This bold modern landscape showcases Northstone’s expertise in precision design and luxury outdoor construction. The layout features a dramatic diamond paver pattern in charcoal, contrasted by clean architectural lines and sculptural elements throughout. At the center, an infinity-edge custom concrete pool spills into a lower-level catch basin, flanked by a sunken lounge with integrated fire features. Oversized steps and custom aluminum planters create a striking, tiered transition that anchors the space with scale and sophistication. Recognized as the leading landscape and pool design-build firm in Montreal and Toronto, Northstone delivers complex, high-impact outdoor spaces through a fully in-house team of over 180 professionals. Our reputation is built on craftsmanship, innovation, and consistency at every phase.

Request Free Quote A backyard patio featuring a natural stone patio and pool deck surrounding a rectangular swimming pool and custom spa. The pool measures 16'0" x 36'0" and also features a 7'0" x 9'0" spa which is partially raised and is separate from the pool. The pool and spa also feature LED Colored lighting. Both the pool and Spa possess an automatic pool cover with a Stone lid system. The coping is Valders Buff modified edge Limestone. The pool has an in-floor cleaning system to keep it clean and sanitary. The exposed aggregate interior finish is Classic color. All of the stone cladding around the partially elevated pool and spa is Valders Wisconsin Limestone. This swimming pool was designed and built for this home in Lake Forest, IL.

This home evokes a sensuous St. Barth lifestyle on Lake Michigan, designed for globetrotting clients who wanted a weekend sanctuary near their primary residence in Chicago. The project brief included open plan living for entertaining, a family lounge, and bedroom suites for houseguests. The first level is a glass rectangular volume that makes the second level appear to float over the dune and offers water views through the structure. Clad in Accoya, the upper level will gray with age and blend into the landscape. These two horizontal volumes are connected by a double-height glass entry space that reveals a floating staircase. A contemporary beach aesthetic unifies the interior through an edited palette of materials, including white oak millwork, large-format porcelain tile, and a range of warm whites. Interior tile extends out to the pool terrace, uniting the spaces and amplifying the connection to the outdoors. The landscape design enhances the experience. A courtyard with sculptural Ginkgo trees offers refuge from lake breezes. On the pool terrace, custom Cor-Ten planters overflow with Russian Sage, selected for graceful foliage that sways in the breeze and offers a relaxing herbal aroma.

This outdoor sconce features a rectangular box shape with frosted cylinder shade, adding a bit of modern influence, yet the frame is much more transitional. The incandescent bulb (not Included) is protected by the frosted glass tube, allowing a soft light to flood your walkway.

This is a view of the house with the street in the background that the wall with spill edges gives privacy from. This contemporary design connects the house to the cabana office both physically and architecturally. Two sets of 12" stainless steal spill edges were used to be visible from both the office and the home. Colored and textured concrete blended with the Leuters limestone coping. Grass strips broke up the paving and blended the pools cape and landscape together which further enhances the linear concept. Photo and design by Mike Farley

--Historic / National Landmark --House designed by prominent architect Frederick R. Schock, 1924 --Grounds designed and constructed by: Arrow. Land + Structures in Spring/Summer of 2017 --Photography: Marco Romani, RLA State Licensed Landscape Architect

Photo of a mid-sized modern drought-tolerant and partial sun backyard gravel landscaping in Orange County.

Luxurious backyard has all the amenities such as fiberglass pool, masonry wall with sheer decent waterfalls,fire feature and lots of outdoor living space to enjoy. designed and built exclusively by Elite Pool Design.

This view is looking out the Cabana office towards the house. This contemporary design connects the house to the cabana office both physically and architecturally. Two sets of 12" stainless steal spill edges were used to be visible from both the office and the home. Colored and textured concrete blended with the Leuters limestone coping. Grass strips broke up the paving and blended the pools cape and landscape together which further enhances the linear concept. Photo and design by Mike Farley

Zinc containers of varying sizes create a geometric herb garden. Photo by Hoerr Schaudt
This is an example of a small contemporary courtyard gravel landscaping in Grand Rapids for spring.

Lake Forest Mosaic House designed by prominent American architect Henry Ives Cobb, in 1882. Grounds designed and constructed by Arrow Land+Structures, in 2016.

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary drought-tolerant and partial sun front yard mulch landscaping in Orange County for summer.

One of the design challenges of this project was creating a contemporary pool in a courtyard space all while ensuring an existing multi-trunk live oak tree stays. This custom pool has three custom Bobe water features, full automation though the homeowners iPhone, LED lighting and natural limestone decking.

Pots, planters, old birdbaths, living walls. My succulent designs have been featured in numerous publications, most notably three books written by The Succulent Queen, Debra Lee Baldwin: "Succulent Container Gardens" and "Succulents Simplified," I love doing what I do. Let's talk!

In the hills of San Anselmo in Marin County, this 5,000 square foot existing multi-story home was enlarged to 6,000 square feet with a new dance studio addition with new master bedroom suite and sitting room for evening entertainment and morning coffee. Sited on a steep hillside one acre lot, the back yard was unusable. New concrete retaining walls and planters were designed to create outdoor play and lounging areas with stairs that cascade down the hill forming a wrap-around walkway. The goal was to make the new addition integrate the disparate design elements of the house and calm it down visually. The scope was not to change everything, just the rear façade and some of the side facades. The new addition is a long rectangular space inserted into the rear of the building with new up-swooping roof that ties everything together. Clad in red cedar, the exterior reflects the relaxed nature of the one acre wooded hillside site. Fleetwood windows and wood patterned tile complete the exterior color material palate. The sitting room overlooks a new patio area off of the children’s playroom and features a butt glazed corner window providing views filtered through a grove of bay laurel trees. Inside is a television viewing area with wetbar off to the side that can be closed off with a concealed pocket door to the master bedroom. The bedroom was situated to take advantage of these views of the rear yard and the bed faces a stone tile wall with recessed skylight above. The master bath, a driving force for the project, is large enough to allow both of them to occupy and use at the same time. The new dance studio and gym was inspired for their two daughters and has become a facility for the whole family. All glass, mirrors and space with cushioned wood sports flooring, views to the new level outdoor area and tree covered side yard make for a dramatic turnaround for a home with little play or usable outdoor space previously. Photo Credit: Paul Dyer Photography.

Referencing this square footage as an internal courtyard might be a stretch. A more accurate description would perhaps be the awesome things that New Yorkers can do with the tiny spaces we have. The parameters of the project lend to its description. This Tribeca residential building’s shared amenity space and gym on the lower level opens up onto a 350 square foot space of brick walls and concrete pavers. The south wall of this space is made up by the terraces belonging to the residential units above and while the setting allows for minimal ambient light, each balcony looks down onto the shared space below. In order to provide visual interest from the gym and the overhead views, Blondie’s designers Sara Baerwald and Eva Vessio utilized Jay Scott’s rectangle containers lining the north wall as well as surrounding the utilities in the southwest corner. They then created 8 foot faux boxwood hedge on the north wall and the appropriate height to conceal the utilities. From below the hedge creates the feeling of a courtyard and from above it softens the view of the once barren space. Adding color and functionality, the concrete pavers were replaced with rubber tiles in a bright aqua. To play off of this color and add a unique level of visual impact, artist Chris Pearson designed and painted a multi-color prism mural. Primarily on the east wall and then stretching over the hedges to the south, the depth and dimension that this mural provides for the space is incredible. It is a testament to the successful solutions we conjure when thinking outside the box and allowing for unique site specific resolutions.

The Portola Valley Residence and Pavilion is a composition of staggered and interlocking rectangular spaces that cling to the slope as it gradually wraps around the hillside. As the interior floor level slowly steps down, echoing the natural grade, it increases the floor-to-ceiling height, flooding the space with expanded views and abundant natural light. Carefully defined interior spaces with plaster and stone veneer walls offer a fitting backdrop for the owner's dramatic art collection. The home’s terraced roof design and careful selection of natural materials equally complement its human and natural environments.

In a stylistic departure from the main house, the 750 sf guest pavilion combines three small geometric elements to form a pleasant guest, entertainment space . . . and yard sculpture.

board formed concrete planter
Inspiration for a contemporary landscaping in Portland.

--Historic / National Landmark --House designed by prominent architect Frederick R. Schock, 1924 --Grounds designed and constructed by: Arrow. Land + Structures in Spring/Summer of 2017 --Photography: Marco Romani, RLA State Licensed Landscape Architect