Mountain style backyard rectangular hot tub photo in San Diego

This brownstone, located in Harlem, consists of five stories which had been duplexed to create a two story rental unit and a 3 story home for the owners. The owner hired us to do a modern renovation of their home and rear garden. The garden was under utilized, barely visible from the interior and could only be accessed via a small steel stair at the rear of the second floor. We enlarged the owner’s home to include the rear third of the floor below which had walk out access to the garden. The additional square footage became a new family room connected to the living room and kitchen on the floor above via a double height space and a new sculptural stair. The rear facade was completely restructured to allow us to install a wall to wall two story window and door system within the new double height space creating a connection not only between the two floors but with the outside. The garden itself was terraced into two levels, the bottom level of which is directly accessed from the new family room space, the upper level accessed via a few stone clad steps. The upper level of the garden features a playful interplay of stone pavers with wood decking adjacent to a large seating area and a new planting bed. Wet bar cabinetry at the family room level is mirrored by an outside cabinetry/grill configuration as another way to visually tie inside to out. The second floor features the dining room, kitchen and living room in a large open space. Wall to wall builtins from the front to the rear transition from storage to dining display to kitchen; ending at an open shelf display with a fireplace feature in the base. The third floor serves as the children’s floor with two bedrooms and two ensuite baths. The fourth floor is a master suite with a large bedroom and a large bathroom bridged by a walnut clad hall that conceals a closet system and features a built in desk. The master bath consists of a tiled partition wall dividing the space to create a large walkthrough shower for two on one side and showcasing a free standing tub on the other. The house is full of custom modern details such as the recessed, lit handrail at the house’s main stair, floor to ceiling glass partitions separating the halls from the stairs and a whimsical builtin bench in the entry.

This side yard design has a meandering natural stone (stepping stone) path through a garden with a large and lovely privacy screen of white cedar beside. Landscape Design & Photography by Melanie Rekola

Close up view of rugged stone slab steps that are fitted gracefully into the stone veneered wall and lead down to the lowest terrace that looks out over the river gorge below. These steps are carfeully integrated with the boulders to give the effect of these being carved right out of the natural bedrock. They look rugged but they are smooth even surfaces, set at an easy, walking cadence so going from the top to the bottom of the whole terrace system is a very easy and comfortable barefoot stroll. Photos Jane Luce

Whether large hand-picked granite boulders or smaller hand-cut flag stones, these stone steps gracefully lead over sloping hillsides planted with lush perennial to inviting destinations. Photography: Laurel Stacy Photography

Backyard entry through perennial gardens via stepping stone path photo: Eustacia Marsales
Design ideas for a farmhouse landscaping in New York.

Brian Santoro
Mountain style stone patio photo in Atlanta with a fire pit and a pergola

Dry stack stone wall with stone steps and path.
Design ideas for a mid-sized rustic shade backyard stone landscaping in Other.

Concrete stepping stones meander their way thought a private, densely planted garden area. Accents like a wooden bridge over the dry creek bed, a seating bench, and container planting bring this area to life.

Susan Teare
Photo of a mid-sized traditional partial sun backyard stone garden path in Burlington for summer.

Graham Fry
Example of a trendy exterior home design in Raleigh

Inspiration for a coastal full sun side yard stone garden path in San Luis Obispo.

This project presented unique opportunities that are not often found in residential landscaping. The homeowners were not only restoring their 1840's era farmhouse, a piece of their family’s history, but also enlarging and updating the home for modern living. The landscape designers continued this idea by creating a space that is a modern day interpretation of an 1840s era farm rather then a strict recreation. The resulting design combines elements of farm living from that time, as well as acknowledging the property’s history as a horse farm, with staples of 21st century landscapes such as space for outdoor living, lighting, and newer plant varieties. Guests approach from the main driveway which winds through the property and ends at the main barn. There is secondary gated driveway just for the homeowners. Connected to this main driveway is a narrower gravel lane which leads directly to the residence. The lane passes near fruit trees planted in broken rows to give the illusion that they are the remains of an orchard that once existed on the site. The lane widens at the entrance to the gardens where there is a hitching post built into the fence that surrounds the gardens and a watering trough. The widened section is intended as a place to park a golf cart or, in a nod to the home’s past, tie up horses before entering. The gravel lane passes between two stone pillars and then ends at a square gravel court edged in cobblestones. The gravel court transitions into a wide flagstone walk bordered with yew hedges and lavender leading to the front door. Directly to the right, upon entering the gravel court, is located a gravel and cobblestone edged walk leading to a secondary entrance into the residence. The walk is gated where it connects with the gravel court to close it off so as not to confuse visitors and guests to the main residence and to emphasize the primary entrance. An area for a bench is provided along this walk to encourage stopping to view and enjoy the gardens. On either side of the front door, gravel and cobblestone walks branch off into the garden spaces. The one on the right leads to a flagstone with cobblestone border patio space. Since the home has no designated backyard like most modern suburban homes the outdoor living space had to be placed in what would traditionally be thought of as the front of the house. The patio is separated from the entrance walk by the yew hedge and further enclosed by three Amelanchiers and a variety of plantings including modern cultivars of old fashioned plants such as Itea and Hydrangea. A third entrance, the original front door to the 1840’s era section, connects to the patio from the home’s kitchen, making the space ideal for outdoor dining. The gravel and cobblestone walk branching off to the left of the front door leads to the vegetable and perennial gardens. The idea for the vegetable garden was to recreate the tradition of a kitchen garden which would have been planted close to the residence for easy access. The vegetable garden is surrounded by mixed perennial beds along the inside of the wood picket fence which surrounds the entire garden space. Another area designated for a bench is provided here to encourage stopping and viewing. The home’s original smokehouse, completely restored and used as a garden shed, provides a strong architectural focal point to the vegetable garden. Behind the smokehouse is planted lilacs and other plants to give mass and balance to the corner and help screen the garden from the neighboring subdivision. At the rear corner of the garden a wood arbor was constructed to provide a structure on which to grow grapes or other vines should the homeowners choose to. The landscape and gardens for this restored farmhouse and property are a thoughtfully designed and planned recreation of a historic landscape reinterpreted for modern living. The idea was to give a sense of timelessness when walking through the gardens as if they had been there for years but had possibly been updated and rejuvenated as lifestyles changed. The attention to materials and craftsmanship blend seamlessly with the residence and insure the gardens and landscape remain an integral part of the property. The farm has been in the homeowner’s family for many years and they are thrilled at the results and happy to see respect given to the home’s history and to its meticulous restoration.

A simple wooden boardwalk passes through the forest. The stone sculpture is by Aaron G. Edwards
This is an example of an eclectic garden path in Seattle with decking.

Reclaimed ‘Dalle de Bourgogne’ pavers by Architectural Stone Decor. www.archstonedecor.ca | sales@archstonedecor.ca | (437) 800-8300 The ancient Dalle de Bourgogne stone pavers have been reclaimed from different locations across the Mediterranean making them unique in their warm color mixtures and patinas and their exquisite beauty. They have been calibrated to 5/8” in thickness to ease installation of modern use. They come in random sizes and could be installed in either a running bond formation or a random ‘Versailles’ pattern. Their durable nature makes them an excellent choice for indoor and outdoor use. They are unaffected by extreme climate and easily withstand heavy use due to the nature of their hard molecular structure.

A stepping stone path was created to the hose bib. Landscape grade rocks were added for textural variation and naturalization.

Judd Jason Assoc. 'Living Works of Art'. Application technique. Gravel is troweled in place over the geogrid which lays on a 3/4" clean gravel base for drainage.

Stone staircase in the backyard of this Florida residence on the water. Landscape design by Todd Maclean
Inspiration for a craftsman landscaping in Miami.

Judd Jason Assoc. 'Living Works of Art'. Naturally occuring moss and riverstone inlay throughout stepping stone path
This is an example of a small traditional partial sun backyard concrete paver garden path in New York.