Paving a driveway and adding low stone walls to a front yard is a huge transformation that can add big value to your home.
Inspiration for a huge traditional full sun front yard stone landscaping in Jacksonville for summer.

Inspiration for a modern patio remodel in Columbus

Example of a minimalist patio design in Columbus

Eric Rorer
Large mid-century modern gray two-story mixed siding flat roof photo in San Francisco

This is an example of a small contemporary partial sun backyard brick landscaping in New York.

The exterior of the house was refreshed by removal of all the overgrown trees and shrubs which hide the beauty of this large brick farm house. We replaced all the rotted windows and doore with new modern wood windows and doors finished with custom Boral Millwork. To add some additional sun protection we incorporated a sun trellis over the rear wall of doors. A new Front Entry Porch was designed on the front of the home to create some dimension to the home as well as add sun and rain protection to the front entry of the home. The porch was finished in custom Boral Millwork, custom standing seam metal roof, and beautiful bluestone walkway.

Perspective Drawing. This contemporary front landscape drawing for a San Rafael residence, depicts the new design that includes a poured in place concrete pathway with mexican pebbles in-between. Two vertical ipe wood structures are surrounded by a variety of succulents and other low water architectural plantings. New raised concrete planters along side of the driveway define the property line an help to enclose space. See photos of the finished transformation! Drawings, Design and Photos © Eileen Kelly, Dig Your Garden Landscape Design

Master bathroom Photo by Peter Krupenye.
Example of a large classic master gray tile bathroom design in New York with white cabinets, gray walls and recessed-panel cabinets

Karen transformed her front yard with 100% drought-tolerant landscaping, using water-wise plants and a wide variety of natural stone materials. Cobble, rubble, pebble, flagstone and crushed rock were combined to create a dry streambed that adds a fluid movement to the yard. A basalt fountain water feature was positioned near the entry. Since Karen’s home is part of a Homeowner’s Association, speed was essential to the project. She hired Laura Eubanks of Design for Serenity to facilitate the quick turnaround, completing the project in just 5 days. Design for Serenity designed and installed the beautiful landscaping and succulent tapestries, while Karen herself selected the stone. Karen thinks of landscape rock as a form of art, considering it to be one of the most important elements in her project. She spent several hours with Laura’s team selecting the perfect boulders and materials from our Fallbrook yard. Her hard work paid off: Karen’s guests and HOA neighbors all raved about the impact of natural stone in this total yard transformation.

Outdoor kitchen Heavy up gas line brought from street to accommodate large scale appliances that was planned for this outdoor kitchen
Inspiration for a timeless kitchen remodel in DC Metro

Nat Rea Photography
Patio - transitional backyard patio idea in Boston

Photo: Kimberley Bryan © 2016 Houzz
Elegant patio photo in Seattle

Photo taken just after installation, see updated photos. The front areas of this landscape were transformed from a tired, water thirsty lawn into a contemporary setting with dramatic concrete pavers leading to the home's entrance and a new driveway using large concrete slabs with small black pebbles set in resin. Plants for sun and part shade complete this project, just completed in February 2014. The back areas of this transformation are in a separate project: Modern Water-Side Landscape Remodel http://www.houzz.com/projects/456093/Modern-Water-Side-Landscape-Remodel---Lawn-Replaced--Novato--CA Photos: © Eileen Kelly, Dig Your Garden Landscape Design

To complete your yoga shed masterpiece, here are some items you might need: - yoga mat - yoga pillow - exercise ball - rug - water bottle - plants - CD player/MP3 player to play soothing sounds - Access to electricity if you want to use at night - Paint - Add a window for natural light inside

Paving a driveway and adding low stone walls to a front yard is a huge transformation that can add big value to your home.
Inspiration for a huge traditional full sun front yard stone landscaping in Jacksonville for summer.

Inspiration for a contemporary multicolored tile and stone slab alcove shower remodel in Atlanta with a hinged shower door

Dymondia margaretae 'Silver Carpet' is a tough, low water ground cover that co-mingles beautifully with other low water, drought tolerant plants. And it takes foot traffic as well. Shown here with Bulbine frutescens 'Hallmark' and succulent Echeveria 'Lipstick' below. Also see Water side landscape transformation project for more photos.

Originally designed by one of the most notable landscape architects in town, this once impressive project had faltered in recent years. The pool and spa still functioned well, and the client wanted to keep it intact. In addition, they wanted to keep as much of the existing landscaping as possible. The surrounding decks, walls, and steps were fair game. At first glance, one might think that our changes were simple material changes. Upon closer inspection, however, one can see the subtle, yet transformative changes that come together to update this classic pool in a tasteful, timeless manner, and improve the flow and usability of the deck areas, while softening the feel of the massive hardscape. The subtle changes begin as soon as you walk out the back door of the house. The existing decking had a lot of what we call “tweeners”; areas that are overly generous walkways, yet not large enough to house furniture. The awkwardly small bluestone patio was expanded to accommodate a generous seating area, by pushing the step-down closer to the pool. Our talented stone mason carefully married the new bluestone into the existing, resulting in an imperceptible difference between the two. As you descend the new bluestone steps to the pool level, your bare feet will be thankful for the new smooth-finished limestone colored concrete, with a hand cut pattern carefully etched into its surface. The old red brick decking was so hot that the owners could not walk around the pool in bare feet. The brick coping was also replaced with an eased edge Pennsylvania Premier Stone which matches the new step treads throughout the project. Between the house and the pool, a large raised planter was reconfigured, giving additional space to the pool deck for a shaded lounge chair area. Across the pool, a bank of rather tall painted brick retaining walls were cut down, shortened, and moved. This lessened the visual impact of the walls, which were rather overwhelming in the space, as well as opening up a new seating area, nestled under the arms of the massive pecan at the back of the property. Rather than continuing solid decking around the entire pool, the area near these walls has been transformed to large stone stepper pads set in a sea of beautiful St. Augustine lawn. This creates a visually softened area that is still suited to setting tables and chairs when the guest list calls for additional seating. The spa area is quite possibly the most dramatic change on this project. Yet more raised planter walls divided this area into awkward spaces, unsuited to proper furniture placement. The planters were removed, new stone decks, once again expertly married into the existing, opening the area to house a large dining table and new built in bbq area. The spa itself was re-imagined with the bluestone coping, and painted brick veneer. The most impressive addition though is the new handmade glazed tiles that surround the existing cast stone water feature. This water feature was almost unnoticeable against the painted brick wall, but now the dramatic arch and pop of color draw the eye to this quaint little corner of the property.

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.