create something really special for one of our most admired clients. This home has been a labor of love for both of us as we finally made it exactly what she wanted it to be. After many concept ideas we landed on a design that is stunning! All of the elements on her wish list are incorporated in this challenging, multi-level landscape: A front yard to match the modern traditional-style home while creating privacy from the street; a side yard that proudly connects the front and back; and a lower level with plantings in lush greens, whites, purples and pinks and plentiful lawn space for kids and dogs. Her outdoor living space includes an outdoor kitchen with bar, outdoor living room with fireplace, dining patio, a bedroom-adjacent lounging patio with modern fountain, enclosed vegetable garden, rose garden walk with European-style fountain and meditation bench, and a fire pit with sitting area on the upper level to take in the panoramic views of the sunset over the wooded ridge. Outdoor lighting brings it alive at night, and for parties you can’t beat the killer sound system!

Inspiration for a rustic medium tone wood floor single front door remodel in Atlanta with a medium wood front door

Sam Gray
Traditional white two-story exterior home idea in Boston with a hip roof

This Mediterranean style home was given the entrance it deserved with our gate and trellis addition. Beautiful vines and foliage complete the transformation.

Farmhouse medium tone wood floor and brown floor entry hall photo with white walls and a white front door

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern partial sun front yard stone outdoor basketball/tennis/multi-game court in San Francisco for spring.

Photography: Nathan Schroder
Inspiration for a mediterranean front yard landscaping in Dallas.

Photo by Tony Lopez / East End Film & Digital
Example of a beach style light wood floor mudroom design in New York with white walls and a white front door

Rock garden featuring Applegate river rocks bordered by Rogue river 3/4" round rock. Landscape steel edging separates between rock garden and bark mulch.

Foyer - mid-sized coastal medium tone wood floor foyer idea in Bridgeport with a glass front door and white walls

The goal of this project was to provide a lush and vast garden for the new owners of this recently remodeled brick Georgian. Located in Wheaton this acre plus property is surrounded by beautiful Oaks. Preserving the Oaks became a particular challenge with the ample front walk and generous entertaining spaces the client desired. Under most of the Oaks the turf was in very poor condition, and most of the property was covered with undesirable overgrown underbrush such as Garlic Mustard weed and Buckthorn. With a recently completed addition, the garages were pushed farther from the front door leaving a large distance between the drive and entry to the home. This prompted the addition of a secondary door off the kitchen. A meandering walk curves past the secondary entry and leads guests through the front garden to the main entry. Off the secondary door a “kitchen patio” complete with a custom gate and Green Mountain Boxwood hedge give the clients a quaint space to enjoy a morning cup of joe. Stepping stone pathways lead around the home and weave through multiple pocket gardens within the vast backyard. The paths extend deep into the property leading to individual and unique gardens with a variety of plantings that are tied together with rustic stonewalls and sinuous turf areas. Closer to the home a large paver patio opens up to the backyard gardens. New stoops were constructed and existing stoops were covered in bluestone and mortared stonewalls were added, complimenting the classic Georgian architecture. The completed project accomplished all the goals of creating a lush and vast garden that fit the remodeled home and lifestyle of its new owners. Through careful planning, all mature Oaks were preserved, undesirables removed and numerous new plantings along with detailed stonework helped to define the new landscape.

Front yard - formal entry forecourt. Seating area, stone walk, and raised stone planters. Stone retaining walls to match the house architecture. Emphasis on horizontal lines to pick up on the Frank Lloyd Wright architectural style. Marco Romani, RLA

My clients wanted their backyard to act as an extension of the home, and with busy modern schedules, the ambience at night is as important as during the day. Even so the space was tiny, they wanted to be able to entertain and invite the full symphony, lounge, enjoy smores, screen movies on their garage wall. Due to the limited space the plants were limited to pocket gardens .Natural wood was used to warm the space and cover the unsightly neighbor's wall while concrete stepping steps keep the space contemporary. Daniel Bosler Photography

Aitken & Associates Landscape Architects Installation by www.SalazarCustomConcepts.com
Inspiration for a large mediterranean drought-tolerant and full sun front yard landscaping in San Francisco.

Transitional front porch idea in Charleston with decking and a roof extension