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SW Design
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Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers
About Us
7x Best of Houzz winner
30 years in business
Budget friendly
Bay Area Landscape Architect
7X Best of Houzz Winner!
7X Best of Houzz Winner!
SW Design is distinguished by a strong commitment to design excellence and sustainability. Our success is from a thorough understanding of each unique site and environmental conditions and the creative responsiveness to address those factors. As a small company we have direct interaction with the clients and subconsultants providing seamless coordination and quality while fulfilling the design intent of the client and cost constraints.
Services Provided
Custom Bocce Ball Courts, Custom Fire Pits, Custom Water Features, Deck Design, Drought Tolerant Landscaping, Garden Design, Hardscaping, Landscape Design, Landscape Plans, Patio Design, Pool Landscaping, Site Planning, Swimming Pool Design
Areas Served
Belvedere, Belvedere Tiburon, Bolinas, Corte Madera, Fairfax, Forest Knolls, Greenbrae, Kentfield, Lagunitas-Forest Knolls, Larkspur, Lucas Valley-Marinwood, Marin City, Mill Valley, Muir Beach, North Richmond, Novato, Richmond, Ross, San Anselmo, San Geronimo, San Pablo, San Quentin, San Rafael, Santa Venetia, Sausalito, Sleepy Hollow, Stinson Beach, Tamalpais-Homestead Valley, Tiburon, Woodacre
Awards
Licenses in California and Nevada, ASLA membership
Featured Review

Angela Grady
Average rating: 5 out of 5 starsRelationship
Client
She listened extremely well to what I wanted to do, and quickly pulled together a beautiful plan, with multiple options based on my preferences and her recommendations. She made herself available to meet my busy schedule, was extremely responsive,Read Full Review
27 Reviews for SW Design
Newest first
Average rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars4.9|27 reviews
Work Quality5.0
Communication5.0
Value5.0

Heidi Oelman
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
Stephanie helped us turn our disaster of a backyard into a beautiful outdoor extension of our living space. She helped us develop a landscape plan that included hardscape plans, introduced us to the excellent construction team that we ultimately used for the hardscape areas, she acted as construction liaison for us to help get questions answered and when it came time for planting, she developed an amazing planting plan that she executed beautifully with her landscape contractor. She was very collaborative, responsive, helpful and fun to work with! We would work with Stephanie again and recommend her to anyone looking to update their outdoor space.
June 2, 2022

richterkim53
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
I had the pleasure to work with Stephanie in transforming my front yard. I was so impressed by her professionalism, knowledge and the ease with which she approached the project. One thing that impressed me was once the timeline was established, she stuck to it and the job was completed in the timeframe she quoted me. Her knowledge of plants and design is unsurpassed, and I never hesitated when she made a suggestion. I am so pleased with my new front yard and will recommend Stephanie and SW Design without hesitation.
May 24, 2022

HU-498270768
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
Stephanie was very involved with our project every step of the way. She had great suggestions, stayed involved with the contractors and was consistently available as needed. She understands all facets of landscaping design and provided us with examples to help us envision what could be. We are grateful that she helped us create a beautiful backyard environment.
Jack and Eileen
May 19, 2022

jagerk80
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
We highly recommend Stephanie at CW Design. She did a wonderful job with the design and plant and tree recommendations for our front yard. The property was always challenging with the steep slope. Stephanie put together a wonderful design that truly transformed our yard. We couldn’t be happier with the results. Stephanie is very easy to work with, kind and professional and was very respectful of our budget.
September 15, 2021

Adele Sweetwood
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
Stephanie was amazing! We needed a landscape designer that could work with us in stages, help secure resources, manage within a budget, and deliver a beautiful result. Stephanie did a terrific job being all of those things and more. She was attentive, responsive, and, of course, very creative. Our design was a mix of hardscape, landscape, and living areas, including an outdoor kitchen and fire table space. We are nearing the final stages and I will add more pictures, but the result so far is wonderful. I would strongly recommend Stephanie for your project!






April 28, 2021

david_saloner
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
We needed a major overhaul of our yard. Stephanie assisted us at every stage of the project. She was extremely collaborative in hearing our wishes and in coming up with creative solutions. After coming up with a design, she was able to suggest crews for different aspects of the project – hardscape, planting, and so on. Indeed, she worked closely in coordinating and supervising the teams. Everyone who came on the property was friendly, considerate, and took pride in putting together a final product that would make us very happy. Of major importance, Stephanie is extremely knowledgeable about plants – this includes environmental suitability; hardiness; combining and complementing different varieties; and being mindful of how these plants will bloom and flower through the seasons. We have been thrilled with our final project. All our guests have been extremely complimentary and the new patio and garden have given us great comfort and harmony through the pandemic, and we expect for decades to come!
February 14, 2021

Ryan McKone
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
Stephanie has been a wonderful design partner for us. Her creativity (and flexibility!) made it easy to work with her and we are very pleased with the completion of our first project, and are already working with Stephanie on our second...
Our home is located on an "interesting" lot, with angles and changing grades and Stephanie's ability to align, and improve, on our vision made the process fun. She also has a great eye for how to soften/improve the landscape with the right types of plants. She is very easy to work with, incredibly responsive and flexible. Would highly recommend working with Stephanie!
February 13, 2021

Jessica W
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
Stephanie redesigned our entire front yard in San Rafael, taking into consideration issues we had with drainage, drought, and deer who liked to eat our plants. She was fabulous. I had utmost confidence in her ability. She was organized, reliable, and just a really nice person to work with. She oversaw all the planting and had great ideas. We are very happy with her work and plan to work with her again on our side yard!
January 17, 2021

Angela Grady
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
I hired Stephanie at SW Design to design and manage the landscaping of my very large front yard for my new home in Mill Valley (Harbor Point area). Stephanie was absolutely fantastic to work with. She listened extremely well to what I wanted to do, and quickly pulled together a beautiful plan, with multiple options based on my preferences and her recommendations. She made herself available to meet my busy schedule, was extremely responsive, quick to turn around changes, and very attentive as we were completing the work. She has excellent taste, and helped me find deer and drought tolerant selections with great color. She also cautioned me away from things that she researched and wasn't confident would flourish in my micro climate.
She was super easy to work with, very reasonably priced and I couldn't be happier with my finished landscape. I would highly recommend her!
August 3, 2020Last modified:August 3, 2020

Michael Saltzman
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
Stephanie was great to work. She was very considerate of our budget and did an amazing job incorporating our vision in the design. The contractors/landscapers she selected were excellent.
We could not be happier with the final product! Thanks you SW Design!!
July 1, 2020

Palter/Donzelli Design + Architecture, Inc.
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
I am a licensed Architect specializing in residentail remodels & additions, who appreciates good design & quality construction.
Landscape Architect Stephanie Wonolleck of SW Land Design created a new vision for our back yard's former small lawn area, resulting in a stunning re-purposed flagstone patio sitting area, complimented by native grasses & plants.
The back yard is accessed by a new stepped paver walkway which acts as a strong design counterpoint to the flagstone sitting area.
Furthermore, Stephanie assembled a project team of GHS Landscaping, Inc. (hardscape) & Juan Mendez (planting & irrigation), who both did magnificent work, executing her vision with precision & craftsmanship in a timely manner.




June 10, 2020Last modified:July 16, 2020

Lynn Sieben
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
Stephanie created the perfect design for our yard adjoining WUI land. We wanted an easy care but visually interesting garden with year round interest. She met the challenges of rocky terrain, and the need for drought resistant, deer resistant, and wildfire resistant plantings with a beautiful, varied design that is perfectly suited to the location. The design looks great now, and I believe it will get better and better over the years as the garden grows and fills in. She and the landscaper she works with were extremely professional, attentive to detail, and a pleasure to deal with.
June 8, 2020Last modified:June 8, 2020

Kirsten K
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
We loved working with Stephanie for our front yard landscape project! She was very considerate of both our budget and our needs for minimal maintenance. The job was done on schedule and we were kept informed throughout about what to expect. She also did all of the investigation with the city to ensure we could add a fence to our side yard and was very knowledgeable about native plants that would appeal to our taste. Highly recommended!
February 14, 2020

Kate Falvey
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
Stephanie was the best landscape architect we could have asked for. She is extremely communicative, patient, versatile, and creative. She managed the entire process from start to finish and the end result was exactly what we were envisioning! Thanks Stephanie!
September 23, 2019

Martha Zeller
Average rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
Stephanie was a great collaborator on our remodel project! She translated our goals and objectives into a very thoughtful plan incorporating existing and drought tolerant plants. Stephanie also brought very reasonable hardscape and landscape partners who were very flexible and and mindful our our timeline.
March 16, 2019

Cyndi Weingard
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
I hired Stephanie to design my front and backyard landscaping and had the best time working with her. She's professional, responsive, creative, and cost conscious; I really felt taken care of. I'm so happy with the project outcome and wouldn't hesitate to recommend SW Design.
January 4, 2019

Frances Barbour
Average rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
Stephanie W. Has excellent vision for design and practicality for outdoor spaces. I think she took into consideration our budget, style and timeline very well. I am very pleased with the landscaping and irrigation we received through her.
September 5, 2018

matouyou
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
Working with Stephanie was a joy. She was able to take a multitude of ideas and pictures and cohesively plan our new front yard. She patiently listened to our wants and worked within our budget to assure that we were satisfied with final outcome. We now have a beautiful, water-wise, native plant-filled, bird and butterfly garden. We couldn't be happier.
October 3, 2017

A Mehta
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
Stephanie helped us design our landscaping to match our custom, contemporary home. She picked trees and plants that met our needs (drought tolerant and minimal maintenance) and desired look. We worked to determine how we wanted to use the yard design a plan that worked. But most impressive to me was how responsive and hands-on she was. She came to our property numerous times and promptly responded with updated plans. We would definitely work with her again and highly recommend her.
March 30, 2017

Anne-Marie Montellato
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
Stephanie did an excellent job helping us through the design and remodel of our backyard. She listened to our wants and needs and worked with our budget to help us make our backyard beautiful. Her planting design is lovely. We have received many compliments from our neighbors on the attractiveness of our yard.
October 11, 2016

chris6495
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
CLA is an Architectural Firm who has hired SW Design as a Landscape Consultant
CLA has worked with SW Design for over 7 years on several very successful multi-family housing developments. Stephanie’s attention to detail and follow through is exceptional and much appreciated.
SW Design has a very good understanding of California native and drought tolerant landscape plants and materials. They are able to design within budget and on time while providing a quality, beautiful landscape solution that is sensitive to the site and the built environment.
A small firm, SW Design has proven to be equal to or better than many large firms and will continue to be a company selected by CLA and the clients we work with.
March 15, 2016

annafd
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
We hired SW Designs to update our 1980 landscape that consisted of a weed-filled lawn land some tired bushes and other outdated ground cover. The owner, Stephanie Wondolleck, knew we wanted a drought tolerant, easy to maintain yard that flows with other landscapes in our HOA development. She quickly drew up a design addressing all our needs as well as our neighbors desires. She gave us several plant choices, but not too many to overwhelm us with special attention to color, size, shape as well as tolerability to a saltwater and windy environment near SF Bay. Once decisions were made the final plan was presented to our immediate neighbors and then the HOA architectural review committee and it was quickly approved. We hired the landscape contractors she works with after a bid from another. We are thrilled with the end result (and so are our neighbors). Stephanie is extremely professional, easy to work with, and we recommend her without hesitation.
January 11, 2015

mbr1115
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
Stephanie designed a fabulous yard and garden for us. We asked for low maintenance and lots of color, and she exceeded all of our expectations. Her experience and knowledge were key in providing us with exactly what we wanted. She was always on time and on budget. We definitely recommend her services, and will be using her for our future projects.
December 15, 2014

kscollin
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
Stephanie Wondolleck is not only a wonderful designer, she listens to your needs and carefully personalizes your landscape design. She redesigned our 15-year old very tired landscape and incorporated elements such as boulders that I would not have thought of. In addition, she brought a very professional, reliable landscape company to the job. She managed every detail of the installation, including me along the way to ensure I was happy with the progress. She also 154 stayed within budget. Customer service is her number one priority. She is extremely conscientious and we will definitely use her services again.
December 11, 2014

Mimi Berkoe
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
Stephanie was instrumental ensuring we had a beautiful new look for the front of our house: including a new paver driveway, 3 retaining walls, stairway, and landscaping.
The project was so much easier with Stephanie’s expertise; she listened to all my concerns and was very detailed oriented in making sure they were addressed. She had a gentle and clear way of speaking to the contractors, and coordinated each step of the project. The lighting and plant selections and placement turned out beautiful.
With her keen eye, she directed the paver company on the corrected slope and width of our driveway producing an attractive and easy to use space! She patiently discussed various material choices (stone, wood, stucco, etc), the placement/height of the new retaining walls thoroughly addressing their final usage, quality and cost implications. She worked with our budget and exceeded expectations with final costs coming in below the original estimate. What a nice surprise...
We get compliments continually on our beautiful new house front and would highly recommend Stephanie for your next project.
May 8, 2014Last modified:June 30, 2018

cwondo
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
Our front yard looks awesome!
We got everything we asked for: low maintenance, water conscious, and curb appeal. Stephanie is very knowledgeable about plants, micro climates in the bay area, boulder choices, and animal resistant plants. She transformed our yard. No more mowing lawns in our spare time!
April 10, 2014

pscheer
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Relationship
Client
Following the recommendation of a friend, I hired Stephanie Wondolleck and her design firm, SW Design, for a much-needed and long-delayed landscaping project for the front of our home in Marin County, California. Stephanie was very good at figuring out what we would like (given our tastes and cost constraints), even though we were not very sure what we wanted. She did everything she said she would do, including using only deer-resistant plants and bringing the project in on budget and on-time. Meeting the deadlines required careful coordination of various contractors, at which she was very adept. Stephanie is professional, creative, thoughtful--and a pleasure to work with. We would (will) happily and confidently hire her and SW Design again.
March 10, 2014
11 Ideabooks
Contact SW Design
![]() | SW Design Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars |
66 Jewell Street
San Rafael, CA 94901
San Rafael, CA 94901
Typical Job Cost $5,000 - 120,000
License Number CA 3680, NV 843
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