A suburban home in mid-town Fort Collins gained a lot of curb appeal with colorful perennials and a small water feature. These perennials are low maintenance and drought tolerant and with a small amount of turf, this landscape is very water conservation friendly. The large quantity of perennials used in this landscape creates a big impact in a small space.

This is an example of a large contemporary partial sun backyard landscaping in San Luis Obispo with decking.

Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen remodel in Other with an undermount sink, quartz countertops, blue backsplash and glass sheet backsplash

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional partial sun backyard pond in Los Angeles.

Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional partial sun backyard pond in Los Angeles.

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional partial sun backyard pond in Los Angeles.

Photo of a mid-sized traditional partial sun backyard pond in Los Angeles.

Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional partial sun backyard pond in Los Angeles.

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional partial sun backyard pond in Los Angeles.

Design ideas for a transitional landscaping in Los Angeles.

Inspiration for a mid-sized cottage 3/4 marble floor and gray floor bathroom remodel in Chicago with medium tone wood cabinets, white walls, a vessel sink and flat-panel cabinets

Dramatic Aeonium 'Sunburst' Succulent brightens up the planting bed along the pathway in this project which was designed to gain more usable space. This narrow landscape included an update to the hardscaping and overgrown garden. My design reconfigured the pathway with poured-in-place concrete pavers accented by Mexican pebbles and a stunning variety of succulents and other site-appropriate plantings that thrive in shade and part sun. We removed the tree to create a patio area large enough to fit a table and chairs for a small group. Non-invasive/clumping Bamboo was added to help screen the patio and provide privacy. Other shade to part-shade plants were included that provide a variety of textures and colors throughout the seasons. Low-voltage lighting was installed for safety and ambiance. Design and Photos: © Eileen Kelly, Dig Your Garden Landscape Design

Photo of a traditional partial sun backyard gravel landscaping in Jacksonville for winter.

To gain more usable space in this narrow landscape and update the hardscaping and overgrown garden, my design reconfigured the pathway with poured-in-place concrete pavers accented by Mexican pebbles along with a stunning variety of succulents and other site-appropriate planting that thrive in shade and part sun. We removed the tree to create a patio area large enough to fit a table and chairs for a small group. Non-invasive/clumping Bamboo and vines were added to help screen the patio and provide privacy. Other shade to part-shade plants were included that provide a variety of textures and colors throughout the seasons. And low-voltage lighting was installed for safety and ambiance. Design and Photos: © Eileen Kelly, Dig Your Garden Landscape Design

To gain more usable space in this narrow landscape and update the hardscaping and overgrown garden, my design reconfigured the pathway with poured-in-place concrete pavers accented by Mexican pebbles and a stunning variety of succulents and other site-appropriate plantings that thrive in shade and part sun. We removed the tree to create a patio area large enough to fit a table and chairs for a small group. Non-invasive/clumping Bamboo was added to help screen the patio and provide privacy. Other shade to part-shade plants were included that provide a variety of textures and colors throughout the seasons. Low-voltage lighting was installed for safety and ambiance. Design and Photos: © Eileen Kelly, Dig Your Garden Landscape Design

-Renovation of waterfront high-rise residence -Most of residence has glass doors, walls and windows overlooking the ocean, making ceilings the best surface for creating architectural interest -Raise ceiling heights, reduce soffits and integrate drapery pockets in the crown to hide motorized translucent shades, blackout shades and drapery panels, all which help control heat gain and glare inherent in unit’s multi-directional ocean exposure (south, east and north) -Patterns highlight ceilings in major rooms and accent their light fixtures Andy Frame Photography

This modern green home offers both a vacation destination on Cape Cod near local family members and an opportunity for rental income. FAMILY ROOTS. A West Coast couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area sought a permanent East Coast vacation home near family members living on Cape Cod. As academic professionals focused on sustainability, they sought a green, energy efficient home that was well-aligned with their values. With no green homes available for sale on Cape Cod, they decided to purchase land near their family and build their own. SLOPED SITE. Comprised of a 3/4 acre lot nestled in the pines, the steeply sloping terrain called for a plan that embraced and took advantage of the slope. Of equal priority was optimizing solar exposure, preserving privacy from abutters, and creating outdoor living space. The design accomplished these goals with a simple, rectilinear form, offering living space on the both entry and lower/basement levels. The stepped foundation allows for a walk-out basement level with light-filled living space on the down-hill side of the home. The traditional basement on the eastern, up-hill side houses mechanical equipment and a home gym. The house welcomes natural light throughout, captures views of the forest, and delivers entertainment space that connects indoor living space to outdoor deck and dining patio. MODERN VISION. The clean building form and uncomplicated finishes pay homage to the modern architectural legacy on the outer Cape. Durable and economical fiber cement panels, fixed with aluminum channels, clad the primary form. Cedar clapboards provide a visual accent at the south-facing living room, which extends a single roof plane to cover the entry porch. SMART USE OF SPACE. On the entry level, the “L”-shaped living, dining, and kitchen space connects to the exterior living, dining, and grilling spaces to effectively double the home’s summertime entertainment area. Placed at the western end of the entry level (where it can retain privacy but still claim expansive downhill views) is the master suite with a built-in study. The lower level has two guest bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and laundry. The flexibility of the space—crucial in a house with a modest footprint—emerges in one of the guest bedrooms, which doubles as home office by opening the barn-style double doors to connect it to the bright, airy open stair leading up to the entry level. Thoughtful design, generous ceiling heights and large windows transform the modest 1,100 sf* footprint into a well-lit, spacious home. *(total finished space is 1800 sf) RENTAL INCOME. The property works for its owners by netting rental income when the owners are home in San Francisco. The house especially caters to vacationers bound for nearby Mayo Beach and includes an outdoor shower adjacent to the lower level entry door. In contrast to the bare bones cottages that are typically available on the Cape, this home offers prospective tenants a modern aesthetic, paired with luxurious and green features. Durable finishes inside and out will ensure longevity with the heavier use that comes with a rental property. COMFORT YEAR-ROUND. The home is super-insulated and air-tight, with mechanical ventilation to provide continuous fresh air from the outside. High performance triple-paned windows complement the building enclosure and maximize passive solar gain while ensuring a warm, draft-free winter, even when sitting close to the glass. A properly sized air source heat pump offers efficient heating & cooling, and includes a carefully designed the duct distribution system to provide even comfort throughout the house. The super-insulated envelope allows us to significantly reduce the equipment capacity, duct size, and airflow quantities, while maintaining unparalleled thermal comfort. ENERGY EFFICIENT. The building’s shell and mechanical systems play instrumental roles in the home’s exceptional performance. The building enclosure reduces the most significant energy glutton: heating. Continuous super-insulation, thorough air sealing, triple-pane windows, and passive solar gain work together to yield a miniscule heating load. All active energy consumers are extremely efficient: an air source heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation (ERV), and high efficiency appliances. The result is a home that uses 70% less energy than a similar new home built to code requirements. OVERALL. The home embodies the owners’ goals and values while comprehensively enabling thermal comfort, energy efficiency, a vacation respite, and supplementary income. PROJECT TEAM ZeroEnergy Design - Architect & Mechanical Designer A.F. Hultin & Co. - Contractor Pamet Valley Landscape Design - Landscape & Masonry Lisa Finch - Original Artwork European Architectural Supply - Windows Eric Roth Photography - Photography

A beautiful escape in your edible garden. Fruit trees create a privacy screen around a cedar pergola and raised vegetable beds.
This is an example of a farmhouse full sun backyard gravel landscaping in Boston for summer.

This project was built on spec and pushed for affordable sustainability without compromising a clean modern design that balanced visual warmth with performance and economic efficiency. The project achieved far more points than was required to gain a 5-star builtgreen rating. The design was based around a small footprint that was located over the existing cottage and utilized structural insulated panels, radiant floor heat, low/no VOC finishes and many other green building strategies.