Terraced stone retaining walls with a bluestone patio and fire pit. Grand arched stairs made of natural stone stair steps.
Inspiration for a large rustic backyard stone patio remodel in Boston with a fire pit and no cover

Turn a sloped front yard into a leveled one with a natural stone retaining wall.
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional partial sun front yard stone retaining wall landscape in Denver.

Photo of a contemporary vegetable garden landscape in Seattle.

stone walkway, retaining wall, arbors, pergolas, trellis, cedar fencing, custom wood structures
Design ideas for a traditional retaining wall landscape in Portland.

Michael Moran
Example of a trendy white floor hallway design in DC Metro with white walls

9" limestone large retaining wall.
Inspiration for a large traditional front yard retaining wall landscape in Other.

When my client had to move from her company office to work at home, she set up in the dining room. Despite her best efforts, this was not the long-term solution she was looking for. My client realized she needed a dedicated space not on the main floor of the home. On one hand, having your office space right next to the kitchen is handy. On the other hand, it made separating work and home life was not that easy. The house was a ranch. In essence, the basement would run entire length of the home. As we came down the steps, we entered a time capsule. The house was built in the 1950’s. The walls were covered with original knotty pine paneling. There was a wood burning fireplace and considering this was a basement, high ceilings. In addition, there was everything her family could not store at their own homes. As we wound though the space, I though “wow this has potential”, Eventually, after walking through the laundry room we came to a small nicely lit room. This would be the office. My client looked at me and asked what I thought. Undoubtedly, I said, this can be a great workspace, but do you really want to walk through this basement and laundry to get here? Without reservation, my client said where do we start? Once the design was in place, we started the renovation. The knotty pine paneling had to go. Specifically, to add some insulation and control the dampness and humidity. The laundry room wall was relocated to create a hallway to the office. At the far end of the room, we designated a workout zone. Weights, mats, exercise bike and television are at the ready for morning or afternoon workouts. The space can be concealed by a folding screen for party time. Doors to an old closet under the stairs were relocated to the workout area for hidden storage. Now we had nice wall for a beautiful console and mirror for storage and serving during parties. In order to add architectural details, we covered the old ugly support columns with simple recessed millwork panels. This detail created a visual division between the bar area and the seating area in front of the fireplace. The old red brick on the fireplace surround was replaced with stack stone. A mantle was made from reclaimed wood. Additional reclaimed wood floating shelves left and right of the fireplace provides decorative display while maintaining a rustic element balancing the copper end table and leather swivel rocker. We found an amazing rug which tied all of the colors together further defining the gathering space. Russet and burnt orange became the accent color unifying each space. With a bit of whimsy, a rather unusual light fixture which looks like roots from a tree growing through the ceiling is a conversation piece. The office space is quite and removed from the main part of the basement. There is a desk large enough for multiple screens, a small bookcase holding office supplies and a comfortable chair for conference calls. Because working from home requires many online meetings, we added a shiplap wall painted in Hale Navy to contrast with the orange fabric on the chair. We finished the décor with a painting from my client’s father. This is the background online visitors will see. The last and best part of the renovation is the beautiful bar. My client is an avid collector of wine. She already had the EuroCave refrigerator, so I incorporated it into the design. The cabinets are painted Temptation Grey from Benjamin Moore. The counter tops are my favorite hard working quartzite Brown Fantasy. The backsplash is a combination of rustic wood and old tin ceiling like porcelain tiles. Together with the textures of the reclaimed wood and hide poofs balanced against the smooth finish of the cabinets, we created a comfortable luxury for relaxing. There is ample storage for bottles, cans, glasses, and anything else you can think of for a great party. In addition to the wine storage, we incorporated a beverage refrigerator, an ice maker, and a sink. Floating shelves with integrated lighting illuminate the back bar. The raised height of the front bar provides the perfect wine tasting and paring spot. I especially love the pendant lights which look like wine glasses. Finally, I selected carpet for the stairs and office. It is perfect for noise reduction. Meanwhile for the overall flooring, I specifically selected a high-performance vinyl plank floor. We often use this product as it is perfect to install on a concrete floor. It is soft to walk on, easy to clean and does not reduce the overall height of the space.

Inspiration for a landscaping in Salt Lake City.

Photo of a traditional stone retaining wall landscape in Baltimore.

Originally a nearly three-story tall 1920’s European-styled home was turned into a modern villa for work and home. A series of low concrete retaining wall planters and steps gradually takes you up to the second level entry, grounding or anchoring the house into the site, as does a new wrap around veranda and trellis. Large eave overhangs on the upper roof were designed to give the home presence and were accented with a Mid-century orange color. The new master bedroom addition white box creates a better sense of entry and opens to the wrap around veranda at the opposite side. Inside the owners live on the lower floor and work on the upper floor with the garage basement for storage, archives and a ceramics studio. New windows and open spaces were created for the graphic designer owners; displaying their mid-century modern furnishings collection. A lot of effort went into attempting to lower the house visually by bringing the ground plane higher with the concrete retaining wall planters, steps, wrap around veranda and trellis, and the prominent roof with exaggerated overhangs. That the eaves were painted orange is a cool reflection of the owner’s Dutch heritage. Budget was a driver for the project and it was determined that the footprint of the home should have minimal extensions and that the new windows remain in the same relative locations as the old ones. Wall removal was utilized versus moving and building new walls where possible. Photo Credit: John Sutton Photography.

Architect: Sharratt Design & Company, Photography: Jim Kruger, LandMark Photography, Landscape & Retaining Walls: Yardscapes, Inc.
Inspiration for a large timeless blue three-story wood exterior home remodel in Minneapolis with a shingle roof

Designed by: Marco Romani, Landscape Architect. Outdoor Kitchen, Heated Pergola, Outdoor Lounge Room, Terraced Patio, Retaining Walls and Seatwalls, Landscape, Outdoor Seating Furniture.

Ulrich Designer: Tom Santarsiero Photography by Peter Rymwid This is a master bath with subtle sophistication and understated elegance. The cabinets were custom designed by Tom, with straight, simple lines, and custom built by Draper DBS of walnut, with a deep, rich brown finish. The richness of the dark cabinetry juxtaposed with the elegance of the white carrara marble on the countertop, wall and floors contributes to the room's sophistication. Ample storage is found in the large vanity and an armoire style cabinet, designed to mimic a free-standing furniture piece, that is positioned behind the door. Architectural beams placed across the vaulted ceiling bring a sense of scale to the room and invite natural light in through the skylight.

You can see the drip irrigation that's part of a backyard drought-tolerant low-maintenance landscape design. Railroad ties are part of a staired walkway up the hillside. A Railroad tie retaining wall runs to the fence. Drought-tolerant plants & flowers are scattered over the hillside.

A farmhouse style was achieved in this new construction home by keeping the details clean and simple. Shaker style cabinets and square stair parts moldings set the backdrop for incorporating our clients’ love of Asian antiques. We had fun re-purposing the different pieces she already had: two were made into bathroom vanities; and the turquoise console became the star of the house, welcoming visitors as they walk through the front door.

Originally a nearly three-story tall 1920’s European-styled home was turned into a modern villa for work and home. A series of low concrete retaining wall planters and steps gradually takes you up to the second level entry, grounding or anchoring the house into the site, as does a new wrap around veranda and trellis. Large eave overhangs on the upper roof were designed to give the home presence and were accented with a Mid-century orange color. The new master bedroom addition white box creates a better sense of entry and opens to the wrap around veranda at the opposite side. Inside the owners live on the lower floor and work on the upper floor with the garage basement for storage, archives and a ceramics studio. New windows and open spaces were created for the graphic designer owners; displaying their mid-century modern furnishings collection. A lot of effort went into attempting to lower the house visually by bringing the ground plane higher with the concrete retaining wall planters, steps, wrap around veranda and trellis, and the prominent roof with exaggerated overhangs. That the eaves were painted orange is a cool reflection of the owner’s Dutch heritage. Budget was a driver for the project and it was determined that the footprint of the home should have minimal extensions and that the new windows remain in the same relative locations as the old ones. Wall removal was utilized versus moving and building new walls where possible. Photo Credit: John Sutton Photography.

Traditional Style Wall using Techo-Bloc's Baltimore wall & Piedimonte caps. Traditional Style platform steps framed with Piedimonte caps.
Patio fountain - traditional backyard patio fountain idea in Other with a pergola

Teak floored shower
Large mountain style gray tile and cement tile dark wood floor bathroom photo in New York with a console sink, light wood cabinets, wood countertops, a wall-mount toilet, gray walls and brown countertops

These homeowners faced a significant challenge when designing the patio of their dreams. The yard sloped into a forest backing onto their home. This was resolved by building several steps that lead to a beautiful sunken patio with a surrounding U-Cara retaining wall that showcases their lush gardens. They chose to also add a U-Cara firepit as the focal point, so their family can relax in a cozy setting.