Kristen Rudger Landscape Design

Kristen is the best landscape designer I've ever worked with (and I've worked with three over the last 12+ years). Her vibe is chill, calm and thoughtful. She's great at listening to what you want and taking your ideas and actually putting them together into a design that will look beautiful and be functional. She also contributed a few awesome ideas of her own which we never would have thought of (e.g., creating a fire pit table top, adding an arch of vines over a backyard bench, and adding a 'berm' to deliver more of a forest look.) She was very open and enthusiastic about our project even though it was both smaller than her normal projects and a bit more natural/organic (i.e., we asked her to help us convert the back half of our backyard into a tiny forest and meadow) She was incredibly patient with us when we originally requested some elements that we then asked her to take away from the final plans. She was super responsive over email and text throughout the process. She also worked seamlessly with Alex the contractor (whom she introduced us to) and that really helped during the demo, construction and planting phases to address and resolve any unexpected issues that arose.

We recently completed a full backyard redesign with Kristen Rudger Landscape Design after struggling for several years on our own to figure out how best to update the space. We selected Kristen after discussing the project with several different designers and viewing a job that she had recently completed in our neighborhood. Kristen's personalized approach and her in-depth knowledge of Belmont were key factors in our decision. She did not disappoint. We met with Kristen onsite to agree on our goals for the project, view the space and share a mood board so that she could get a sense for our aesthetic. Kristen listened closely, if quietly, and produced two design ideas that hit the nail on the head. Kristen was able to turn our wishlist of ideas into a practical solution that fully realized our goals. With very little modification, we were able to finalize the design and choose materials for the project. Throughout the design phase, she worked diligently to remain within our stated budget and helped us make key tradeoffs to maximize the impact of our spend. At the conclusion of the design phase, we were free to quote the project to any installers we wished. She made herself available to review tradeoffs in the quotes. During the installation phase, Kristen worked seamlessly with the team, providing guidance as needed to correctly implement the design and was helpful with suggestions when changes on the fly were required. We are very pleased with our beautiful new backyard. Kristen has our highest recommendation.

Kristen was a joy to work with and the quality of her work was top notch. She was great at listening to our project goals and then creating a design that far exceeded our expectations. Kristen was extremely helpful in picking out materials, finishes and furniture to truly tie the outdoor spaces together. As a result of Kristen’s expertise, we now have the backyard we’ve always dreamed of.

We worked with Kristen on a big back- and frontyard makeover that included landscape and hardscape (new driveway and new deck). She was great to work with, she listened to our ideas and came back with a lot of good suggestions and ideas for design, keeping our budget in mind. Kristen was always very responsive and available for the many questions that we had. She was flexible and came up with alternative ideas when we wanted to change the original plans. She had really good referrals for companies for installation and also for material and outdoor furniture. We can highly recommend Kristen and would work with her again in the future any time.

We could not be more delighted with Kristen and our project! Kristen did a complete re-design of our front and back yard and delivered a fantastic outcome. She takes the time to really listen to a client's ideas and carefully guide them through the pros and cons of various options. In our case, she was able to synthesize two differing viewpoints into a cohesive and thoughtful design. Along the way, her patience, counsel and proactive recommendations enabled us to try on various ideas while usually choosing her recommendations. Importantly, she quickly got to know us as people and too the time to understand each of our styles. She is a creative problem-solver and works diligently to offer alternatives when needed. Importantly, she introduced us to wonderful contractors and vendors who performed outstanding work, on-time and on-budget. They, too, shared her collaborative style and were able to help us engineer significant savings. Throughout the construction phase, Kristen was on-site making sure everything was just so and, when needed, providing guidance to the contractors. Over the years, we have unfortunately had our share of headaches, problems and never-ending projects with other designers and contractors. Our experience with Kristen and her network were completely the opposite. We wish she did interior architecture and design; we'd hire her for everything. We can't thank you enough!

Kristen is a brilliant landscape designer! Because of her skills and talent, our backyard is a masterpiece. She carefully listened to our concept for our backyard and developed a design that was impressive and exceeded our expectations. She is also wonderful to work with...thoughtful, calm, competent and responsive. We loved working with Kristen and love the dramatic transformation of our backyard.

I truly enjoyed working with Kristen Rudger. She is professional, thoughtful and very responsive. From the beginning of the project to the final planting (and then beyond, to check in), Kristen was easy to work with and demonstrated a wealth of knowledge. She also made sure to involve me in the project to the extent I wanted to remain involved and keep me continually updated. Specifically, Kristen designed our new outdoor pavilion (full dine in with appliances), a new firepit area, and helped refresh the remainder of our large backyard. She also helped facilitate and guide the work with the contractor and landscaper, as well as other vendors involved in the project (including stone, water fountain, engineering, pots, electricians, etc.). Although the execution of the project took much longer than expected (this was not related to her work, but the contractor), she remained persistent and involved the entire time, and very patient. The final result is stunning and everyone loves it - but most importantly, me. I would highly recommend her!

We could not be happier with our yard renovation. Kristen was key to getting us there. She designed the yard and managed to include everything we wanted in her design, which was very thoughtful, especially as the project was quite extensive and included a significant hill in the backyard. The project involved hardscape, landscape, drainage and irrigation. Kristen helped us find our contractor, engineers, and other professionals needed for the job. She visited the site several times during the construction project and was available when changes were necessary which greatly helped lessen the stress of the project. The result is truly fantastic!

Kristen has been fantastic to work with as we designed and then put into place our yard. She is knowledgeable and very responsive throughout. She stayed on our budget. We had our own ideas and also needed her creative energy and experience to get our yard together. Even now when we are largely through the construction process Kristen has remained an active part of our "team." I give Kristen the highest possible recommendation without hesitation. I am happy to answer any questions if you want to reach out.

Kristen is very accessible and very knowledgeable of everything outdoors. She redesigned our super basic backyard into a wonderful space. She was very good at listening to what we wanted and articulating it into a great vision for our backyard. She was very creative with some great ideas for a more modern design. She was also very patient with us as we changed out minds many times during the process. She was very prompt in her replies and updates on the plans. She did the hardscape and the landscaping as well. Lots of great plants and trees. We love our new backyard and are outside enjoying it a lot more now!

Kristen helped us with a large project that involved changing terraces/ elevations in our yard, replanting with drought-resistant plants, and building an outdoor kitchen. She was attentive to our needs and came up with a solution that worked really well for our family and fit into our budget requirements. It was helpful that she is very familiar with our geographic area and local building requirements. Our yard looks great and fits perfectly with our intended use.

Kristen was a fabulous designer with whom we worked over the long process of entirely redoing our yard. She was always communicative, listened to our concerns and ideas, and implemented and managed the actual construction with the GC doing the work. The project started before the pandemic, was put on pause, and then restarted and completed in mid-2021. We love our yard, and how everything is done now. From the thoughtful lighting, to the various patios, and walkways. We have our own little Versailles now, thanks to Kristen. So glad we found her.