Minimal palette, Maximum impact! The brief was highly specific, an outdoor space suited for relaxing, entertaining friends and most importantly, featuring an outdoor fire place. Materials needed to echo the interior and architectural style of the house. With the planting all plants were to be evergreen, limited to various shades of green with no additional colour. The only permitted flower colour was white - with Rosemary being the sole exception to the rule.

Large country home design photo in New York

Minimal palette, Maximum impact! The brief was highly specific, an outdoor space suited for relaxing, entertaining friends and most importantly, featuring an outdoor fire place. Materials needed to echo the interior and architectural style of the house. With the planting all plants were to be evergreen, limited to various shades of green with no additional colour. The only permitted flower colour was white - with Rosemary being the sole exception to the rule.

Minimal palette, Maximum impact! The brief was highly specific, an outdoor space suited for relaxing, entertaining friends and most importantly, featuring an outdoor fire place. Materials needed to echo the interior and architectural style of the house. With the planting all plants were to be evergreen, limited to various shades of green with no additional colour. The only permitted flower colour was white - with Rosemary being the sole exception to the rule.

An interesting design note - we have seen many companies plan a high wall to handle a steep grade change. TERRACING the slope is not only more attractive, it often allows us to bypass the requirement for a permit-- which lowers the cost and complexity of a project !

Photo of a mid-sized traditional shade backyard stone landscaping in Charlotte with a fire pit for summer.

Example of a mid-century modern gray two-story stucco house exterior design in San Francisco with a hip roof and a shingle roof

A new-build, replacement dwelling in a sensitive green belt location, designed to take advantage of the countryside setting and views. By capitalising on volume increases to the existing dwelling through a series of incremental Permitted Development schemes, the home better suits its site and context. By raising a previously ground bearing floor area into a cantilever it can now encapsulate long ranging views from the master bedroom. To create a contemporary rural aesthetic the materials include a zinc roof, pre-weathered burnt timber cladding and brick. Landscaping has been designed by renowned British Garden Designer Andy Sturgeon who created three distinct gardens: a wild flower walk to the pool, a formal crescent-shaped striped lawn and south-facing gravel garden. The garden takes advantage of views across the Thames valley to Hedsor House and Cliveden, as a result of it being elevated and levelled with excavation material from the basement.

Native flowering Asters are one of several varieties of native plants used for this coastal home. A sustainable design is often required as part of the permitting process. Photography By Kimberly Mercurio

The Intermittent stream is flanked by Allen Block segmented concrete block walls. This sensitive area went through rigorous review and permitting prior to construction. Silver Sceptre Sedge lines the toe of the walls. Each wall end is accented with Dwarf Hameln Grass, Rotstrahlbusch Switch Grass, and Moudry Fountain Grass. The top of the wall was finished with a Teucrium chamaedrys also know as Wall Germander or False Boxwood. This creates a nice purple flowering hedge that does not obstruct the view of the walls.

Superbena 'Violet Ice' - new for 2014 from Proven Winners Le jardinet

What our clients needed: • Create a garden folly that doubles as a well-built shed for crafts and storage. • Size the structure large enough for comfortable storage without dominating the garden. • Discreetly locate the shed in the far corner of the rear yard while maintaining existing trees. • Ensure that the structure is protected from the weather and carefully detailed to deter access of wildlife and rodents. FUNCTION • Construct the shed slab close to grade to permit easy access for bicycle storage, while building shed walls above grade to ensure against termites and dryrot. • Install a French door and operable casement windows to admit plenty of daylight and provide views to the garden. • Include rugged built-in work bench, shelves, bike racks and tool storage for a rustic well-organized and efficient space. • Incorporate GFIC electrical service for safe access to power at this distant corner of the yard. • Position energy-efficient interior lighting to ensure space can be used year-round. • Switch control of exterior light from house and from shed for ease of command. AESTHETICS • Design and detail the shed to coordinate with the Arts and Crafts style house. • Include an arbor for future flowering vines, further softening the shed’s garden presence. • Simple and rustic interior surfaces ensure that the space is easy to clean. • Create an aged and softly weathered appearance, and protect the exterior siding by finishing the cedar with a custom-colored semi-transparent stain. INNOVATIVE MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION • Factory-built components were pre-assembled to allow for a speedy assembly and for a shorter on-site construction schedule. • Each component was easily transported through the yard without disturbing garden features. • Decorative exterior trim frames the door and windows, while a simpler trim is used inside the unadorned shed. OBSTACLE OVERCOME • The structure is located in the corner of the yard to avoid disturbance of a curly willow tree. • The low-profile structure is positioned close to property lines while staying beneath the allowable daylight plane for structures. • To comply with daylight plane close to fence, the roof form combines hip and gable forms, with door located at gable end. • The height of the modest interior is maximized, without exceeding the allowable building height. CRAFTSMANSHIP • The concrete slab was precisely formed and finished for ease of shed assembly before the factory-built components were delivered to site. • Precision planning meant the pre-framed door fit exactly between raised concrete curb.

The Intermittent stream along an un-usable side yard is flanked by Allen Block segmented concrete block walls. This sensitive area went through rigorous review and permitting prior to construction. The home owner wanted to reclaim this part of the property and create a feature out of an eyesore. Silver Sceptre Sedge lines the toe of the walls. Each wall end is accented with Dwarf Hameln Grass, Rotstrahlbusch Switch Grass, and Moudry Fountain Grass. The top of the wall was finished with a Teucrium chamaedrys also know as Wall Germander or False Boxwood. This creates a nice purple flowering hedge that does not obstruct the view of the walls.

Layers of Lushness Flanking the pathway are beautifully designed garden beds that soften the hardscaping. On the left, a raised white stucco planter is filled with cascading purple flowers, anchored by a large terracotta pot overflowing with bright pink blooms. To the right, low-lying greenery lines the walkway, illuminated by sleek, modern black path lights that promise to guide the way beautifully after sunset.

Adam Dubich
Elegant open concept light wood floor living room photo in Salt Lake City with gray walls

The Intermittent stream along an un-usable side yard is flanked by Allen Block segmented concrete block walls. This sensitive area went through rigorous review and permitting prior to construction. The home owner wanted to reclaim this part of the property and create a feature out of an eyesore. Silver Sceptre Sedge lines the toe of the walls. Each wall end is accented with Dwarf Hameln Grass, Rotstrahlbusch Switch Grass, and Moudry Fountain Grass. The top of the wall was finished with a Teucrium chamaedrys also know as Wall Germander or False Boxwood. This creates a nice purple flowering hedge that does not obstruct the view of the walls.

A new-build, replacement dwelling in a sensitive green belt location, designed to take advantage of the countryside setting and views. By capitalising on volume increases to the existing dwelling through a series of incremental Permitted Development schemes, the home better suits its site and context. By raising a previously ground bearing floor area into a cantilever it can now encapsulate long ranging views from the master bedroom. To create a contemporary rural aesthetic the materials include a zinc roof, pre-weathered burnt timber cladding and brick. Landscaping has been designed by renowned British Garden Designer Andy Sturgeon who created three distinct gardens: a wild flower walk to the pool, a formal crescent-shaped striped lawn and south-facing gravel garden. The garden takes advantage of views across the Thames valley to Hedsor House and Cliveden, as a result of it being elevated and levelled with excavation material from the basement.

A new-build, replacement dwelling in a sensitive green belt location, designed to take advantage of the countryside setting and views. By capitalising on volume increases to the existing dwelling through a series of incremental Permitted Development schemes, the home better suits its site and context. By raising a previously ground bearing floor area into a cantilever it can now encapsulate long ranging views from the master bedroom. To create a contemporary rural aesthetic the materials include a zinc roof, pre-weathered burnt timber cladding and brick. Landscaping has been designed by renowned British Garden Designer Andy Sturgeon who created three distinct gardens: a wild flower walk to the pool, a formal crescent-shaped striped lawn and south-facing gravel garden. The garden takes advantage of views across the Thames valley to Hedsor House and Cliveden, as a result of it being elevated and levelled with excavation material from the basement.

A new-build, replacement dwelling in a sensitive green belt location, designed to take advantage of the countryside setting and views. By capitalising on volume increases to the existing dwelling through a series of incremental Permitted Development schemes, the home better suits its site and context. By raising a previously ground bearing floor area into a cantilever it can now encapsulate long ranging views from the master bedroom. To create a contemporary rural aesthetic the materials include a zinc roof, pre-weathered burnt timber cladding and brick. Landscaping has been designed by renowned British Garden Designer Andy Sturgeon who created three distinct gardens: a wild flower walk to the pool, a formal crescent-shaped striped lawn and south-facing gravel garden. The garden takes advantage of views across the Thames valley to Hedsor House and Cliveden, as a result of it being elevated and levelled with excavation material from the basement.