Jason Katwijk
Home design - contemporary home design idea in Toronto

Design ideas for a traditional landscaping in San Francisco.

Design ideas for a mid-sized full sun backyard landscaping in Orange County.

Neolithic Materials specializes in rare reclaimed and newly quarried limestone architectural elements sourced from across the Mediterranean. Our Southern California collection includes fireplaces, fountains, flooring, pavers, sinks, tubs, benches, antique tiles, wall cladding, and custom-made stone pieces. For inquiries, contact us at (310) 289-0414 or info@neolithicmaterials.com

Large Slab Pavers

Located on a steep hill above downtown Ventura, this modern Spanish house features panoramic views of town with the ocean and Channel Islands beyond. While the views are amazing from a large front deck, the steep slope presented some constraints on the landscape design. Although the property is about a third-of-an-acre, the only useable and open garden space is a small (about 500 square feet) area to the West of the house. The house sits at the back of the property, and another steep hill on the neighboring property behind is held back by a tall retaining wall, leaving just enough room for a narrow, hardscaped patio in the back yard. Bright plantings along the back of the property delineate the home from the neighboring property, and we chose plantings to help stabilize the soil and further develop the Spanish garden look while creating a lush, inviting feel. Additionally, we added 52 pieces of pottery to soften and add interest to the back garden and patio areas. Succulents, herbs, and California natives fill the pottery along with bright, sweet-smelling, tropical-looking, and climate-appropriate plants. Slope stabilization was paramount for the front hill. Beyond that, finding plants that would thrive on the steep slope was the next obstacle. Finally, the aesthetics could be addressed, and we worked to find plants that meshed with the architecture—blending plants with white and orange to play off the red-tiled roofs and white-plastered walls that are emblematic of the Spanish style of this house as well as the predominate style of the neighborhood. The flattish area to the West was designed with the idea of creating a contemporary take on the parterre garden. Reminiscent of Mediterranean gardens, this vegetable and herb garden substitutes formal hedges with formal Corten steel planters to honor the modern Spanish architecture of the house. The citrus, herbs, and vegetables serve the foodie clients well.

Remodeled by Murphy's Design.

Inspiration for a transitional home design remodel in Dallas

This is an example of a traditional landscaping in Chicago.

Corten steel planters by Veradek are awesome! A nice price and well made. They rust to a beautiful, varied patina that along with the straight lines of the steel creates a nice mix of organic and geometric. Plants look great spilling out of planters, and what a canvas! I love planters, and my clients do too!

Home design - contemporary home design idea in Houston

Renovated this out-dates terrace to give it a modern twist. This yard is an example of " less is more", with a custom-made concrete and wood bench, matching table, pergola, panel wall, and low-maintenance plants.

In this project we used charred timber created using 'Shou Sugi Ban', a Japanese wood burning technique. This is used to preserve the wood from rot and water damage. We used this as cladding for this tiered garden, as well as using Graphite Indian Sandstone for the paved areas.